Mr. Sam LaCara, Principal of Schnell School, Placerville, California
Has died after being shot on campus Wednesday morning. Mr. LaCara, age 50, was pronounced dead at Placerville's Marshall Hospital at 11:16 a.m, he is survived by his wife and three daughters. He will be missed by the entire close community. Please keep his family, the students & the staff in your thoughts and prayers.
Placerville Union School District ordered all campuses on lockdown while law enforcement searched for the gunman. No students were hurt and all lockdowns have since been lifted. School officials asked that parents not come to schools to pick up their children. Parents of Schnell students could pick up their students at the El Dorado County Fairgrounds at 100 Placerville Road, Placerville after 1:30 p.m., the county office of education said.
The suspect John Luebbers, age 43, who was the custodian at the school has been arrested for the shooting. He was found at his residence on Skycrest Drive in the Summit View housing track off of Motherload Drive in El Dorado, CA, just after noon. The shooting was first reported at 10:37 a.m. on the Schnell campus located at 2871 Schnell Road, according to the El Dorado County Sheriff's Office.
Luebbers' motive is unclear at this time but it is believed that a dispute between the two men may have precipitated the shooting, said Chief Nielsen.
Earlier today the Placerville school district sent the following alert to the parents of the students. "Today is Wednesday, February 2, 2011 and this is the Placerville Union School District to all parents. At approximately 10:30 am there was shooting on the Schnell School campus. All students are safe and all classrooms are in lockdown. Schnell students are being evacuated to the El Dorado County Fairgrounds. Students at Sierra and Markham will be released at a later time. Please do not attempt to pick up your child at school. They will be released at the El Dorado County Fairgrounds, 100 Placerville Drive, Placerville, CA 95667." Again all students are safe!