After Deadly Rampage, Counseling Available for Santa Monica College Students, Staff

Counseling services are being made available for Santa Monica College students and staff after a deadly rampage ended on their campus.

With their hands in the air, some students and workers at the two-year college were escorted off campus by police Friday. Some were taken past the gunman's body, which was removed from the library and could be seen on the ground near the southern end of campus.

Counseling services will be available for students and employees at SMC's Bundy campus on the second floor from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday and Sunday, and on the main campus from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday.

In addition, the college website is hosting a donation page for the family of one of the victims - longtime campus groundskeeper Carlos Franco. His daughter, a 26-year-old psychology student at Santa Monica College, was also shot several times in the head and was in grave condition, relatives said.

A gathering to "build community support" is being planned on the west side of SMC's Bundy campus, in the garden area. That event will run from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Sunday, according to a Facebook post from the school.

More: Gunman Was "Ready for Battle" | Groundskeeper Among Victims | Timeline

The college has set up a 24-hour support hotline at (866) 315-7370 for students and employees.

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Police started releasing vehicles left on campus to their owners Saturday evening, said Sgt. Richard Lewis, with the Santa Monica Police Department.

The police tape has been removed campus parking lots and structures, so students and staff can go directly to their vehicles, the school announced.

Starting Sunday, students will be allowed to retrieve property left on campus during the evacuation.

To pick up belongings from the library, all of which has been collected and bagged, students are told to go to 1510 Pico Blvd. between 9 a.m. and 6 p.m. Sunday to fill out of a Property Claim Form. 

If students left their property in other buildings, they are told to go to that building between 9 a.m. and 6 p.m. Sunday and complete a Property Claim Form at a table outside the building.

Students and staff must have a photo ID to retrieve their belongings; items will not be released to anyone other than their owner.

If students or staff are unable to pick up their belongings Sunday, instructions will be posted on the SMC website Sunday evening with details on where they can find their property.

Final exams were underway when the shooter ran onto campus and into the library, where he fired off at least 70 rounds, Lewis said.

In the wake of the shooting, all exams for the balance of the day were canceled.

All activities on the Pico Boulevard campus were canceled for the weekend with normal campus activities expected to resume Monday, according to officials.

The college will be open Monday at 7 a.m. and all finals will take place as scheduled, the school announced on Facebook.

The 13-minute shooting spree spanned a mile in diameter and left four victims and a lone gunman dead.

Officials encouraged people with type-O negative, type-O positive and type AB blood to donate.

The UCLA Blood & Platelet Center located at 1045 Gayley Ave. will be open Saturday, and appointments can be made by calling (310) 825-0888, ext. 2.

Any victims or witnesses who have not yet come forward are asked to call a hotline set up the Santa Monica Police Department at 310-458-8449.

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