Local student tour group canceled due to violence in Merced

According to PSUSD spokeswoman Joan Boiko, dozens of students from Rancho Mirage High School were on their way to the University of California, Merced campus Wednesday morning for a tour, but violence on the university’s campus forced them to cancel their plans.

A male student at the university stabbed four people as classes began Wednesday morning and he was later fatally shot by campus police, a school spokesman said.

Two of those stabbed were transported for treatment via helicopter, the school said on Twitter, while the two others were treated on campus.

The Rancho Mirage tour group never arrived to the campus. The local students were diverted to Fresno State University instead.

Boiko said there were 36 students traveling on the tour group, three staff members and eleven chaperons. Two of the staff members were teachers from the AVID (Advancement Via Individual Determination) class and the other was a counselor.

The group left Wednesday morning and they will return on Saturday after touring the following campuses:

Fresno State
San Jose State
Stanford
Cal Poly San Obispo
UC Santa Barbara
Cal State Northridge