Los Angeles Times - 16.11.2019

B4 LATIMES.COM

Investigators are still try-
ing to determine what led to
a deadly attack at Saugus
High School on Thursday in
which police and witnesses
say a 16-year-old student
opened fire in the campus
quad, killing two classmates
and injuring three others
before turning the gun on
himself.
Detectives have con-
ducted 40 interviews and
still have six to go in their ef-
forts to piece together what
led up to the shooting in
Santa Clarita. It is not clear
how the shooter got the
weapon, a .45-caliber hand-
gun. However, authorities
say that at this point, they
do not think the shooter tar-
geted specific students.
Authorities seized sev-
eral unregistered firearms
from the teenager’s home,
and the Los Angeles County
Sheriff ’s Department is
working with the federal Bu-
reau of Alcohol, Tobacco,
Firearms and Explosives to
trace the origins of the hand-
gun used in the shooting,
Sheriff Alex Villanueva said.
“We are chasing all the
leads available,” Villanueva
said. “At this stage, we don’t
know the motive.”
Just before the start of
second period on Thursday,
authorities and witnesses
say, Nathaniel Berhow
pulled a .45-caliber pistol
from his backpack and
began shooting his
schoolmates. The attack
was launched on his 16th
birthday. The boy died of his
wounds Friday.
A school surveillance
camera recorded the 16 sec-
onds of violence, investiga-
tors said. The teenager
apparently knew how many
shots he had fired and re-
served the final round for
himself, Villanueva said.
Friends and neighbors
were stunned, saying the
teenager had not shown
signs of aggression. He ran
junior varsity cross-country
and helped younger mem-
bers in his Boy Scout troop.
“He would have fun with
the team and was a good
kid,” 11th-grader Aidan Soto

said. “The younger Scouts

really looked up to him. He

was there when they needed

him with anything. I’m be-

wildered and looking for

answers.”

Brooke Risley, a 16-year-

old junior at Saugus High,

has known the teen since ele-

mentary school. Last year,

the two were together in a

group for their engineering

class and grew to become

close friends.

“He was very smart and

really good at history,” she

said.

In AP European history

class, she said, he would help

her study and would often

get the highest test scores in

the class. She said the teen

often planned Boy Scout

trips during their free time in

class last year.

“He was pretty funny

too,” she said. “He had a

higher-level type of humor

that often I couldn’t even get

the joke ’cause it was above

my head.”

When word began to

spread, a friend reached out

and let her know. In shock,

she began texting a mutual

friend.

“Please tell me it’s not

Nathaniel,” she said.

“I heard that too,” he

responded. “I don’t want to

believe it.”

A senior in their class last

year reached out to her Fri-

day, asking whether it was

the same Nathaniel who was

on their group project “be-

cause he couldn’t believe he

would do this,” Risley said.

“Everyone who has heard

about him being the shooter

has said this wasn’t typically

him,” she said. “All those

who know him are really

wondering what the motive

was.”

Public records and a

high-ranking law enforce-

ment source have indicated

signs of trouble at home.

His family life in Santa

Clarita was upended by his

father’s sudden death in De-

cember 2017, acquaintances

said. More recently, a source

told The Times that the boy

was having problems with

his girlfriend, who was his

emotional anchor.

The teen’s father, Mark

Berhow, was arrested on

suspicion of driving under

the influence in 2013 and 2015

and pleaded no contest

twice. The second time, he

was sentenced to 45 days in

jail and five years’ probation.

According to jail records,

he was also booked in 2015 on

suspicion of attempted bat-

tery of a spouse. The Los An-

geles County district attor-

ney’s office declined to file

charges in that case, citing

insufficient evidence.

A judge granted physical

custody of the boy to his

mother in August 2016, even

though both parents still ap-

peared to live in the family’s

small ranch home on Syca-

more Creek Drive.

“He would tell me that he

missed his father and that

he loved him,” said neighbor

Jared Axen, 33.

