Ingraham High School in north Seattle became another site for gun violence in US schools Tuesday morning. One student, believed to have been targeted by the gunman, died from her injuries after being transported to a local hospital, The Seattle Times reports.
(K-12 School Shooting Database)“We in the city joined a long list of cities this year that have had school shootings,” the paper quoted Seattle Police Chief Adrian Diaz as saying. Police responded to 9-1-1 calls at about 10 AM, the paper reported, and students told the paper they first found out about the gun during the passing time between first and second period.
The high school, one of Seattle’s 23 public high schools, is one of only 13 in Washington state that offers the intensive International Baccalaureate program of study. A school climate survey of students at the school showed that 62 percent of students responded favorably to questions asking if they felt safe at the school.
The suspect was taken into custody shortly after 11 AM, KING-TV 5 News (NBC affiliate) reported, citing Chief Diaz. He was arrested and a weapon found on his person, though it was unclear if it was the same weapon used in the shooting.
Classes were canceled at the high school Wednesday. All news reports suggest this was a targeted killing and not connected to any larger plan for gun or any other violence at the school.
“As a superintendent, you never want to step into a podium to speak to something like this,” the station quoted Seattle Public Schools Superintendent Brent Jones as saying. “This should be rare and not commonplace. A tragedy has struck our community today. For now, my priority is to make sure the students and the families are safe. To the parents, if you need help talking to your child about today’s events, our health services team is available to you.”
