A polling station near Los Angeles has reportedly been placed on lockdown after shots were fired nearby. Authorities reported that one person has been killed and multiple victims have been injured. Local police have said that the scene is still considered an active shooter situation, with at least one heavily-armed suspect. As more information has been released, many are wondering if the shooting in Azusa, California was politically motivated, given its proximity to the voting station.
The shooting happened around 2 o'clock in California, as the polling station was bustling with voters. Two of those voters spoke to CNN from inside the polling station, located at the Memorial Park North Recreation Center in Azusa (about 30 miles outside Los Angeles), and spoke on condition of anonymity about the situation.
A female voter said that she heard shots but;
At first, I thought it was construction but people came running into the room saying they see a guy with a bulletproof vest and a white shirt. As of right now, they just have us in the voting room and are trying to keep us calm.
A male voter told CNN that people outside the polling station started running in to the building until the doors were locked by officials. There has been very little information released as police try to contain the situation about the shooter's possible motivation, but a possible political agenda does seem possible considering how close the shooting was to a polling station on Election Day.
According to the Los Angeles Times, the incident was reported just after 2 p.m. The suspect is reportedly armed in a residential area of Fourth Street and Orange Avenue, close to Slauson Middle and Mountain View Elementary Schools which have both been placed on lockdown as well. Officer Jerry Willison of the Azusa Police Department told reporters:
This is a very volatile and critical situation.
Local police are asking residents to avoid the area as they work towards containing the active shooter situation. There has been no word as to the identity of the fatality in the shooting, or whether or not any police officers have been injured.
There have been concerns about acts of violence on Election Day as one of the most contentious elections in American history finally draws to a close. Supporters of Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton and GOP nominee Donald Trump have struggled to find common ground throughout the campaign, and many political pundits have worried that those tensions could potentially incite violence.
Whatever the motivation behind the shooting in Azusa, California, here is hoping the situation is quickly resolved.