School shooting stirs a search for answers

Detectives have yet to find a motive; those who knew the teen are left stunned by his attack and suicide

By Brittny Mejia,
Ruben Vives,
Richard Winton
and Alejandra
Reyes-Velarde

SANTA CLARITA RESIDENTSgather in prayer at Grace Baptist Church on Thursday night after the deadly shooting at nearby Saugus

High School. The 16-year-old boy who opened fire on campus was not known for showing signs of aggression, friends and neighbors said.

Luis SincoLos Angeles Times

‘He would have fun with

the [cross-country] team

and was a good kid.... I’m

bewildered and looking for

answers.’

—AIDANSOTO,

11th-grade Saugus High School student

short walk from the high
school. Candles and teddy
bears piled up on the grass
around a pole from which an
American flag flew at half-
staff.
Sebastian Martinez, 12,
placed a football on the
grass in honor of Dominic,
whom he played football
with in a youth program.
The boy arrived at the
park just before nightfall
with his father, Xavier Mar-
tinez, who had grown to
know Dominic’s family
through their sons’ friend-
ship. Martinez said he spent
most of Thursday with
Dominic’s family.
“He was always smiling
and laughing,” the older
Martinez said of Dominic.
“It’s so unfair.”
Dominic was remem-
bered by friends and family
as a jokester with a huge
grin. His Instagram page in-

cludes the name “comedi-

an,” a clear nod to his bud-

ding comedic persona.

Anthony Martinez, a stu-

dent at Canyon High School,

called Dominic not just his

teammate, but his brother.

“He was always smiling,

making people laugh, always

positive, he was the sweetest

kid ever,” Anthony wrote on

Twitter. “We need more peo-

ple like you.”

On a GoFundMe page,

Dominic’s family remem-

bered his “goofy laugh,

cheesy smile, a huge, caring

heart.”

“This world lost a bright,

shining light,” the page

reads. “He was taken from

his family and friends in the

most senseless of ways. His

three brothers will miss their

big brother greatly.”

On Thursday, Saugus

High, home to 2,500 stu-

dents, joined a long list of

schools that have doubled as

sites of mass shootings. Po-

lice said the shooting

started and ended in just 16

seconds.

One victim, a 14-year-old

boy, was treated at a hospi-

tal and released Thursday

afternoon.

Two girls, 15 and 14, re-

main at Providence Holy

Cross Medical Center in Mis-

sion Hills and are now in the

same room, surrounded by

their families.

The 15-year-old was shot

below the navel, authorities

said. The bullet lodged in her

hip and was removed by doc-

tors.

The 14-year-old had

wounds to her left shoulder

and lower abdomen, doctors

said Friday.

Both girls are expected to

be released within a few

days.

Investigators said the at-

tack was planned but they

do not believe specific stu-

dents were targeted.

Gracie had celebrated a

birthday Oct. 10. She was de-

scribed by classmates as

sweet and fun, someone who

had a momentous impact in

her short life.

Alexa Olsen, a freshman

at Saugus High who was in a

dance class with Gracie, re-

membered her as a goofy,

fun girl who cheered her on.

When the girls made eye

contact in the middle of

practice as they danced to

jazz, Gracie would make

funny faces and the two

would burst out laughing,

Alexa said. When they made

a mistake, the two would

laugh together and keep on

dancing.

“She was so nice and kind

to everyone,” said Alexa, 14.

“You would just smile look-

ing at her.”

Chloe White, 17, who

helped coach the girls cheer-

leading team, said Gracie

had a bright personality and

always looked as if she en-

joyed being onstage. She

was quick to throw out en-

couragement to her team-

mates as they got ready to

perform.

“She was always telling

people they could do it,”

Chloe said. “ ‘You got this,

guys, you’re going to be

great.’ ”

Gracie’s parents said in a

GoFundMe campaign that

they are searching for a way

to memorialize their daugh-

ter. The account raised more

than $9,000 in its first hour.

“It is with the most unex-

plainable brokenness that

we share our Gracie went to

be with Jesus on Thursday

morning,” the page reads.

“Our vivacious, funny, loyal,

light of our lives, Cinderella,

the daughter we always

dreamed to have, fiercely

strong and lover of all things

fashionable — was our best

friend. She is going to be

missed more than words will

ever be able to express.”

The Muehlbergers con-

cluded the post with a mes-

sage to Gracie: “We will love

you always Sweetpea.”

