A shooting at Marshall County High School in Benton, Ky., left at least two people dead and 17 others injured after a student opened fire on Tuesday, officials said.
During a news conference later in the day, officials said the alleged shooter, a 15-year-old male student, was in custody and will be charged with murder and attempted murder.
“He was apprehended by the sheriff’s department here on site, at the school, thankfully before any more lives could be taken,” Kentucky State Police Lt. Michael Webb said.
Authorities were seen escorting a handcuffed individual away from the scene.
Police escort a person, second from right, out of the Marshall County High School after a shooting there on Tuesday in Benton, Ky. Gov. Matt Bevin said two people were killed and numerous others were injured in the shooting.
(Dominico Caporali via AP)
The shooting began around 8 a.m. when the teenager entered the school with a handgun, authorities said.
The 17 people injured were all believed to be students, according to Kentucky Gov. Matt Bevin, who added that 12 of them suffered gunshot wounds.
The two people killed include a 15-year-old female student, who died at the scene, and a 15-year-old male student, who died at the hospital.
Bevin said the alleged shooter was apprehended by police in a nonviolent manner. He said the incident was an ongoing investigation.
“This is a wound that is going to take a long time to heal,” Bevin said.
Mitch Garland told The Associated Press he saw 100 children running out of the school and seeking safety after the shots started going off.
“They was running and crying and screaming,” he said. “They was just kids running down the highway. They were trying to get out of there.”
Kentucky Sen. Rand Paul tweeted his thoughts and prayers to the victims of the shooting.
“Deeply saddened by the tragic news out of Benton, KY this morning and closely monitoring the situation. We mourn the lost and are praying for those who were injured as well as their families, friends, and the heroic first responders.”
Kentucky Sen. Mitch McConnell also tweeted his thoughts to those impacted by the shooting.
“Closely tracking reports of the tragedy in Benton, Kentucky at Marshall County High School and my thoughts are with the students, teachers faculty and the entire community. Thank you to the first responders who continue to put themselves in harm’s way to protect others,” he tweeted.
Rep. James Comer, who represents Kentucky’s 1st congressional district, tweeted the first official indication there had been an incident at the school: “My thoughts & prayers go out to the students & faculty at Marshall County High School where there has been a tragic school shooting.”
State Rep. Will Coursey, who said he was an alumnus of the high school, tweeted his thoughts to those affected by the school shooting.
Lexie Waymon, 16, said she and a friend were talking about the next basketball game, makeup and eyelashes when gunshots pierced the air.
“I blacked out. I couldn’t move. I got up and I tried to run, but I fell. I heard someone hit the ground. It was so close to me,” Waymon said. “I just heard it and then I just, everything was black for a good minute. Like, I could not see anything. I just froze and did not know what to do. Then I got up and I ran.”
Waymon did not stop running, not even when she called her mom to tell her what happened. She made it to the McDonald’s, her chest hurting, struggling to breathe. “All I could keep thinking was, ‘I can’t believe this is happening. I cannot believe this is happening,’” she said.
It was chaotic outside the school as parents and students rushed around trying to find each other, said Dusty Kornbacher, who owns a nearby floral shop. “All the parking lots were full with parents and kids hugging each other and crying and nobody really knowing what was going on,” he said.
Barry Mann said his 14-year-old son was put on a bus and taken to another school to be picked up.
“He gave me a call as soon as he run out the door and I didn’t know what was happening to him,” he told the AP. “It sounded like his heart was in his throat.”
Garland said his son, a 16-year-old sophomore, jumped into someone’s car and sped away before joining others inside his business.
“Everyone is just scared. Just terrified for their kids,” Garland said. “We’re a small town and we know a lot of the kids.”
The community is about 120 miles northwest of Nashville, Tenn.
The shooting comes one day after a student opened fire in Italy High School, about 45 miles south of Texas early Monday. A female student was recovering Tuesday after police said she was shot by a 16-year-old classmate in the school’s cafeteria. The suspect has been taken into custody and charged with the shooting of the girl.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
