12-Year-Old Boy Shoots Classmate in North Carolina School Gym
A 12-year-old boy has been charged following a school shooting in North Carolina that left one student injured.
The victim, a 12-year-old girl, sustained non-life-threatening injuries after being shot in the leg at Hendersonville Middle School on Tuesday morning.
Hendersonville Police Department responded to a firearms incident on the campus at about 7:45 a.m. The juvenile suspect was immediately detained by a school administrator, officials said.
The Asheville Citizen Times reported that the gun was fired in the school gym while about 35 students waited for classes to begin.
Henderson County Public School administrators initiated a Code Red lockdown to secure the campus, which was downgraded to a Code Yellow once the suspect had been detained.
Hendersonville police have said the 12-year-old suspect has been charged with felony assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill or inflict serious injury and possession of a weapon on campus or other educational property.
He has been released into the custody of juvenile services.
"The investigation is ongoing and no additional information is available at this time," Hendersonville police said in a statement.
The 12-year-old student who was shot in the leg was taken to Mission Hospital, where she is reported to be in a stable condition.
"As is always the case whenever school communities experience traumatic events, our school psychologists, school social workers and school counselors with the district's crisis team are available to talk with students and staff today, and will continue to provide support to students and staff," said a joint statement from Henderson County Public Schools and Hendersonville police.
Hendersonville Police Chief Bill Hollingsed said only one shot was fired and the suspect was detained without further incident.
"I do want to thank the administrators and staff here at the school for their quick response," Hollingsed told The Asheville Citizen Times. "As soon as the incident occurred, they had administrators on the scene very, very quickly."
John Bryant, associate superintendent at Henderson County Public Schools, said: "I believe that message of gratitude is exactly the one that we want to continue as it relates to the responsiveness of our school staff today, our students and our local law enforcement partners.
"A tremendous effort to ensure the immediate safety and security of our school campus on the type of day that you simply do not want to have to prepare for."
Henderson County Public Schools has been contacted for further comment.
Anyone with information on the incident should call Hendersonville police on 828-697-3025.
