A school district spokeswoman said that the city’s schools increased security measures after the 2015 terrorist attack. In that incident, a married couple entered a venue hosting a Christmas party for county public health workers and opened fire. The two were later killed in a shootout with San Bernardino police.
“Once the school bell rings, the only entry point into a campus is the main school office, where visitors have to sign in and receive a visitor’s pass,”said district spokeswoman Maria Garcia.
Anderson stopped by the school office after he entered the school Monday morning and told administrators he needed to drop something off to his wife, Burguan said.
“That is not uncommon for a spouse to be able to gain access to a school campus to meet with their other spouse,” he said.
Authorities said there was no indication that the gun was visible when Anderson entered the classroom.
A frantic scene unfolded at the school Monday, as information trickled out about the incident. Parents were told not to come to the school but rather to wait at a nearby high school, where they were told to present identification to police to reunite with their children. But the children were evacuated to a third location, a college campus, as police interviewed potential witnesses and notified the victims’ families.
Television stations in Southern California carried aerial footage showing children emerging hand in hand from North Park, then boarding school buses destined for a local college campus.