YouTube engineer believes he saw male shooting victim; condition upgraded

Two victims of the shooting at YouTube have been released from the hospital while another remains hospitalized in serious condition.

The two female victims, ages 32 and 27, were released from SF General Hospital Tuesday night. A 36-year-old man was upgraded from critical to serious condition, according to hospital spokesman Brent Andrew.

“I can’t speculate on how long he’ll be here, but we’re seeing improvement which is really encouraging,” Andrew said.

Tight security was seen at all entrances and exits at YouTube Wednesday, one day after Nasim Aghdam shot and wounded three employees before killing herself. 

Zach Vorhies, a senior software engineer at YouTube, said he saw the incident unfold in the courtyard and he believes he saw the male victim.

“There was a big stain on the guy’s shirt and he was lying still,” Vorhies said.

Vorhies fled the area when he saw an officer with a gun and said he warned others not to head to the courtyard area.

“I was like, ‘Active shooter! Active shooter!’ They stopped and they got it. Some people climbed the fence and leapt over it to escape.”

Chris Dale, spokesman for YouTube, said Aghdam accessed the courtyard through a parking garage, but security prevented her from entering the building itself. He noted numerous acts of heroism.

“Some employees went back to the buildings with officers to give them access to our spaces,” Dale said. “Others remained to tend to the wounded or to give details about the shooter that proved critical.”

YouTube held a meeting for employees Wednesday morning, but the office was closed for the day. Some workers were escorted in to retrieve belongings or their car. Employees are being encourages to take time off or work from home.

“Nobody expects going to work and having the possibility of a killer coming and trying to do them harm,” Vorhies added. “I think it’s absolutely tragic what happened.”

Dale said wellness services, including counselors, are available for all employees. The company plans to increase security at all of its offices worldwide.