Times staff writer Hannah

Fry contributed to this

report.

Remembering a football player and cheerleader

[Victims,from B1]

GRACIE Muehlberger

was described by class-

mates as sweet and fun.

SACRAMENTO — A
third consecutive California
governor is blocking parole
for a former follower of late
cult leader Charles Manson.
Gov. Gavin Newsom on
Friday reversed a parole rec-
ommendation for Bruce
Davis, now 77, for the 1969
slayings of musician Gary
Hinman and stuntman Don-
ald “Shorty” Shea. It was the
sixth time Davis was recom-
mended for parole but
blocked by a governor.
Davis was not involved in
the more notorious killings
of actress Sharon Tate and
six others by the Manson
group the same year.
Davis was convicted of
helping kill both men.
Parole panels have re-
peatedly decided Davis is no
longer a public safety risk,

citing his age and good be-

havior. But his release has

been blocked by Republican

Gov. Arnold Schwarzeneg-

ger and Democrats Jerry

Brown and now Newsom.

Like his predecessors,

Newsom said Davis remains

too dangerous to be free.

Davis has yet to demon-

strate that he has a “com-

prehensive understanding

of how he came to participa-

te in such extreme violence,”

Newsom said. “As a result, I

do not believe that he has

the current insight and skills

to abstain from violent

situations in the future if re-

leased.”

Davis has said he at-

tacked Shea with a knife and

held a gun on Hinman while

Manson cut Hinman’s face

with a sword.

Attorney Michael Beck-

man said his client lacks the

money to challenge New-

som’s decision in court.

“Six parole boards ... de-

cided he’s been rehabilitat-

ed” after extensive hearings,

he said. “He is rehabilitated

and has been for a long

time.”

Davis was convicted with

Manson and another fol-

lower, Steve Grogan, in the

two slayings. Grogan was

paroled in 1985 after he led

police to Shea’s buried body.

Robert Beausoleil, 72, con-

victed in Hinman’s death, re-

mains in prison.

Manson died in prison in

2017 at age 83.

Followers Leslie Van

Houten, 70; Patricia Kren-

winkel, 71; and Charles “Tex”

Watson, 73, are imprisoned

for the Tate killings. Their

co-defendant, Susan Atkins,

died in prison in 2009.

Newsom this year

blocked paroles for Beau-

soleil and Van Houten.

Manson crony’s parole blocked

associated press

SAN FRANCISCO —

A Bay Area real estate heir-

ess whose family posted

$35-million bail to keep her

out of jail until her trial was

acquitted Friday of killing

the father of her children.

After deliberating for 12

days, jurors said Tiffany Li is

not guilty of conspiring with

her boyfriend to kill 27-year-

old Keith Green in 2016 over a

custody dispute.

The case drew global at-

tention when Li’s family,

who made a fortune in con-

struction in China, posted

$35-million bail for her, one

of the highest on record in

the United States.

San Mateo County prose-

cutors said Li lured Green to

her mansion in Hillsbor-

ough, south of San Fran-

cisco, to discuss custody of

their children. They also

said that Li’s boyfriend

Kaveh Bayat shot Green in

the mouth and that the two

hired a friend to dispose of

the body.

Prosecutors presented

evidence that Green’s blood

was found in Li’s Mercedes-

Benz and that gunshot re-

sidue was discovered in her

garage.

Li’s attorneys argued

that Green was killed in a

botched kidnapping plot

and that she had nothing to

do with his death. She had

settled the custody issues

with her former boyfriend,

they said.

Green’s body was found

along a dirt road north of

San Francisco nearly two

weeks after he was last seen

meeting with Li about their

children. The pair met

around 2009.

The prosecution faced a

setback this month when its

chief witness, Olivier Adella,

was arrested on suspicion of

contacting an ex-girlfriend

and witness for the defense.

Adella was expected to tes-

tify that Li and Bayat asked

him to dispose of Green’s

body, but prosecutors did

not call him as a witness.

Heiress is acquitted of murder

associated press

TIFFANY LIwas found

not guilty in the killing

of her children’s father.

San Mateo County Sheriff ’s Office