A schoolboy who shot two schoolmates dead on his 16th birthday has been named as Nathaniel Berhow.

Berhow walked into Saugus High School in Santa Clarita, California on Sunday and shot five schoolmates.

He then turned the semi-automatic pistol on himself in a communal indoor ‘quad’ area inside the building, which sits around 30 miles north of downtown Los Angeles.

Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff Alex Nueva says Berhow is gravely ill in hospital. But police sources have told NBC4 that the shooter is actually brain dead, and only attached to a life support machine while his organs can be harvested for donation.

Two of his victims – a 16 year-old girl and 14 year-old boy, have since died in hospital.

Berhow reportedly changed his Instagram biography to say ‘Saugus have fun at school tomorrow’ the day before the deadly shooting

An account believed to belong to Berhow also shared a meme featuring a misogynistic joke accompanied by a grab from the New Zealand mosque shooting spree that killed 51 Muslims (Picture: Instagram)

Two girls aged 14 and 15, as well as a boy aged 15 remain in hospital.

One of the youngsters remains critically ill, but the others are conscious and said to be in a good condition.

Neighbors said Berhow had struggled since his father Mark died of a heart attack in December 2017 aged 57.

Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff Alex Nueva refused to confirm Berhow’s death, but implied that the wounds he sustained were non-survivable in an interview with NBC4.

Berhow is pictured as a little boy with his father Mark and mother Samantha. The shooter is believed to have been devastated by his dad’s death from a heart attack two years ago (Picture: Dignity Memorial)

Students claim Berhow changed his Instagram biography last night to say ‘Saugus have fun at high school tomorrow.’

That account – which also includes a misogynistic meme with using a photo from this year’s New Zealand mosque massacre – has since been taken down.

It joked about the difference between what girls livestream and boys livestream online.

The meme was illustrated with a grab from March’s mass shooting in Christchurch which killed 51.

Suspected gunman Brenton Tarrant denies the killings, which were streamed live on Facebook.

A sheriff’s deputy stands guard outside a school where 16 year-old Nathaniel Berhow shot two schoolmates dead (Picture: AP)

Berhow is said to have been a member of his track team.

He had a girlfriend, with investigators focusing in on a troubled relationship Berhow reportedly had with an unidentified girl at Saugus.

Friends and family told of their shock at hearing of the shooting, with one former pal called Ryan telling KTLA that Nathaniel had been quiet and unassuming when they attended middle school together.

He paid tribute to Mark Berhow, calling him ‘a really nice man who was willing to help a lot of people.’

Ryan said Mark – an enthusiastic hunter – made bullets, and that he is believed to have battled a drink problem in the run-up to his death.

Heavily armed FBI officials survey the scene after a gunman opened fire at Saugus High School after Thursday’s mass-shooting (Picture: AP)

He said: ‘(Mark Berhow) had a spike, and started doing a bunch, uncontrollably.

‘It’s crazy, it shows you, you don’t know what people are going through, I guess.

‘I wish I could’ve known what he was going through, or talk to him.’

Santa Clarita Valley Sheriff’s Office have yet to share a possible motive for the shooter, but are said to be focusing in on a relationship between Berhow and a girl at his school.

They are currently talking to Berhow’s mother Samantha and his girlfriend.

Nathaniel’s father Mark, who died of a heart attack in 2017 (Picture: Dignity Memorial.com)

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Neither is suspected of having any knowledge or involvement of the horrific crime.

Neighbors said that Berhows family kept themselves to themselves.

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