At least four people were shot at YouTube’s headquarters in San Bruno on Tuesday, according to a police spokesman. Three victims were taken to local hospitals. A fourth victim died at the scene, apparently of a self-inflicted gunshot wound, police said during a press conference Tuesday afternoon.
Shooting victims included a 36-year-old male in critical condition, a 32-year-old woman in serious condition, and a 27-year-old woman in fair condition, according to Zuckerberg San Francisco General Hospital spokesman Brent Andrew.
The shooting suspect was a woman, San Bruno Police Chief Ed Barberini said. Several hundred employees were evacuated on Tuesday afternoon after the shooting began. As of 5:34PM ET, Google was still advising YouTube employees to shelter in place “until further notice.”
Vadim Lavrusik, a product manager at the company, tweeted that there is an active shooter on campus. The San Bruno Police Department instructed people to stay away from 901 Cherry Avenue, where the company is located. Multiple 911 calls have been received from inside the building, according to a report from local news station KRON.
We are responding to an active shooter. Please stay away from Cherry Ave & Bay Hill Drive.
— San Bruno Police (@SanBrunoPolice) April 3, 2018
The shooting began at around 12:45PM PT, when many people were eating on a patio in the rear of the building, according to police. In a Twitter thread, YouTube product manager Todd Sherman said that employees first thought there had been an earthquake. People began running out of their meetings, he said, but before reaching the exit, they got word that someone had a gun. Sherman said he saw blood on the floor and the stairs. He also said the shooter may have committed suicide.
Footage posted on Snapchat showed YouTube employees streaming out of the building with their hands above their heads. The doors to its headquarters are typically locked, and visitors have to be buzzed in by someone at the front desk.
Police also blocked off the San Bruno Ave. exit of Interstate 280 as the investigation got underway on Tuesday afternoon.
As one of the most-visited services on the web, YouTube is under constant scrutiny for its policy decisions over content moderation, monetization, and other issues. Last month, the company updated its policy on videos featuring firearms, expanding the list of accessories that cannot be featured in videos that sell them or instruct users how to manufacture or install the accessories.
Shannon Liao contributed to this report.
Developing…
We were sitting in a meeting and then we heard people running because it was rumbling the floor. First thought was earthquake. https://t.co/gmolQmRXm1
— Todd Sherman (@tdd) April 3, 2018
Active shooter at YouTube HQ. Heard shots and saw people running while at my desk. Now barricaded inside a room with coworkers.
— Vadim Lavrusik (@Lavrusik) April 3, 2018
Myself, and my entire team in San Bruno, are okay. Thank you for checking on all of us. If you believe in prayer, please keep our colleagues in mind.
— Ryan Wyatt (@Fwiz) April 3, 2018
From everyone at Apple, we send our sympathy and support to the team at YouTube and Google, especially the victims and their families.
— Tim Cook (@tim_cook) April 3, 2018
https://www.theverge.com/2018/4/3/17194228/youtube-active-shooter-san-bruno-police