2 detained in El Cerrito shooting; search continues for gunman

EL CERRITO, Calif. (KGO) -- A school in El Cerrito went into lockdown status Friday afternoon after a school resource officer discovered a man with a gunshot wound outside the school.

Police say a 19-year-old man was shot twice at the corner of Lincoln and Ashbury avenues, right in front El Cerrito High School, just as school let out around 3 p.m.

Student Eduardo Hernandez overheard a security guard responding to the shooting.

"He said, 'I smell gun powder. I see blood everywhere,' and I got more and more scared and as soon as he said that he said, 'OK, we're on lockdown,'" Hernandez said.

Investigators marked off a trail of blood on the sidewalk.

Witnesses say two El Cerrito High School students were there when the gunfire erupted. Both were detained for questioning.

"Because they were present, they are in a position to provide us information about exactly what did occur because our victim has been unwilling to provide us information as to how this altercation started," El Cerrito police Capt. Michael Reagan said.

The victim refused aid and took himself to the hospital where police followed up with him. They were also looking for two to four other young men believed to be involved.

Police said that officers closed an eight-block area around the school to vehicular and pedestrian traffic and searched the area for suspects during the lockdown, which ended at 5:05 p.m.

Nervous parents were reunited with their kids around 5 p.m. Meanwhile, police are still trying to sort out the details of the shooting.

Bay City News contributed to this report