Police say shooting at Los Angeles middle school was unintentional; 12-year-old girl is being held

A boy and girl, both 15, were wounded at Salvador Castro Middle School; 2 other students suffered graze wounds

A 12-year-old girl is in custody after a shooting at an Los Angeles middle school that police are calling unintentional. Four students were injured, but are expected to recover.

KTLA-TV reports the shooting Thursday morning at Salvador Castro Middle School in the city's Westlake neighborhood involved a semiautomatic weapon.

The victims are a 15-year-old boy, who was shot in the head, and a 15-year-old girl, who was shot in one of her wrists. Both are hospitalized.

Two other students, ages 11 and 12, suffered graze wounds and were treated and released. In addition, a 30-year-old woman suffered a minor injury in the chaos after the shooting

The 15-year-old boy was shot in the temple and is “extremely lucky” that the bullet missed vital structures, doctors say.

The 12-year-old girl has been booked for negligent discharge of a firearm and is in Los Angeles County Central Juvenile Hall.

Police didn’t disclose what led to the shooting, but said in a statement that the evidence "suggests that this was an isolated incident, involving the negligent discharge of a firearm, where innocent children and a staff member were unfortunately injured.”

The middle school shares a campus with Belmont High School.

EARLIER: Video from ABC7 Los Angeles:

About the Author

Mike Kennedy

Senior Editor

Mike Kennedy has been writing about education for American School & University since 1999. He also has reported on schools and other topics for The Chicago Tribune, The Kansas City Star, The Kansas City Times and City News Bureau of Chicago. He is a graduate of Michigan State University.

Sign up for our eNewsletters
Get the latest news and updates