A student shot himself in the leg in the gym of a Philadelphia school Friday, police said.
The shooting happened at the Philadelphia Learning Academy on the 4300 block of Westminster Avenue in West Philadelphia. Responding police officers found the 18-year-old student, who was taken to an area hospital and listed in stable condition, Philadelphia Police Department Sgt. Eric Gripp said.
There were some 30-40 other students around the peer who wounded himself when the shooting happened, and there was a total of about 170 students and faculty in the school at the time, Gripp said. The school serves students between 7th and 12th grades, he noted.
The campus was placed on lockdown, with students being put through the school's metal detector to ensure their safety, Gripp added.
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It was unclear how the student who shot himself made it past the metal detector with the gun, Gripp said, adding that he may face criminal charges.
The gun was not immediately recovered. NBC10 helicopter video showed a large police presence around the school, with SWAT officers in tactical vests and helmets going in and out and also checking the perimeter.
Parents were being asked to not show up to the school, but those who headed there were asked to rendezvous at 4200 Westminster Ave.
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On Monday, a shooting outside another Philadelphia school left a 65-year-old man dead and a 16-year-old student critically wounded.
“Kids should be safe. They should be there to learn and they should not have to go through life like this, so we’re going to do everything we can to keep them safe," Gripp said.
At least 175 minors have been shot in Philadelphia this year, according to the city controller’s office.
This is a developing story and will be updated.
