LA school shooting hurts two students
LOS ANGELES — Two 15-yearold students in Los Angeles were shot and wounded in class yesterday, in the latest school shooting to hit the United States, reigniting the longrunning debate over gun control.
A boy was shot in the head, while a girl was hit in the wrist, emergency services personnel said, confirming that a 12-yearold girl was arrested over the incident.
Paramedics sent to Salvador Castro Middle School in the central Westlake area at 9:00 am (1700 GMT) said both students were taken to hospital, with the boy in critical but stable condition and the girl faring better.
Officials at Los Angeles County and USC Medical Center said both students were expected to make full recoveries with staff describing the boy as "extremely lucky."
"The trajectory of the bullet did not hit any vital structures that were an immediate threat to life. So I think he will do fine," said Aaron Strumwasser, who treated the teens.
An 11-year-old boy, a 12-year-old girl and a 30-year-old woman "had minor abrasions to the face area, some from glass," Erik Scott of the Los Angeles Fire Department said, adding that none of the three were struck by gunfire.
Officers arriving after the alarm was raised "located a few victims and they also located the suspect, who they took into custody without further incident," Los Angeles police Lieutenant Chris Ramirez said.
"A gun was recovered at (the) scene."
Aerial TV footage showed a handcuffed female suspect being taken into custody and placed into a patrol car while police went room to room, leading many students out with their hands behind their backs.
The middle school is located in a building across the street from the main Belmont High School. The entire school complex remained under lockdown for several hours before authorities announced around noon that lessons could resume, with counselors provided in each classroom.
"We could not control or know about this situation, but our schools are safe," said Vivian Ekchian, interim superintendent of the Los Angeles Unified School District.
Mayor Eric Garcetti told the local ABC7 news channel at the scene that it was unclear if the shooting was intentional or accidental.
Chief Steve Zipperman of the Los Angeles School Police Department added that it was not known what prompted the gunfire or how the weapon wound up on the secure campus.
"We have laws that mandate that parents who own guns, any adult who owns guns, any gun owner has an obligation to ensure that gun is locked inside a home," he added.