Student Shot In Drive-By Near Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Early College
DENVER (CBS4) - Denver police said a student was injured in a drive-by shooting Wednesday afternoon about a half-mile from Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Early College. Officers were called to the 4500 block of Espana Way around 1:45 p.m.
Investigators said the student attends Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Early College. As she was exiting a vehicle parked on Espana Way, officers said someone inside a brown sedan driving northbound opened fire, striking her in the leg.
In a video on the Denver Police Department's Periscope page, officers said they have identified a suspect who they are currently searching for. That suspect's name has not been released, but investigators said he attends a nearby school and officers have significant leads on where he may be located.
"(This is) a concerning incident involving juveniles very near a school. So we're certainly concerned. We understand parents being concerned about guns being used in the community," said Division Chief Ron Thomas.
Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Early College went into a lockdown as a precautionary measure on Wednesday afternoon. The lockdown was moved to a lockout at 1:44 p.m. Wednesday and students were let out on a controlled release. On Facebook, the school announced all after school activities located at DMLK are cancelled for this evening.
When asked about a motive for the shooting, Thomas said, "We believe that there was some beefs between varying factions between some schools that are involved."
The victim was taken to the hospital with non-life threatening injuries. Investigators said the victim was in the driver's seat and they believe the intended target was sitting in the passenger seat.
The shooting comes one day after a 16-year-old student was shot near Collegiate Prep Academy in Denver. The incident prompted a school lockout. Denver police are currently looking for two suspects in that case.
