Las Vegas police say shooting involving juveniles injured multiple people
A shooting near Chaparral High School on Monday wounded three people, including two students, police said.
The shooting occurred at 11:43 a.m. in a residential area next to the southeast Las Vegas high school, 3850 Annie Oakley Drive.
The gunfire made for a frightening afternoon for students, parents and teachers as the Metropolitan Police Department taped off some of the school campus that was locked down for hours while detectives scoured the area.
“Students started panicking and the teachers were crowding us inside of the cafeteria, the library, whatever room we were close to,” student Eric Gretsinger said. “Whatever room we were closest to we had to stay inside.”
Police initially said the shooting happened as several teens shot at each other near Annie Oakley and Don Carlos Drive. Capt. Kristine Buist later said during a press briefing that there was a small fire on campus at 11 a.m., prompting a brief evacuation of the school. Once staffers and students went back inside, police received reports of a shooting just off campus.
Police then learned of three gunshot victims dropped off at a local hospital. Buist did not describe the conditions of the victims and she did not name the hospital, saying only that gang detectives were assisting Clark County School District police in the investigation.
“We do not believe the fire incident was related to this,” Buist said. “However it did give the opportunity that they (students) were off campus.”
In a message to parents Monday, Chaparral principal Thomas Smith asked anyone with questions or concerns to contact him.
“We take the personal safety of each and every student very seriously,” he wrote.
Student Joel Garcia, 17, said the school was evacuated mid-morning Monday for a fire drill. A short time later, students told him a shooting had occurred just off campus on the western side of school. He waited outside a police barricade because the school was on lockdown and he couldn’t get back in to get his skateboard.
The shooting frightened parents who were unable to pick up their children due to the lockdown.
“I was working out, and my son texted me and let me know there was a shooting at Chaparral and kids were shot,” Kristen Singleton said.
She rushed to the southwest side of the school, where she was greeted by crime scene tape.
Singleton said she plans to have her son attend another school as soon as possible.
“I don’t think the school is safe,” she said. “My son tells me there are fights every day, about people getting jumped, people bringing guns to school.”
Parent Kevin Long also learned about Monday’s shooting from his son.
“I get a call at work. My kid is freaked out,” Long said. “He’s in the cafeteria. They are on lockdown. I guess kids got shot out in front of the school. Not actually on campus but right off campus.”
Contact Glenn Puit by email at gpuit@reviewjournal.com. Follow @GlennatRJ on Twitter.