Teen held over US high school schooting
PAlmdAlE: Police in California have arrested a 14-year-old boy in connection with a shooting at a high school near Los Angeles that left one hurt, the local sheriff ’s department and education officials said.
The Los Angeles County Sheriff said the suspect was detained near Highland High School in Palmdale, 65km north of downtown Los Angeles, on Friday.
Both were students at the school. “Deputies responded immediately to the Palmdale shooting, arrest made, weapon found, active investigation underway. Reasonably sure threat is contained,” department spokesman Jim McDonnell tweeted.
The suspect was a “male Hispanic juvenile”, the sheriff ’s office said, later clarifying that the weapon was a rifle that was “recovered off campus”.
It said a boy had been shot in the arm at the school and was in stable condition at hospital.
Local media reported that the victim, also 14, was wounded as he was getting out of the car that brought him to the campus.
Agents with the Department of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives were heading to the scene, the agency said.
About a half hour later, calls were received about “shots fired” near Manzanita Elementary School, 13km to the west, the sheriff ’s department reported, adding that officers found no evidence of a crime there.
Deputies secured both locations and were investigating.
“We are all concerned about the safety of our children,” Palmdale School District Superintendent Raul Maldonado said in an alert.
Highland confirmed in a tweet that it saw “no threat” to pupils and added that staff were working with law enforcement to determine release procedures for students.