5 People Dead and Multiple Elementary School Students Hospitalized in Calif. Shooting Spree

Authorities say a shooting spree across multiple locations including outside an elementary school in Rancho Tehama, California, killed four innocent people and wounded at least three children, PEOPLE confirms.

The shooting, which apparently began at another location in Rancho Tehama about 8 a.m. then “evolved to multiple victims and multiple shots,” ending outside Tehama County Elementary School, Tehama County Undersheriff Phil Johnston said during a makeshift news conference later Tuesday.

The suspected gunman was killed by responding law enforcement, Johnston said, citing preliminary information. The shooter was not further identified.

Five people are dead, including the shooter, said Johnston, who added that the incident unfolded across seven crime scenes.

A school district employee told the Associated Press that no one was killed at the school, though a “number” of students were shot and wounded.

Rancho Tehama is about 190 miles north of San Francisco.

“A number of students” were taken to the hospital, Johnston said, and about 100 law enforcement personnel were working the investigation.

The school has been cleared and the attending students were taken to a safe location, he said. Authorities suspect the gunman used a semi-automatic rifle and two handguns, which were later recovered, said Johnston.

Visibly emotional, Johnston said, “It’s a very sad day for us here in Tehama County.”

California Governor Jerry Brown issued a statement on Twitter, writing, “Anne and I are saddened to hear about today’s violence in Tehama County, which shockingly involved schoolchildren. We offer our condolences to the families who lost loved ones and unite with all Californians in grief.”

A spokeswomen for the Enloe Medical Center in Chico, California, tells PEOPLE four victims in the shooting have been transported to their facility for treatment: three children and one adult.

She did not know the victims’ statuses.

Further details about the victims, the shooter or the nature of the shooting were not immediately available.

This is a breaking news story. Please return for updates.