Student Wounded in Texas High School Shooting; Suspect in Custody, Police Say

A 15-year-old girl is injured after she was shot at her Texas high school on Monday, officials [...]

By Libby Birk

A 15-year-old girl is injured after she was shot at her Texas high school on Monday, officials say. A 16-year-old boy shot the 15-year-old girl in the cafeteria of Italy High School, roughly 40 miles south of Dallas, a spokeswoman for the Ellis County Sheriff's Office said. Both teens were students at the school.

The unidentified shooter left campus shortly after shooting the victim and was arrested without incident. The victim was airlifted to Parkland Memorial Hospital in Dallas, and her condition isn't yet known. An investigation is ongoing.

"This is no longer an active shooter situation," the sheriff's office spokeswoman told The Huffington Post. "The suspect is in custody and no longer a threat."

Students were moved "under guard" to the school's gymnasium, also known as "the dome," she confirmed. Nearby Stafford Elementary School was also on lockdown as staff prepared to release students once police gave the all-clear, WFAA reported.

Sgt. Joe Fitzgerald of the Ellis County Sheriff's Office told the Associated Press that he did not know how many students were in the cafeteria at Italy High School when the shooting happened at about 7:50 a.m.

At a news conference, authorities did not provide details about the female and male students' relationship. Fox News reports that the school has about 600 students.

Lee Joffre, superintendent of the Italy Independent School District, would not say whether the suspect had any previous disciplinary issues at the school. He said when the district officials became aware there was an active shooter, the district "immediately took action to get our students in a safe position."

Joffre said the district is now working to reunite parents with their children. He said it was also working to make sure grief counseling was available for students.

"This is a trying time for our community and our school," Joffre said.

Italy has a population of about 2,000 people and calls itself "the biggest little town in Texas." It's located just off Interstate 35 between Dallas and Waco. There is only one high school in the town.

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