By — Joshua Barajas Joshua Barajas Leave a comment 0comments Share Copy URL https://www.pbs.org/newshour/nation/1-student-injured-in-florida-high-school-shooting-amid-national-walkouts-over-gun-violence Email Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Tumblr Share on Facebook Share on Twitter 1 student injured in Florida high school shooting amid national walkouts over gun violence Nation Apr 20, 2018 1:05 PM EDT One student was injured after a suspect opened fire inside a central Florida high school Friday morning. Planned walkouts for the 19th anniversary of the Columbine shooting were canceled for the school district shortly after news of the incident spread. A school resource officer at Forest High School in Ocala, Florida, first heard what he believed to be a loud “bang” sound at 8:39 a.m., Marion County Sheriff Billy Woods told reporters in a briefing Friday. Nearly three minutes later, the officer located the shooter and was able to take him or her into custody. Woods did not say how the shooter was neutralized, though he added that the shooter offered little resistance. The officer also found a 17-year-old student shot in the ankle. Woods added that the victim’s injuries were non-life-threatening. There were no other injuries reported in this morning’s incident. LIVE Press Conference on Forest High School Shooting Posted by Marion County Sheriff's Office on Friday, April 20, 2018 Woods didn’t offer many additional details about the suspect, but did say it was a 19-year-old non-student. He did not say whether the shooter was a former student of the school, but said the shooting appeared to be “intentional.” The sheriff declined to identify the weapon used in the shooting. “Although we have come to a safe conclusion, it is still an investigation, and there’s a lot of details that we don’t know,” Woods said. In an initial update on Facebook, the Marion County Sheriff’s Office confirmed that the suspect was in custody and that the wounded student was being treated by medics. Forest High School is the second largest school in Marion County with more than 2,000 students. View from First Baptist Church of Ocala of parents trying to pick up students after this morning's shooting. #News6 pic.twitter.com/o5XGUi4261 — Jason Olson (@knightproducer) April 20, 2018 Just arrived at pick up spot where parents are waiting to get heir kids. pic.twitter.com/GrOI3fx6k4 — Vanessa Araiza (@AraizaReport) April 20, 2018 Forest High School had planned on participating in the national walkout and also scheduled a 30-minute discussion on gun violence, WKMG-TV reported, but school walkouts were cancelled district-wide for the county following the shooting. Later in the morning, shortly after the Forest High SChool situation was contained, there were a report of a possible threat at another high school about 30 minutes away. Authorities have since said the report was “unfounded” and that there was no threat. The PBS NewsHour will update this story as it develops. READ MORE: The Columbine shooting was 19 years ago today. Here’s how students are marking the anniversary By — Joshua Barajas Joshua Barajas Joshua Barajas is a senior editor for the PBS NewsHour's Communities Initiative. He also the senior editor and manager of newsletters. @Josh_Barrage
One student was injured after a suspect opened fire inside a central Florida high school Friday morning. Planned walkouts for the 19th anniversary of the Columbine shooting were canceled for the school district shortly after news of the incident spread. A school resource officer at Forest High School in Ocala, Florida, first heard what he believed to be a loud “bang” sound at 8:39 a.m., Marion County Sheriff Billy Woods told reporters in a briefing Friday. Nearly three minutes later, the officer located the shooter and was able to take him or her into custody. Woods did not say how the shooter was neutralized, though he added that the shooter offered little resistance. The officer also found a 17-year-old student shot in the ankle. Woods added that the victim’s injuries were non-life-threatening. There were no other injuries reported in this morning’s incident. LIVE Press Conference on Forest High School Shooting Posted by Marion County Sheriff's Office on Friday, April 20, 2018 Woods didn’t offer many additional details about the suspect, but did say it was a 19-year-old non-student. He did not say whether the shooter was a former student of the school, but said the shooting appeared to be “intentional.” The sheriff declined to identify the weapon used in the shooting. “Although we have come to a safe conclusion, it is still an investigation, and there’s a lot of details that we don’t know,” Woods said. In an initial update on Facebook, the Marion County Sheriff’s Office confirmed that the suspect was in custody and that the wounded student was being treated by medics. Forest High School is the second largest school in Marion County with more than 2,000 students. View from First Baptist Church of Ocala of parents trying to pick up students after this morning's shooting. #News6 pic.twitter.com/o5XGUi4261 — Jason Olson (@knightproducer) April 20, 2018 Just arrived at pick up spot where parents are waiting to get heir kids. pic.twitter.com/GrOI3fx6k4 — Vanessa Araiza (@AraizaReport) April 20, 2018 Forest High School had planned on participating in the national walkout and also scheduled a 30-minute discussion on gun violence, WKMG-TV reported, but school walkouts were cancelled district-wide for the county following the shooting. Later in the morning, shortly after the Forest High SChool situation was contained, there were a report of a possible threat at another high school about 30 minutes away. Authorities have since said the report was “unfounded” and that there was no threat. The PBS NewsHour will update this story as it develops. READ MORE: The Columbine shooting was 19 years ago today. Here’s how students are marking the anniversary