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Teen Gunman Dies a Day After Shooting Himself and Killing 2 Others at a California High School

Teen Gunman Dies a Day After Shooting Himself and Killing 2 Others at a California High School

The Santa Clarita teen who senselessly gunned down several classmates at a Saugus High School on Thursday has died.

Sgt. Jennifer Roth with the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department confirms to PEOPLE that 16-year-old Nathaniel Tennosuke Berhow died on Friday at 3:32 p.m. after suffering a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head.

Berhow’s mother was present at the time of his passing, according to Roth.

The teen had been in grave condition since the tragedy on Thursday, where he opened fire just after 7:30 a.m., killing two students — Gracie Anne Muehlberger and Dominic Blackwell — and wounding three others.

Nathaniel Berhow died from a self-inflicted gunshot
Nathaniel Berhow died from a self-inflicted gunshot

The attack was captured on school surveillance video and showed Berhow removing a .45 caliber semi-automatic pistol from his backpack before opening fire on the quad, shooting the five students. He then shot himself.

Authorities received calls about the shooting at 7:38 a.m. When they arrived at the scene, they recovered Berhow’s gun, which they said had no more bullets in it.

Officials executed a search warrant on the suspect’s home Thursday and are currently investigating a motive. The Los Angeles Times reported that Berhow’s girlfriend and mother were at the sheriff’s office waiting to be interviewed that same day.

Victims Dominic Blackwell and Gracie Anne Muehlberger | GoFundME; Facebook
Victims Dominic Blackwell and Gracie Anne Muehlberger | GoFundME; Facebook

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Berhow — who friends reportedly called “Nathan” — was a Boy Scout and a member of the track team, online records at Athletic.net show. Classmates said he was a “good student,” according to CNN, and that he was acting “totally normal” in the days before the shooting.

Thursday was Berhow’s 16th birthday.

Saugus High School | Christian Monterrosa/AP/Shutterstock
Saugus High School | Christian Monterrosa/AP/Shutterstock

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A neighbor of the suspect described him as a “very kind, sweet boy,” according to the L.A. Times, with another neighbor describing him as “a quiet kid.”

A classmate of the suspect told the L.A. Times, “I’m bewildered and looking for answers — the question as to why all this would happen. So many questions no one has the answers to.”

Berhow’s father died in 2017, according to an online obituary.

Saugus High School staff and students | Stefanie Dazio/AP/Shutterstock
Saugus High School staff and students | Stefanie Dazio/AP/Shutterstock

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Saugus High School posted on its website that the campus was closed until further notice after the shooting.

Multiple GoFundMe’s have since been set up to aid the victims’ families, as well as the high school community with memorials and grief counseling.

Of the three students who were injured in the tragedy, one has been treated and released from the hospital.

Two others, both girls aged 14 and 15, remained hospitalized. They are believed to be in fair condition and are expected to be discharged from the hospital soon.