Albemarle, North Carolina School Shooting: Student Shot, Suspect in Custody
A suspect is in custody after a school shooting in North Carolina that injured one student Tuesday morning.
USA Today reported that the suspect, an unnamed student, was taken into custody at 7:40 a.m. at Albemarle High School, about 35 miles east of Charlotte, and the handgun used has been recovered, according to Police Chief William Halliburton.
The condition of the victim is unknown, but they were shot in the leg and taken to Stanly Regional Medical Center.
Police said the two students were involved in a fight in the school's courtyard, and the disagreement led to the shooting.
The student who fired the shots immediately put down the gun and waited for police, and was taken into custody by the school resource officer -- who is a former Albemarle city policeman -- until police arrived.
School officials canceled classes Tuesday, after a 90-minute lockdown following the shooting, and moved the about 500 students to a nearby church to allow parents to pick them up.
Police stayed at the scene in front of the school, and are still interviewing witnesses.
The school district released a statement at 9 a.m., according to The Stanly News & Press: "This morning, prior to the start of the school day, there was a shooting at Albemarle High School campus. The shooter is in custody and the school is in lockdown. A student was injured. At this time we do not know the condition of the student."
There is a prayer service scheduled at the church at 5:30 p.m. Tuesday.
The social media hashtag #PrayersForAlbemarle was trending as students left messages for each other, according to WSCOTV.
In the small town of roughly 16,000 residents, some are surprised by the morning's incident.
"Strange to look across the street and see things that you normally find on #CNN or #FoxNews. #PrayersForAlbemarle," tweeted @pauljenkins.
Police told the TV station there are likely more witnesses that saw or heard what occurred before the shots were fired, and both county and local law enforcement were on the scene.
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