Three shot, gunwoman dead in YouTube shooting

A woman who is apparently the sole suspect in a mass shooting at YouTube headquarters in San Bruno Tuesday afternoon — who died at the scene of an apparently self-inflicted gunshot wound — has been identified by police.

There is no evidence that Nasim Najafi Aghdam, 39, knew any of the victims or that any of the victims were targeted, police said.

The shooting was reported shortly after 12:45 p.m. in a courtyard at 901 Cherry Ave., according to San Bruno police Chief Ed Barberini.

A Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital spokesman confirmed three patients were treated for bullet wounds after the shooting. A 32-year-old woman is in serious condition, a 27-year-old woman is in fair condition and a 36-year-old man is in critical condition.

Another person was injured when they twisted or broke an ankle as they were fleeing the area, Barberini said.

Officials at Stanford Medical Center initially said additional patients were expected there, but both they and San Francisco General Hospital officials have since said no other shooting victims are expected to arrive.

Barberini said officers are transitioning from a tactical investigation to a static investigation and will probably be at YouTube through the night:

“There is no immediate threat to the community.”

The police chief said the shooter Aghdam used a handgun.

Dr. Andre Campbell, a trauma surgeon at Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital, said none of the patients had undergone surgery as of this afternoon, but trauma patients’ conditions can change quickly. He said the patients are awake and aware of what happened.

Campbell said:

“Once again we are confronted with the specter of mass casualty situations.”

The hospital did not provide any information about the nature or location of the patients’ injuries.

Officers arrived at YouTube headquarters at 12:48 p.m. and immediately began searching the building. They found one victim with an apparent gunshot wound near the entrance, and two additional victims at a nearby business, Barberini said:

“It was very chaotic, as you can imagine.”

Barberini said officers conducted a “slow and methodical” search of the building late Tuesday afternoon to make sure all shooting victims were located.

YouTube CEO Susan Wojcicki said on Twitter this evening:

“There are no words to describe how horrible it was to have an active shooter at YouTube today. Our hearts go out to all those injured and impacted today. We will come together to heal as a family.”

YouTube spokesman Chris Dale said:

“We are an incredibly tight-knit community within YouTube.”

Dale added that everyone at YouTube feels like a victim of a crime.

Juan Lezama was one of many with family and friends at YouTube who are counting their blessings after hearing the shooting turned fatal.

Lezama works in the area but had multiple friends in one of the buildings on the campus who texted him that they had heard gunshots, and minutes later were told to walk out slowly with their hands up on their heads.

Lezama said his friends are all safe but he has not seen them yet.

Kevin Sanderlin from Arkansas was supposed to have a business meeting with nearby Wal-Mart and was grabbing a quick bite at the nearby Carl’s Jr. when he heard the gunshots ring out:

“There’s a man that works there named Michael, and he deserves to be recognized. … He saved someone’s life.”

A woman ran into the restaurant just moments after the shooting bleeding from a gunshot in her left calf, according to Sanderlin.

Witnesses in the fast food chain ushered her into a booth, grabbed napkins and applied pressure to her leg — when a young man estimated to be 19 or 20 saved the day.

Sanderlin said Michael grabbed a first aid kit and even tried to use a bungee cord as a tourniquet to stop the bleeding.

It’s been reported that the girl, who was “pretty young too,” according to the Arkansas man, is expected to survive. Sanderlin said that didn’t surprise him, as everyone jumped in to help.

He also commented that the victim was “surprisingly calm” when she came in.

Sanderlin said he called his wife right after and told her there was a shooter on the campus and when she asked where, he told her, “Well maybe right here in this Carl’s Jr. with me!”

Sanderlin laughed:

“I didn’t know. We’ve been married for thirty years. She’s used to it.”

Sanderlin walked away from the campus, telling people about Michael and hoping he could talk one of them into helping him retrieve his rental car so he didn’t have to walk to the hotel.

In a statement, San Bruno Mayor Rico Medina and city staff extended their support to YouTube and offered their best wishes for recovery from the horrible trauma.

Rep. Jackie Speier, D-San Mateo, said in a statement that she was shocked and saddened to hear about the shooting. She wished the victims a swift recovery and sent her support to everyone at YouTube who went through the traumatic experience:

“Unfortunately, gun violence incidents at workplaces, schools, places of worship or entertainment have become all too common. We cannot accept this as normal. We must take action to end gun violence.”

San Mateo County Supervisor David Canepa also issued a statement following the shooting:

“I commend the YouTube employees who maintained their composure during this tragic event and the incredible response by law enforcement officers who quickly secured the campus. This is a resilient community that will recover with each other’s support.”