Crime

OXNARD, Calif. - Oxnard police said a student was hit by a stray bullet in a shooting near McAuliffe Elementary School in Oxnard Thursday morning.

The police department said it was a car-to-car shooting that happened off campus around 11:20 a.m. Upon arriving, officers located the victim, a 9-year-old girl, in a classroom.

The girl was hit by a bullet on her lower extremities. She was treated on scene and transported to a local hospital for treatment. She is currently listed in stable condition.

Police said the shooting occurred off the school's campus. Witnesses in the area reported seeing two vehicles driving erratically near the school.

One car appeared to be following the other and gunfire ensued as one person shot at the person in the other vehicle. Officers believe it was a stray bullet from this shooting that hit the young girl while she was playing on the playground.

Police said the school was put on lockdown and an incident command post was established.

Both vehicles involved in the shooting fled the area. One vehicle was located by police, but no one was inside. Police have not yet arrested anyone in connection to this incident.

A school district spokesman said a reunification center had been set up at Via Marina Avenue and Kelp Street near the school. Parents were asked to cooperate with the school district and meet up with their children in that area.

The school said parents were allowed to pick up their children if they wanted to, but the school would continue operating as normal. Students are typically released at 2:20 p.m.

Dozens of parents were waiting to pick up their children Thursday. (Senerey de los Santos/KEYT)

Oxnard Police Chief Scott Whitney was on scene at McAuliffe Elementary. “Our schools should be the safest place for our kids during the school day. This type of violent crime is unacceptable. We know there are individuals within the community that have information about what happened. With that information, and with the hard work of our detectives, I'm confident that we'll make an arrest in this case,” Whitney said.

Police asked the public to avoid the area.

Posted by Oxnard Police Department on Thursday, January 23, 2020

Anyone who witnessed the event or has any information about the incident or involved parties is encouraged to contact Detective Carey Everhart at (805) 486-6228.

This is a developing story and will be updated as more information becomes available.