An 18-year-old student has been arrested for allegedly bringing a gun to school and opening fire on two staffers.
According CBS News, the incident occurred Friday morning at Olathe East High School in Olathe, Kansas. Authorities say the suspected gunman was called into the office at around 10:30 a.m. that day over suspicions he had a firearm. After a school resource officer was called to assist the situation, the student allegedly produced a gun, prompting him and the SRO to exchange shots.
The officer, a school administrator, and the students were all wounded during the shootout, and were immediately transported to the hospital. Olathe Police Sgt. Joel Yeldell confirmed Friday night that all the three were expected to survive. Hospital officials have since told FOX 4 that two of the victims had been released, while one adult male remains in critical condition.
“The good news is that no students were injured,” Yeldell said during a press conference. “We have a [school resource officer] it sounds like that did his job — so that’s great news.”
Local police confirmed the involved officer—identified as Erik Clark—has been placed on paid administrative leave as the department conducts an investigation.
Olathe East High’s student body is roughly around 2,000. After the school was placed on lockdown for several hours, parents were reunited with their kids at a nearby middle school.
Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly responded to the shooting in a Friday tweet.
“Our thoughts are with the entire Olathe East High School community today,” the Democratic lawmaker wrote. “We are closely monitoring the situation on the ground & are in communication with law enforcement.”
