Published 18:55 IST, October 23rd 2019
17-year-old shoots teen outside California school, slips into class
A 17-year-old boy has shot another student outside their school on Tuesday. He later ditched the weapon and slipped into class to avoid suspicion in school
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A 17-year-old boy shot another student outside Ridgeway High School in Santa Rosa, north of San Francisco on Tuesday. He later ditched the weapon and slipped into a class. According to reports, he evaded capture for almost two hours as he joined thousands of students in a classroom lockdown because of the shooting.
It's a scary situation: Cops
According to reports, the teen was arrested from a gym class by officers who tracked him down using CCTV footage. After gunning down a 16-year-old boy, he slipped his gun into a bag and handed it over to an unidentified person in a vehicle. Speaking to The Associated Press, police Capt. John Cregan said, "It is disturbing to see that he was able to go right around to his normal business. It's a scary situation."
The teens got into an argument before the accused shot the victim twice. He collapsed on the ground but managed to pull himself up and run to a car that rushed him to hospital. The victim is now in a stable condition. Police are yet to decipher if the person who got the bag and drove away had knowledge of the gun inside the bag. They are investigating whether the shooting was the result of gang activity.
Over 10,000 students and staff members were locked down in a complex with three other nearby schools after the shooting took place outside Ridgway High School.
The police captain said that the shooter was showing normal behaviour after the lockdown protocol by going to the nearest classroom after shooting. The gym teacher and other students did not realise that he was the gunman, he added.
As per authorities, witnesses claimed that the shooter had fired 3-4 rounds before escaping. The suspect has been lodged in a juvenile lockup on the charges of attempted homicide.
Parents panic-struck
As per reports, parents received text messages informing them about the shooting, which made them worried about their kids' safety. One parent said that her 17-year-old daughter texted that someone got shot. A minute later she texted 'I love you' followed by another message before her phone abruptly stopped working. She then used a friend's phone to contact her mother who inquired if she was ok.
'Not really but I will be OK' responded daughter. The girl said that she had spent some time lying on the cold floor hiding behind a teacher's desk with other students. Her mother was concerned as to how this "new normal" was affecting children.
Classroom lockdown
Police said that shooting was originally reported on Ridgway High campus before 9 am, but later said that it happened on the sidewalk outside the school which did not have any metal detectors. The school is a part of huge complex which also includes Santa Rosa High School, Santa Rosa Junior College, school district offices and athletic fields.
The school was on lockdown as SWAT team looked for the gunman. FBI later lifted the lockdown around 11:30 am after the search was complete.
(With inputs from AP)
17:24 IST, October 23rd 2019