SANTA CLARITA, CA. (THECOUNT) — Mark Berhow, the father of the 16-year-old who killed two of his classmates in a Thursday school shooting, was an avid hunter who posed for photos while showing off his kills.
TMZ obtained photos of shooter’s father on various hunting and shooting excursions.
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While most of the photos are pretty standard — two of them are particularly disturbing — one of Mark posing with a dead goose and another that shows him holding what appears to be the heart of a freshly killed animal, reports TMZ.
Mark died in 2017, and his obituary read, “An avid sportsman, he loved big game hunting and fishing of all kinds.”
In another photo, Mark poses with his family, including Nathan, during an apparent hunting trip. A former childhood friend of Nathaniel told KTLA Mark used to make his own bullets.
As TMZ reported, Nathan opened fire at Saugus High School in Santa Clarita, CA Thursday, killing two students. Berhow allegedly turned the gun on himself, but is still in custody and being treated at a local hospital.
Gracie Anne Muehlberger, 15, has been identified by the Los Angeles County coroner’s office as one of the two students who were shot and killed by a classmate at Saugus High School in an incident that left several others injured.
The name of the 14-year-old boy who was killed in the Thursday morning shooting has not been disclosed, reports KABC.
A neighbor of the shooter, Nathaniel “Nate” Berhow, says he was lived next door to the family from before the teen was born.
Jared Axen, who claims to live next door to the Berhow family, says the death of Berhow’s father hit the teen hard. According to Axen, it was Berhow who found his father after he suffered a fatal heart attack.
Axen says the father’s untimely death was a subject he talked about “often” with the family.
“What was hard for him…the father was getting better…back on track…things were going okay…then it’s taken from you,” said Axen.
The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department has yet to officially identify 16-year-old to-the-day Berhow as the shooter, reports FOX10Phoenix.
Thursday morning, investigators converged on the Berhow family residence located on Sycamore Creek Drive a few miles from the high school.
Berhow ran track for Saugus High School at some point.
No one was able to say what may have set the teen off causing him to shoot several of his classmates.
Officials speaking on the deadly shooting said Thursday evening that Berhow’s Instagram was altered after the shooting and that they were aware of it and “looking into it.”
The original Instagram caption, which was widely reported on news media outlets, and was mysteriously altered, after the teen rendered himself incapacitated at the school using the last bullet of a 45 caliber handgun.
Officials say security footage confirmed the teen committed suicide in the quad right after committing the mass shooting.
Berhow was said to be listed in “grave condition,” at an area hospital.
Late Thursday reports said a third person had died in the shooting. It is unclear if that person was Berhow.
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Geo quick facts: Santa Clarita is a California city north of Los Angeles. It’s known for the Six Flags Magic Mountain theme park, with many roller coasters. The adjacent Six Flags Hurricane Harbor is a summertime water park with tall slides and a wave pool. The prehistoric stone formations of Vasquez Rocks Natural Area Park have served as a backdrop for many films. William S. Hart Park has a museum dedicated to the silent-film star – wikipedia.