Student Fatally Shot in Hallway at NC High School
Because classes had not yet begun, the hallways were still crowded with people. The campus immediately went into lockdown and remained in lockdown for about two hours, according to the police.
- By Jessica Davis
- October 30, 2018
A student at Butler High School in Matthews, North Carolina, was shot dead on Monday morning in what authorities believe to be an isolated incident. The scene on campus was secured by police and the suspect, another student, has been taken into custody.
The two students involved were fighting in a crowded hallway Monday morning. Surveillance video showed one student shoot the other at about 7:10 a.m., according to police.
A school resource officer called the police to alert them, saying he was with the victim and that he had the student believed to have been the gunman in custody, said Capt. Stason Tyrrell, a patrol commander for the Matthews Police Department. Several police officers in the area also responded.
Because classes had not yet begun, the hallways were still crowded with people. The campus immediately went into lockdown and remained in lockdown for about two hours, according to the police.
After the lockdown was lifted, the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools let parents know that they were officially allowed to pick up their children at the entrance to the high school, but that “classes will proceed on campus today for students remaining on campus.”
The move to continue with classes after a fatal on-campus shooting was met with criticism online, but Tracy O. Russ, chief communications officer for Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools, said that the decision was made to keep school in session to provide a safe place for students to stay until they could be picked up from the campus.
“Our goal was to ensure that students could remain on campus and safe until such time that transportation arrangements could be made by families,” Russ said.
Authorities have not publicly identified either student involved, but the families of both the suspect and the victim have been notified. The victim was transported to a hospital, where the student died, according to police. The suspect is being questioned by police.
“We’re incredibly saddened by the fact that we had a loss of life on one of our campuses today,” said Clayton Wilcox, the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools superintendent. “What makes it doubly difficult is that it was one of our students who was the shooter.”
About the Author
Jessica Davis is the Associate Content Editor for 1105 Media.