Suspects arrested in shooting death of Novato High School student

SAN FRANCISCO - Authorities arrested two suspects Thursday in the shooting death of a San Francisco Bay Area student and the wounding of a classmate near their high school.

The suspects were taken into custody after their Novato homes were raided a day after three assailants attacked the students on a hiking trail along the edge of a country club community, Marin County Sheriff's Lt. Doug Pittman said.

The two students were attacked with guns and knives near Novato High School, about 20 miles north of San Francisco.

The high school canceled classes Thursday. The school is closed Friday for previously arranged administrative purposes. Grief counselors will be made available for students after the holiday weekend.

Novato High junior Emma Ulrich said the incident "definitely shook me."

"I'm still in shock because nothing happens here," Ulrich told the Marin Independent-Journal. "It's a big surprise."

Pittman declined to identify the victims. The injured student is in a hospital with a gunshot wound to the chest and stab wounds, and is expected to recover.

A motive was not known.

Investigators were working to arrest a third person seen leaving the crime scene, but would not give further details on who they were or how they may have been involved.

Before the raid, Pittman said the assailants posed no threat to the community because it was an isolated incident involving a small group of people.

Still, Novato Unified School District said it shuttered the high school campus to ensure the safety of students and staff, and because of uncertainty about the situation, according to a letter sent to parents.

"It's an incredibly tough time for our community and I know Novato will pull together," Jim Hogeboom, superintendent of Novato Unified School District, said during a news conference.

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AP writer Kristin J. Bender contributed to this report.