2 teens shot outside West Side High School in Newark, N.J.
NEWARK, N.J. - Two teens, including a student, were shot outside West Side High School in Newark Tuesday afternoon, authorities said.
Police are still searching for the gunman.
Newark Public Safety Director Fritz Frage said police responded to the school at around 2:45 p.m., as students were beginning to be let out. Responding officers found a 17-year-old student and a 15-year-old who had been shot outside of the school.
The two teens were rushed to University Hospital for treatment. The 17-year-old is said to be in critical condition, and the 15-year-old is in stable condition.
The third victim was also injured while trying to escape from the scene.
The circumstances surrounding the shooting weren't immediately known. Witnesses said a suspect left the scene in a sedan.
Some students still inside the school were kept in their classrooms for about 20 minutes after the shooting.
One witness described hearing about eight, rapid-fire shots. Another witness saw someone running down the street after the shots were fired.
The father of a student says his 14-year-old son called him after running away from the gunshots.
"He called to tell me, frantic. I could hear it in his voice," Michael Alvarado said. "[He said,] 'I'm letting you know that I'm OK, but, so there was a drive-by shooting at the school and I followed my instincts, I ran away from what was happening.'"
Video from the scene showed several emergency vehicles and police response outside the school. Chopper 2 spotted a handgun lying on the ground on the street.
More police were spotted about a block away, between South Orange and 14th Avenues.
Gov. Phil Murphy said he's been briefed on the shooting and his office is "coordinating closely with local law enforcement."
"Every student deserves to be safe at school," he wrote on social media.
Newark Mayor Ras Baraka said in a statement, "We will increase presence and work with the school to continue to eliminate violence."
But that is doing little to reassure Alvarado's son.
"He's still pretty shaken up and he doesn't want to come to school now. He doesn't feel safe," he said.
Police have not made any arrests. Authorities ask anyone with information to call Newark Police.
