UPDATE, 6:55 p.m. According to the L.A. County Sheriff’s Department, the suspect is in critical condition, is 18 years old, is Caucasian and is a former student of El Camino.

UPDATE, 3:35 p.m. Earlier, after wrapping up an interview with KABC, Ann Garten, the college’s public information officer, restricted “The Union” from speaking to Trevis and said that a press conference would take place in Lot D.

At the press conference, Trevis said the suspect, described as a Hispanic/Caucasian man in his early 20s, “simply pointed a gun” at ECPD officers. Trevis said the weapon was a semi-automatic gun.

“There were no students in that immediate area,” Trevis said. “It appears that he did not have hostages.”

Veronica Cooper, an administrative assistant who works in El Camino’s Office of Community Relations with Garten, said Garten told her a PIO from the L.A. County Sheriff’s Department will be assigned to take all media calls regarding the incident.

UPDATE, 2:30 p.m. Diana Molina, 22, nursing major, was close to Lot F when the gunshots started. She said she “panicked’ and knew she “didn’t want to be anywhere” near Lot F.

“I heard loud banging. At first, I thought it was just construction going on. I didn’t really pay much attention until I saw people walking towards me,” Molina said. “I saw the cops running this way. The people around me were saying, ‘Did you hear that? There were gunshots.'”

William Marquez, a construction worker, was working nearby when the shots rang out.

“None of us know what really happened, (we) heard about nine shots,” Marquez said. “Cops instructed us to stop working on this side.”

UPDATE, 2:22 p.m. At a press conference, ECPD Chief Michael Trevis said, “It appears that there were no hostages, but it is too early to speculate and confirm anything.”

UPDATE, 2:03 p.m. Students say they were told by ECPD officers that they won’t be able to get to their cars until after 6 p.m.

Several shots were fired and one man was hit by El Camino Police in Lot F around 11:30 a.m. Thursday, a witness said.

Two witnesses said they heard shots fired. Jeanette Carlos 19, nursing major, said she was on her way from class when she heard the shots.

“Two cops fired at his leg,” Carlos said. “I’m in shock. It’s the first week of school.”

Carlos described the suspect as a Caucasian male wearing a red T-shirt.

“I was leaving on Redondo Beach Boulevard walking over the bridge and I saw 10 or 15 cops go by and there were ambulances,” David Locke, 19, business major, said.

ECPD Michael Trevis called the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department to conduct an investigation into the shooting, according to an email from Ann Garten, the college’s PIO.

Several attempts to reach Trevis by “The Union” were not successful.

Students whose cars were parked in Lot F near the incident were told that they couldn’t retrieve their cars.

“I just have to wait until they finish doing what they are doing but it is a very big inconvenience,” Briana Young, 26, nursing major, said.

Reporters Elizabeth Aviles, Jay Bamba, Daniel Bernal, Jerome Casio, Ryan Decker, Sara Deleon, Lorenzo Gutierrez, Aracely Guzman, Aryn Hicks, Jessica Martinez, John Fordiani,Rocky Rivera, Phil Sidavong, and Leslie Veliz contributed to this story.

Continue to follow this story as we get updates.