Classes Back In Session After Accidental Shooting At LA Middle School
LOS ANGELES (CBSLA/AP) — Counselors were on hand when classes returned Friday at Sal Castro Middle School, just a day after two students were shot in what police say was an accident.
A 12-year-old girl was booked into Juvenile Hall on suspicion of negligently discharging a firearm on school grounds. The girl had the gun in her backpack, and it apparently went off when she dropped the bag.
Jordan Valenzuela, a seventh-grader who was in class when he heard the shot, said the sobbing 12-year-old suspect told him, "I didn't mean to. I had the gun in my backpack and I didn't know it was loaded and my backpack fell and the gun went off."
A total of five people were injured. Investigators believe the bullet went through the wrist of a 15-year-old girl, then struck a 15-year-old boy in the head. Doctors said the bullet did not hit anything vital or life-threatening.
Two other students and a staffer were hit by flying glass.
The shooting, which was reported just before 9 a.m. Thursday, drew a large response from the Los Angeles Police Department and Los Angeles Unified School District officials. The campus was locked down immediately after the shooting, but most classes were continued later. Shaken parents were permitted to take their children home early if they wished.
The handgun was not registered, and detectives are still trying to determine where the girl got the gun.
The girl has retained an attorney and is not answering questions, police said.
At the school, students talked well of the suspect.
"She's nice but sometimes gets bullied by others," said one student.
"She would get bullied a lot and it just kept building up," said Arianna Cortez.
The classroom where the shooting took place was closed Friday -- for cleaning.
The 12-year-old suspect is due in court Monday. The D.A. has charged her with minor in possession of a firearm and weapon on a school grounds.
On Instagram, a 12-year-old girl posted a message saying "Guys, I'm fine. Thanks for the prayers."
The photo in the post showed a young female with a heavily bandaged wrist.
CBS2's Jeff Nguyen spoke to several parents who walked their kids to school, just as a precaution.
"Actually," says Arnulfo Guox, "at home, we were thinking about whether we wanted to send them to school or not."
(© Copyright 2018 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
