LA Middle School Shooting Was An Accident, Police Confirm

LOS ANGELES, CA — Two children were shot Thursday at Sal Castro Middle School in what police now believe was an accident.

The gun was inside a 12-year-old girl’s backpack when it went off, the Los Angeles Police Department confirmed. The girl was arrested and taken to County Central Juvenile Hall and booked for Negligent Discharge of a Firearm. Authorities are working to figure out how the girl got her hands on a gun, and others could face additional charges if prosecutors determine the gun was improperly stored.

“While the investigation is still active and evolving, detectives do believe that the handgun was inside a backpack at the times it was fired,” the Los Angeles Police Department announced Friday. “ Additionally, it appears the bullet went through the wrist of one student and struck a second student in the head.”

Two 15-year-old students who suffered the gunshot wounds are expected to fully recover. The boy who was shot in the head was listed in critical but stable condition, and the girl shot in the wrist was listed in stable condition. An 11-year old boy, a 12-year old girl and 30-year old woman also were hurt by glass shattered in the shooting.

Speaking at Van Nuys City Hall, City Councilman Mitch O'Farrell, who represents the neighborhood where the school is located, told his colleagues that new gun safety legislation may be needed.

"One thing is for sure, after a complete forensic investigation on where this gun came from, how this 12-year-old girl brought this gun to school and what it was doing in her backpack, after we can trace how that gun got to that school and which adult or adults are responsible that let this to happen, then we will have something to work with in terms of taking a look at additional legislation," O'Farrell said.

In the meantime, on Friday school resumed as normal with counselors on hand to help students rattled by the near-fatal accident.

"We will have counselors on site for students and staff (Friday) at Sal Castro," Los Angeles Unified School District spokeswoman Shannon Haber said. "If any of the schools in the area need counseling support we will get support right away for students or employees."

Attention will now turn to the issue of how the girl obtained the weapon and how she got it onto the campus undetected. Los Angeles School Police Department Chief Steve Zipperman on Thursday declined to discuss the type of security measures in place at Castro Middle School. The district requires daily random searches of students at its middle and high schools.

Zipperman and Los Angeles City Attorney Mike Feuer also lashed out at parents who fail to properly secure weapons in their homes, saying gun owners can be prosecuted if children get their hands on them.

An investigation was continuing into how the girl got the gun that she brought to Castro Middle School. Garcetti said on KNX that the girl's parents are believed to be separated, and her father has allegedly denied that he owns the weapon.

The mayor said a "strong message has to be sent out to other students" about the danger of guns and bringing them to campus, but he also said the girl in custody should be provided with counseling and emotional support.

"We have to be sure to take care of this girl," he said.

Zipperman said Thursday authorities' initial focus will be caring for students who may have witnessed the shooting.

"We know this is a very traumatic incident for all the children involved, particularly inside that classroom," he said. "As we continue to move forward with this, I want everyone to have a clear understanding that we will attend to the needs of these students who witnessed this very carefully, with the understanding this is very traumatic.

"We have our school mental health folks who are here to support the needs of the students and we will continue to work with those students," he said.

Patch Staffer Paige Austin and City News Service contributed to this report. Photo: Parents reunite with their children at the Salvador B. Castro Middle School near downtown Los Angeles Thursday, Feb. 1, 2018. A girl opened fire Thursday in a middle school classroom on Thursday, authorities said. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)