Suspect in Calif. school shooting confesses, police say

February 3, 2011 at 3:42p.m.

PLACERVILLE, Calif. — Custodian John Luebbers, angry after being fired, has confessed to killing Placerville school principal Sam LaCara, police said today.

Capt. Mike Scott of the Placerville Police Department said that Luebbers, 44, confessed that he shot and killed LaCara on Wednesday.

Luebbers allegedly went home to get a gun after he was fired Wednesday morning by the principal.

LaCara was gunned down in his office shortly after 10:30 a.m. Wednesday at Louisiana Schnell School. LaCara, 50, was shot in the chest.

Luebbers allegedly told investigators that he walked into the school office and then into the principal’s office. There, Luebbers fired two rounds, striking the principal, according to a press release.

Luebbers had worked at the 400-student school for about nine years and was friends with LaCara, playing golf with him on occasion.

“The suspect alleges that they have been friends for some time in addition to the principal being his boss,” said Scott in an interview at the police station.

Luebbers was arrested by El Dorado County Sheriff’s deputies at his home in the town of El Dorado, Calif., shortly after the shooting. Deputies set up surveillance outside Luebbers’ home and saw him briefly step outside the house, providing an opportunity for sheriff’s SWAT deputies to take him into custody at 12:01 p.m. PST.