A female suspect is dead, and at least three people were wounded in a mass shooting incident Tuesday at YouTube headquarters in San Bruno, Calif. Hundreds of company employees fled the chaotic scene.
San Bruno police swarmed the YouTube offices at about 12:48 p.m. local time after receiving numerous emergency calls two minutes earlier reporting shots fired.
Police Chief Ed Barberini said at an on-scene press conference that officers encountered one victim with an apparent gunshot wound in front of the business and soon thereafter encountered a female who was dead of what appeared to be a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
Two other victims were located several minutes later at an adjacent business. The wounded were transported to local hospitals.
The shooter used a handgun, Barberini told reporters.
Message of Support
Google CEO Sundar Pichai addressed the tragedy on Twitter shortly after the event occurred.
There are no words to describe the tragedy that occurred today. @SusanWojcicki & I are focused on supporting our employees & the @YouTube community through this difficult time together. Thank you to the police & first responders for their efforts, and to all for msgs of support.
— Sundar Pichai (@sundarpichai) April 3, 2018
He sent a separate companywide message to employees.
“Earlier this afternoon, while our employees were having lunch, we received reports of an active shooter at YouTube in San Bruno,” Pichai wrote in the memo. “Law enforcement and our security team worked to evacuate the buildings and prioritize the safety of everyone there.”
The company’s security team was working with authorities and local hospitals, where victims of the shooting were sent, he added, in an effort to do everything possible to support the victims and their families.
Workplace Violence
Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital, the trauma center nearest to the scene, received three patients: a 32-year-old female in serious condition, a 27-year-old female in fair condition, and a 36-year-old male in critical condition. That information was provided by hospital spokesperson Brent Andrew at a press briefing. Names were not released.
San Francisco General is the only Level One trauma center in the area, said Andre Campbell, a trauma surgeon at the hospital. He confirmed that the patients were awake and aware of what had happened.
“Once again, we are confronted with the specter of a mass casualty situation here in the city and county of San Francisco where we now have three victims who’ve come in that we’ve taken care of,” he told reporters. “This is unfortunate, and it continues. You’d think after Las Vegas, Parkland, and the Pulse nightclub that we’d seen an end to this, but we have not.”
Todd Sherman, a product manager at YouTube, tweeted from the scene.
“I looked down and saw blood drips on the floor and stairs. Peaked around for threats and then we headed downstairs and out the front.”
— Todd Sherman (@tdd) April 3, 2018
Google Communications said it has advised all other employees in the Bay Area and people with meetings scheduled to stay away, adding there was no need to take any action. Google said it was providing an employee helpline.
President Donald Trump posted a tweet after being briefed on the incident.
Was just briefed on the shooting at YouTube’s HQ in San Bruno, California. Our thoughts and prayers are with everybody involved. Thank you to our phenomenal Law Enforcement Officers and First Responders that are currently on the scene.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 3, 2018
The FBI San Francisco office confirmed on Twitter that it was on the scene at the shooting but that the San Bruno police remained the lead agency.
#FBI is on-scene at the incident in #SanBruno in support of our local law enforcement partners. @SanBrunoPolice is the lead agency at this time.
— FBI SanFrancisco (@FBISanFrancisco) April 3, 2018
Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., tweeted as the event was taking place.
My stomach sinks with yet another active shooter alert. I’m praying for the safety of everyone at YouTube headquarters.
— Senator Dianne Feinstein (@SenFeinstein) April 3, 2018
Afterward, Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos offered his sympathy.
My stomach sinks with yet another active shooter alert. I’m praying for the safety of everyone at YouTube headquarters.
— Senator Dianne Feinstein (@SenFeinstein) April 3, 2018
Silicon Valley has seen its share of violent episodes, noted Rob Enderle, principal analyst at the Enderle Group.
“Generally, campuses are currently defended against folks wanting to sneak in and steal stuff and do annoying things, but they aren’t set up to defend against a shooter, and physical security has been getting more lax over time,” he told TechNewsWorld.
This incident is one of the worst he’s seen during his years in Silicon Valley, said Kevin Krewell, principal analyst at Tirias Research.
A laid-off employee killed three people in a shooting at a Santa Clara startup 10 years ago, he told TechNewsWorld. Among the victims were the company CEO.
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