Seattle police arrested a suspect in a shooting at a north Seattle high school Tuesday morning that left one student dead.
The shooting happened at Ingraham High School on North 135th Street just before 10 a.m. Tuesday, Seattle police said. Officers entered the school and found one person with a gunshot wound and provided aid until medics arrived, police said. They did not identify the victim.
The victim was taken to Harborview Medical Center with life-threatening injuries, police said.
Officers secured the school and at 11:10 a.m. police said they had arrested the suspect at a Metro bus stop. Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell confirmed the student's death Tuesday afternoon.
With the site secured, police worked with Seattle Public Schools to set up a reunification site at Meridian Avenue North and North 135th Street. They also developed a transportation plan for students who could not be picked up at the reunification site.
Hundreds of parents crowded in front of the high school as they waited for their children to be released one by one. Parents and teens clapped and cheered as families were slowly unified.
Amerino Fennell is a senior at the high school. He said he could hear the desperation in the voices of school officials when they announced on the intercom that the entire school was going on lockout. Dreiven Hiquiana, another senior at the school, was also trapped inside when the shooting happened.
"I was in class, and all of a sudden, my friends hear six shots, five shots go off at the school. Then everything started to happen so fast, we go into lockdown quickly. Security gets involved. And just 10 minutes later, we see cops pass by," he said, standing outside the school.
Fennell added officials should be doing more to keep students safe.
"How did the gun get into the school? Right. Nothing's being done," Fennell said.
"We can't react to a shooting like this after the fact, like, it has to be done preemptively to prevent it from happening."
Seattle police said they recovered a gun from the suspect’s backpack but could not confirm it had been used in the fatal shooting.
Hours after the shooting, Seattle Mayor Bruce Harrell spoke about the tragedy.
"I needed you to know we are dealing with a death. Bear with me as I get through this," Harrell said. "Students can't learn or develop or grow to be the best versions of themselves when they have to fear for their life."
Police are continuing to interview witnesses and are also looking at video evidence.
Seattle Public Schools announced classes at Ingraham High School are canceled Wednesday and Thursday. The district also said health professionals would be made available to students seeking support.
"I don't think you ever think it's going to happen to you. And then it does, right?," Fennell said. "Had a math test first period. Go to my second and then there's gunshots."
This article includes reporting from KNKX reporter/producer Vivian McCall and The Associated Press.
