Suspect In Graham-Kapowsin School Shooting Arrested

GRAHAM, WA - Two students were reportedly shot near Graham-Kapowsin High School Tuesday afternoon. One student was found near the school's football field, the other in a locker room, according to the Pierce County Sheriff's Office. Both students were taken to Tacoma General for treatment.

Around 5 p.m., Pierce County Sheriff's spokesman Ed Troyer said that both students are expected to survive.

Police reported that they had one suspect in custody Tuesday night. They asked for the public's help in identifying two additional suspects who are pictured below. The Pierce County Sheriff's Office has released images of the suspects. They asked anyone with information on the case to call Crime Stoppers.

The shooting happened just off campus, according to the sheriff's office, and might be gang-related. The shooting suspects fled the scene in a green Chevrolet Impala, police said. Troyer said the shooters are most likely students at the high school.

Authorities reported the shooting at 2:50 p.m. Tuesday.

Graham-Kapowsin High School is located off of 224th Street near the intersection with Meridian Avenue. The shooting happened on the north side of the school's campus, which is where the athletic facilities are located, near the intersection of Eustis Hunt Road and 216th Street East.

Graham-Kapowsin is part of the Bethel School District and serves Spanaway, Graham, and Roy. The district had placed other schools near the high school on lockdown. The district also opened a "reunification site" for parents at the Foster Middle School gym, which is just south of the high school.

"There was a shooting near Graham-Kapowsin High School this afternoon. We are still learning details of the incident but two students from GK were involved. GKHS, [Foster Middle School] and Nelson Elementary are still in lockdown. Students at Graham Elementary have been released to their buses with staff supervision," the district wrote Tuesday in a message to parents. "All afterschool activities at Graham-Kapowsin High School and Frontier Middle School have been cancelled."

This is the second high school shooting of the 2017-18 school year in Washington. In September, Caleb Sharpe, 15, allegedly opened fire at Freeman High School south of Spokane. The only fatality was Sam Strahan, 15, who died trying to stop Sharpe from opening fire, according to police.

Image via Bethel School District