1 Found Dead In School Parking Lot; Suicide Suspected

A woman found dead this morning in a school parking lot died from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound, a sheriff’s deputy confirmed.

The woman, whose identity has not been released, was found at approximately 7:44 a.m. in the parking lot of Paloma Valley High School in Menifee, according to Riverside County Sheriff’s Deputy Albert Martinez. (Click here for update on the woman's identity.)

The woman was a county library employee, confirmed Menifee Union School District spokeswoman Betti Cadmus.

“She was not a district employee,” Cadmus said.

The Paloma Valley Community Library is located in the Paloma Valley High School parking lot.

No students or staff were injured today, Martinez said.

“There is no threat to students or staff, or district employees,” Cadmus confirmed.

Jonathan Greenberg, superintendent of Perris Union High School District, was on scene today. Students and parents have been notified of the situation, he confirmed.

“We think some students may have come on campus after the event and they saw what happened in the vehicle,” he said. “We are providing counseling for them.”

Today is the last day of school before spring break and there are many tests today, Greenberg said. He emphasized that students are safe and he discouraged parents from taking their kids out of school unless there was a need.

“Obviously, some students will go home,” he said.

Tenth-grader Laura Alvarez, 16, was one of them. She was in her world history class when an announcement came over the loudspeaker to inform of a campus lockdown.

“They didn’t really get into specifics but they said someone had died. They said the school was fine and we were all safe.”

Laura was with her mother when she spoke to Patch. The two were going home for the day because Laura said she was didn’t want to be on campus.

“It makes me feel uncomfortable and sad,” she said.

The campus was on lockdown during the investigation as a precautionary measure, but at press time the lockdown has been lifted, Greenberg confirmed. --Daniel Lane contributed to this report.