GUN TERROR AT SUSSEX COLLEGE
Police snipers swoop after ‘teen bursts into lesson and opens fire at lecturer, then stabs second teacher’
StudentS watched in horror as a masked gunman fired blanks at a lecturer during a class yesterday and then stabbed another teacher in the hand.
In terrifying scenes, the man was said to have waved his gun around the car park of Crawley College, West Sussex, shouting at students to ‘ run’ before bursting into a lesson.
An 18-year-old man was arrested and two college staff members had minor injuries which were not gunshot wounds.
A heroic teacher tackled the gunman to the ground before police arrived and detained him, it was claimed last night.
A video shared on Snapchat appears to show someone apprehending the suspect before others rush to help pin him to the ground.
A parent of one pupil at the college told the Sun: ‘A teacher rugbytackled the gunman. It’s absolutely horrifying.’
Sussex Police last night confirmed they were liaising with counter-terrorism officers as they explored potential motives.
Around 30 armed response officers and snipers from forces across the South east surrounded the college building while two police helicopters hovered overhead.
Shaken pupils described the moment the gunman rampaged into a mechanics lesson and turned his pistol on their tutor, Steve Hopkins.
elise Stellebotte, 17, said: ‘I heard several shots being fired really quickly and everyone dived out of the classroom.
‘I saw the gunman. He was wearing a black puma hoodie and a mask. I was only a few yards away and I could see he had this pistol in his hand and was waving it around.’ She added: ‘I heard he stabbed one lecturer in the hand when he tried to tackle him and I also heard he may have also stabbed himself.’
Another student, eddie, 18, said: ‘He was screaming at people, telling them: “Run for your lives, run, run,” and jumping around all over the place then he fired some shots. no one knew they weren’t live bullets but they turned out to be blanks.’
Pupils and staff were evacuated while police searched the buildings. Sussex Police said officers arrested an 18-year- old man at 3.20pm with a knife and a firearm. He remained in custody last night.
Chief Superintendent Howard Hodges said: ‘We continue to have a large policing presence in Crawley and are appealing for anyone with information to come forward.
‘We are liaising with officers at
Counter terrorism Policing South east. All lines of inquiry are open at this stage.’
He added: ‘Roads in the vicinity of the college have been closed and we continue to ask members of the public to stay away from the area at this time.’
Police snipers remained on the roof of the college last night and armed response units were patrolling the grounds.
Bomb disposal units were also seen arriving at the college.
One tutor, who asked not to be named, said: ‘It was a shocking incident. I think everyone is extremely shaken by it.’
the college wrote on twitter last night: ‘Further to the incident on Monday April 26, the college will be closed on tuesday April 27 whilst we continue to support police with enquiries.’
MOMENT HERO TEACHER ‘TACKLED THE TEENAGER’