Official: L.A. school didn't follow security policy

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Personnel at a high school where a gun went off in a student's backpack and wounded two classmates failed to use a metal-detector to check youngsters as required, the incoming head of the Los Angeles Unified School District said today.

Gardena High School was supposed to perform random checks of students with the use of a hand-held security wand each day, but none was done on Tuesday, said assistant superintendent John Deasy, who is scheduled to begin leading the nation's second-largest school district when Ramon Cortines retires in April.

"I'm disturbed and angry at that" and disciplinary action will be taken that potentially could involve firing some officials, Deasy told The Associated Press. "I'm a dad so I am very disturbed."

The entire district security policy also will be reviewed, he said.

At the school, security guards were in place on and near campus today. Security checks were being made, and crisis counselors were available, officials said.

A 17-year-old student was arrested on campus Tuesday after a 9 mm semiautomatic pistol was brought to class in a backpack. It fired when he dropped the pack on his desk, wounding two 15-year-olds, police said.

A girl whose skull was fractured by a bullet remained hospitalized in critical condition following surgery, Deasy said.

A boy who was shot in the neck had his condition upgraded from fair to good, KTLA-TV reported.