7 Killed In California Drive-By Shootings

Drive-by shootings in Southern California on Friday night left seven people dead, CNN affiliate KEYT reported Saturday, citing Santa Barbara County Sheriff Bill Brown.

Brown said the suspected gunman was among seven people killed in the incident, which occurred in Isla Vista near the University of California-Santa Barbara.

'This was a premeditated mass murder,' Brown said, and he labeled the suspect as 'severely mentally disturbed.'

Authorities searching for a motive were looking into a video posted on social media that contains a man's tirade against women who supposedly rebuffed him, Brown said.

Seven others suffered 'gunshot wounds or traumatic injuries,' Brown said. One of those victims is said to have 'life-threatening injuries. The sheriff reported nine different crime scenes.

The KEYT report said 'witnesses described seeing a black BMW speeding through the streets, spraying bullets at people and various targets.' The suspected gunman traded fire with sheriff's deputies, and the vehicle plowed into a parked car, the report said.

The suspected gunman was found in the BMW with a shot to the head, the affiliate said. It wasn't clear whether the death was self-inflicted or whether deputies killed the suspected gunman. A handgun was recovered.

The incident occurred over a 10-minute period, from the first emergency call at 9:27 p.m. to the suspect's discovery, the KEYT report said.

CNN