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Utahns with connections to Santa Clarita react to shooting at Saugus High School

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KAYSVILLE, Utah — The Santa Clarita high school shooting that killed two students and injured three others in California strikes close to women in Utah.

“My brother texted me this morning and said, ‘Active shooter. Saugus High.’ My heart dropped,” Monica Clay said in her Kaysville home.

“It gives new meaning to the term, ‘Too close to home.’ Because yeah, it was.”

Clay and her seven siblings graduated from Saugus High School. Two friends were teaching there on Thursday. One hasn’t reached out since the shooting.

“It sounds like it was students that were killed. Students that were injured so we know it probably wasn’t her,” Clay said.

“It’s hard to believe,” Kayla Valencia said. “I don’t know what to think because I’m not there and I wish I could be with the people right now to comfort them.”

Two months ago, Valencia moved from Santa Clarita to attend the University of Utah. The college freshman’s best friend still goes to Saugus High, but was away when the suspect began shooting.

“Santa Clarita, in general, is a really safe community. You don’t expect that type of thing. You never do though but still, it’s hard to believe,” Valencia said.

The community regularly ranked among America’s safest cities. Now, Saugus High School is hallowed ground.

“Five is just a huge number and you just think about those kids,” Clay said.