Shooting at Kentucky High School Leaves Several Injured

UPDATE: 2 Dead After Shooting at Kentucky High School

Two students were killed and 12 others were shot at Marshall County High School.

  • By Sydny Shepard
  • January 23, 2018

[UPDATE: January 23, 2018 1:00 p.m.]

At a press conference, Kentucky Governor Matt Bevin confirmed two fatalities and 12 gunshot victims in the shooting at Marshall County High School in Benton, Kentucky. 

Kentucky State Police said that at 7:57 a.m., a 15-year-old male shooter entered the school through its front entrance to a commons area where he immediately started shooting a handgun. The first call to 911 came in at 7:59 a.m. and police arrived at the scene at 8:06 a.m. The shooter was apprehended at the scene in a non-violent manner, according to police.

Kentucky State Police did mention that there was a Student Resource Officer on the campus, but did not say if that SRO came into contact with the shooter.

Of those 14 who were shot, one 15-year-old female student died at the scene and six others were flown to the nearest level one trauma center. At the hospital another 15-year-old male student succumbed to his wounds. The remaining wounded were taken to the nearest hospital.

Five other students were injured during the incident, but did not have gunshot wounds.

The status of the injured students are not known.

The FBI, ATF and a number of local police departments and sheriff's offices have responded to the incident, according to police. The FBI will help police process the crime scene on campus.

Kentucky State Police Commissioner Rick Sanders applauded the response of police and students, saying the students knew exactly what to do as a result of their active shooter training.

"This was a disrupted incident," Sanders said. "There's no telling what damage could've been done had we not intervened."

The original story below.

A large police response was seen this morning at Marshall County High School in Kentucky this morning after reports of gunfire on the campus.

What happens remains to be unclear, but Kentucky Governor Matt Bevin tweeted out that there was at least one person dead and many other injured.

The Marshall County Tribune-Courier, the local newspaper, posted on Facebook just a little after 8 a.m. central time that there were reports of shots fired at the school. The newspaper also posted that a student inside the school witnessed shots fired and saw at least two people injured.


Police have confirmed the shooter is in custody and that one person has died as a result of the shooting. It was unclear if the deceased was a student at the school. 

This is the second instance of gunfire on a school campus in two days. Yesterday, a 15-year-old girl was shot and injured at Italy High School in Texas.

This is a developing story. Check back later for more information.

Featured

  • Door Hardware and Campus Security: Enhancing Safety in Schools

    The importance of investing in school safety cannot be overstated, but knowing where to start implementation of school safety features can be a challenge. A recent survey by the National Center on Education Statistics found that a quarter of U.S. public schools have classrooms with doors that can't be locked from the inside. Even among schools with doors that do lock, recent legislation reflects a common misconception that simply keeping the doors locked all day will eliminate the potential for an attack, in direct violation of PASS (Partner Alliance for Safer Schools) Guidelines. Read Now

  • Brigham Young University Strengthens Campus Security With Genetec Operations Center

    Genetec Inc, a provider of enterprise physical security software, announced that Brigham Young University's (BYU) has optimized its security operations with the Genetec™ Operations Center work management system. Read Now

  • AI-based Risk Mitigation: The Next Advancement in Video Surveillance and Public Safety

    Safety is at the forefront of every organization and covers a gamut of scenarios, not just weapon-fueled lethal threats. It also includes smaller-scale and everyday situations like slipping hazards, fallen persons, unauthorized vehicles, and more. These issues cause disruptions in daily operations and cost companies and facilities money and downtime, so a fully realized security plan must involve actions that facility personnel should take once a hazard of any size occurs. Informing everyone that a hazard exists, where it’s located, and what actions to take is imperative for maintaining personal safety. Read Now

  • Fort Worth ISD Strengthens Event Safety

    The issue of concealed weapons being introduced into school extracurricular activities, including sporting events and graduations, became a growing concern in communities across the nation. According to the K-12 School Shooting Database, there were at least 202 incidents of gunfire on school grounds in 2024 across the United States, resulting in 56 deaths and 147 injuries, underscoring the urgent need for enhanced safety protocols. Read Now

Most   Popular