"Worst case nightmare": Girl, 12, suspect in shooting at California middle school
LOS ANGELES -- There was another school shooting Thursday -- the third in less than two weeks. The police say a girl, believed to be 12 years old, fired at classmates at the Salvador Castro Middle School near downtown Los Angeles.
The call for help came in just before 9 a.m.: "Ambulance, shooting just occurred ... possible one shot fired, one student hit, an additional student possibly hit."
"As a parent, this is everyone's worst case nightmare," Cmdr. Robert Arcos, of the Operations-Central Bureau at Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD), said.
Police believe the shooter is a 12-year-old girl.
"One of the main missions ... is the issue of finding out how a young person had access to a weapon," Los Angeles School Police Chief Steve Zipperman said. "I assure you if we find out it came from an adult from a home that the proper prosecutorial procedures will occur."
Two older students in a mixed-age elective class were shot, including one in the head.
Three other people sustained minor injuries. Officers responded quickly by searching nearby classrooms and students for any additional weapons.
"They want our kids to stay in school for the rest of the day, but I don't understand how you explain to our kids under these circumstances are going to sit in class," one parent told CBS News.
Many parents who raced to the school were stuck waiting at this nearby softball field for hours.
"To see it on TV and then it's actually happening here and it's just scary and this world's crazy now," another parent said.
Doctors say the male student who was shot in the head is extremely lucky because no vital parts were hit. They expect him to make a full recovery. The other victims are all in stable condition. Police do not have a motive yet, but continue to interview witnesses.
