TAFT PUPILS STILL AFRAID.

Byline: Jason Kandel Staff Writer

WOODLAND HILLS - Nearly 400 Taft High School students stayed away from classes Wednesday as police stepped up security and crisis counselors reassured teens and worried parents in the aftermath of Tuesday's drive-by shooting.

Los Angeles police detectives searched for the red Mitsubishi and the three males who witnesses say yelled a gang slogan and then fired a semiautomatic handgun into a crowd waiting at a bus stop across the street from Taft. Three students were wounded, one critically.

Counselors met with students, many of whom stood near the shooting site on the southeast corner of Ventura Boulevard and Winnetka Avenue.

Officials reassured students and their parents they would be safe. As a precaution, extra police patrols cruised the streets around the campus. The enforcement will continue through the week.

``We're ready to get back to the business we're about - learning,'' said teacher Tom Pease. ``The faculty feels safe. The students feel safe.''

Officials said 397 of the school's 3,500 students were absent, compared with 211 on Monday and 235 Tuesday. Some students who returned to school feared more violence.

``I'm worried that the shooters are going to come back,'' said senior Nima Kahen-Kashani, 17, as she walked along Winnetka. ``They haven't caught them yet.''

Samir Kamoun, 53, walked his two daughters, ages 16 and 17 onto campus, offered words of solace, then gave them a big hug and kiss.

``I didn't sleep well,'' said Kamoun, a Charlie Chaplin impersonator at Universal Studios. ``I told them to be strong. But my heart is beating and I'm nervous.''

The shooting at 2 p.m. Tuesday left three teens hospitalized after three assailants drove by a bus stop in a red Mitsubishi, yelled a gang slogan, and the person in the passenger seat fired three rounds into the crowd.

Injured were Augustin Galindo, 16, a varsity football player; Paul Herzlich, 15; and Lizbeth Santana, 17, of Tarzana.

Santana was waiting to catch a bus to work at a nearby bakery. The bullet struck her in the back and broke several bones before exiting out of her mouth, said an official close to the investigation. She was listed in stable condition at Northridge Hospital.

Herzlich remained in critical condition at UCLA Medical Center, where he was airlifted with a gunshot wound to the chest. The bullet caused extensive damage, and relatives said doctors had not yet determined whether the teen would ever walk again.

``He's still in critical condition, and we still don't know,'' said Herzlich's grandmother, Adele Rosen of Encino. ``It could be weeks, it could be months, it could be years. They can't tell.''

Rosen said her grandson was slipping in and out of consciousness.

``I'll be at the hospital tomorrow, and hopefully I'll know more by then,'' she said.

Galindo was in stable condition at Providence Holy Cross Medical Center, recovering from a gunshot wound to the back.

His teammates on Taft's varsity football team, on which he was a backup defensive tackle, were praying for his speedy recovery.

``We're going to talk to the kids (about the shootings). We'll pray. He didn't die. Praise God for that,'' Coach Kevin Pearson said.

``The kids like him a lot. He's endearing because he keeps quiet and works hard. He's not one of those guys who chirp and talk mess.''

Police continued their search for the assailants, described only as black males believed to be gang members. Police said they believe the shooter was aiming at another unidentified male standing at the bus stop, but missed him. The intended victim has not been found.

Detective Rick Swanston, a homicide supervisor at the West Valley Division, said many officers had been called in for assistance.

``We got a lot of help, but nothing to report yet,'' Swanston said.

A team of four detectives is working overtime to chase leads and run license plate numbers. Witnesses told police the red Mitsubishi sped east on Ventura Boulevard. Forty officers from the LAPD's elite Metro Division are also searching for the assailants.

``More than 50 witnesses have been interviewed,'' said P.J. Webb, a Los Angeles Unified School District Police officer who is assisting the LAPD. ``Numerous witnesses are still coming forward and being identified.''

Still, many students were fearful.

``I'm still kind of scared,'' said Farah Fowler, 15, an 11th-grader, as she trudged through the parking lot to school. ``It's really scary because you don't know what's going to happen today. I don't know how ... I'm going to get through it.''

Some parents decided that the campus school was the safest place for their children.

``There's a lot of security here today,'' said Shayne Sawyer, 51, of West Hills, after dropping off her son. ``I'll be here right after his football practice to pick him up.''

Staff Writers Kevin Modesti and Ryan Oliver contributed to this report.

Jason Kandel, [phone]

jason.kandel(at)dailynews.com

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Photo:

(color) Taft High School Acting Principal Pete Ferry, center, greets returning students Wednesday as a police officer stands by.

Tina Burch/Staff Photographer