BOISE, Idaho — A sixth-grade girl was taken into custody Thursday morning after three people were injured in a shooting at an East Idaho middle school.
Two students and one adult sustained non-life-threatening injuries in the shooting at Rigby Middle School, Jefferson County Sheriff Steve Anderson said at a news conference Thursday afternoon.
Just after 9 a.m., the suspect — a girl from Idaho Falls — retrieved a handgun from her backpack in a hallway at Rigby Middle and fired multiple rounds, Anderson said. Two people were shot in the hallway, and she moved outside and shot a third person, the sheriff said.
A female teacher eventually disarmed the student and held her until Rigby police arrived and took her into custody, authorities said. The girl is being held at the Sheriff’s Office.
One student was shot once in an extremity and a second, who had injuries to both upper and lower extremities, was “potentially” shot twice, according to Michael Lemon, trauma medical director at Eastern Idaho Regional Medical Center in Idaho Falls.
The adult was released from EIRMC on Thursday, and the two students were in fair condition and being held overnight, Lemon said. Officials said the adult was a custodian at the school.
“The fact that the injuries are as insignificant as they are right now ... they could be so much worse. We feel absolutely blessed,” Lemon said.
Jefferson School District Superintendent Chad Martin said at the news conference, “This is the worst nightmare a school district could ever face.”
Earlier Thursday, Martin told TV station KIFI that “there is no further threat to the students.”
All of the uninjured students were evacuated from the middle school to Rigby High School for parent pickup and busing. School is canceled throughout the district on Friday, Martin said.
Rigby Middle School has more than 1,400 students in sixth through eighth grades.
“Me and my classmate were just in class with our teacher — we were doing work — and then all of a sudden, there was a loud noise and then there were two more loud noises. Then there was screaming,” 12-year-old Iandel Rodriguez told The Associated Press. “Our teacher went to check it out, and he found blood.”
Yandel’s mom, Adela Rodriguez, said they were OK but “still a little shaky” from the shooting as they left the campus.
The incident is still under investigation and no charges have been filed yet, Jefferson County prosecuting attorney Mark Taylor said.
Sherri Ybarra, the Idaho superintendent of public instruction, said in an emailed statement that her “prayers are with those injured this morning. I am grateful to our first responders and school staff who are working to deal with this terrible incident.”
Other elected officials responded to the shooting on social media.
“I am praying for the lives and safety of those involved in today’s tragic events,” Idaho Gov. Brad Little tweeted. “Thank you to our law enforcement agencies and school leaders for their efforts in responding to the incident. I am staying updated on the situation.”
The incident appears to be the second school shooting with an injury in Idaho history. In 1999, a 15-year-old boy fired two shotgun rounds inside Notus Junior-Senior High School, narrowly missing three students, according to the AP. One student was injured by a shell that ricocheted.
On Thursday afternoon, gun-safety groups Moms Demand Action and Students Demand Action issued statements expressing frustration with school shootings in the U.S.
“We are tired of living in a country where students have to fear being shot while in the classroom,” said Lauren Axness, a volunteer with the Idaho chapter of Students Demand Action. “ ... These shootings are preventable. We don’t need legislators offering thoughts and prayers while weakening our gun laws — we need action.”
