Officials said that on Monday evening, at least three people were hurt in a shooting near the campus of the University of California at Santa Barbara.

The Santa Barbara County Sheriff's Office said three young men, one of whom was believed to be a suspect, were taken to a hospital following the incident in the community of Isla Vista at around 7.15 p. m.

In a statement the office said that another suspect fled from the spot in a white sedan. On its website, the Santa Barbara County Fire Department said that three people were shot, but the sheriff's office refused to give any details of the injuries.

While citing anonymous law enforcement sources, the Los Angeles Times said that the fleeing suspect was also probably injured. Representatives of both agencies did not respond to the details requests immediately.

According to a school security alert, after the shooting the campus remained locked down for nearly an hour, with residents urged to stay indoors during a police search.

The shooting incident has taken place about a year after Elliot Rodger, 22, stabbed three men to death in his Isla Vista apartment, after which he fatally shot three more people near the campus. Then he shot and killed himself.

At that time, the incident led to the ignition of a national debate on gun control and spawned legislation in California for law enforcers to hunt a database of firearms owners during most checks of people who might harm themselves, or others.

There was no link between Monday's shooting and the last year's rampage. Isla Vista is around 107 miles (172 km) north of Los Angeles.