Tuesday afternoon a 15 year-old boy shot 14 people at Marshall County High School in Kentucky leaving two dead; a 15 year-old boy and girl. Five others suffered from non-related gun shot injuries, according to the governor. Officials from Marshall County Emergency Management said that the suspect responsible for the shooting in Benton, Kentucky has been apprehended.
During a press conference, Kentucky State Police Commissioner Richard Sanders stated that Tuesday afternoon the suspect entered the school at 7:57 a.m. and soon opened fire with a hand-gun. The first 911 call came in two minutes later, and police were on the scene by 8:06 a.m. About 100 children fled Marshall County High School seeking safety stated Mitchell Garland, business owner near the school. “They was running and crying and screaming. They was just kids running down the highway. They were trying to get out of there.”
Marshall County High School is no more than 30 minutes away from Heath High School in Paducah, Kentucky, where the 1997 mass shooting occurred killing three and injuring five. Following that was the fatal attack at Columbine High School in Colorado, which led to an era where mass school shootings became much more common.
“Everyone is just scared. Just terrified for their kids. We’re a small town and we know a lot of the kids,” Garland said.
According to Richard Sanders, officials expect to charge the suspect with counts of murder and attempted murder. He also added that investigators are looking into background and home life. The identities of the suspect and victims have not been released. This story is still developing, stay tuned.
