Heightened security greets students at Tottenville High School, one day after student shot near campus
NEW YORK -- Following a shooting near campus a day earlier, a Staten Island school stepped up security on Wednesday.
As CBS2's Dave Carlin reports, the 14-year-old student athlete who was struck in the ankle by a stray bullet is now home from the hospital.
On crutches, the teenage football player, who we are not identifying, had police officer escorts as he returned home. Outside the victim's home, the family asked for privacy.
Earlier, a relative told CBS2 the victim was in the wrong place at the wrong time, saying he had just left school to get some food before going to football practice.
A campus officer was praised for applying a tourniquet and comforting the 14-year-old.
Watch Jenna DeAngelis' report
CBS2's Jenna DeAngelis spoke with students about the frightening ordeal.
As they returned to Tottenville High School on Wednesday morning, they were met with plenty of police officers and security measures. Some students were heard being ordered to empty their pockets as they entered.
"Our school is very good with, like, all the security and everything. We have metal detectors," one student said.
"They happen like once in a while. They're scattered," another student said.
That student didn't want to show her face on camera, but shared her experience being inside the school on Tuesday afternoon during the shelter in place.
"They were like, 'Just get down. It's not a drill.' We didn't know there was a shooting until pictures got leaked and everything," the student said.
READ MORE: 14-year-old student wounded in shooting outside Tottenville High School on Staten Island
The sound of gunshots was captured by the dash camera of a car parked nearby. The NYPD later released video of the five people it is looking for. One allegedly took out a gun and fired multiple times.
Police say the 14-year-old student who was struck was not the intended target, although it's unclear who was. The victim was described as a nice kid and a great football player.
"One of their best -- JV -- wide receiver, running back, linebacker," a student named Liam said.
Liam goes to a different school, but his sister attends Tottenville. He escorted her to school today worried for her safety.
"I couldn't get in touch with her when it happened. As since I heard, I was calling her, texting her, texting all my friends. Nobody was answering. I was freaking out making sure she's okay. Right after school, I skipped football and came right here," Liam said.
"It's scary and now I feel some kids are scared to go to school and stuff," sophomore Talia Najjar said.
Along with extra security, the Department of Education says parents can also expect mental health support for students at the school.
