3 hurt in shooting near UC Santa Barbara campus

At least three people were hurt in a shooting on Monday evening near the campus of the University of California at Santa Barbara, officials said.

Three young men, one of whom was believed to be a suspect, were taken to a hospital after the incident in the community of Isla Vista at around 7.15 p.m, the Santa Barbara County Sheriff’s Office said.

Another suspect fled in a white sedan, the office said in a statement. Three people were shot, the Santa Barbara County Fire Department said on its website, but the sheriff’s office did not give details of the injuries.

The fleeing suspect was also probably injured, the Los Angeles Times said, citing anonymous law enforcement sources.

Representatives of both agencies did not immediately respond to requests for details.

The campus was locked down for about an hour after the shooting, with residents urged to stay indoors during a police search, according to a school security alert.

The shooting comes about a year after Elliot Rodger, 22, stabbed three men to death in his Isla Vista apartment before fatally shooting three more people near the campus. He then shot and killed himself.

That incident reignited a national debate on gun control and spawned legislation in California for law enforcers to search a database of firearms owners during most checks of people who might harm themselves, or others.

Monday’s shooting showed no sign of any link to last year’s rampage. Isla Vista is about 107 miles (172 km) north of Los Angeles.