A sixth-grade girl shot two other students and an adult employee at a middle school in Rigby, Idaho, Thursday morning, officials said.
Just after 9 a.m., the girl pulled a handgun out of her backpack and fired multiple rounds in a hallway and outside the Rigby Middle School building, Jefferson County Sheriff Steve Anderson said. A teacher disarmed the student and detained her until law enforcement arrived and took her into custody.
The victims were transported to Eastern Idaho Regional Medical Center in stable condition, a spokesperson for the Idaho Falls Fire Department told BuzzFeed News. All three suffered non-life-threatening injuries and were expected to recover, the hospital’s trauma medical director, Michael Lemon, told reporters.
Lemon said the adult patient had been treated and released and expected the two pediatric patients could be discharged as early as Friday. He said it was “an absolute blessing” that their injuries weren’t worse.
“This is the worst nightmare a school district could ever face,” Jefferson County School District Superintendent Chad Martin said at a news conference. “We prepare for it, but we're never truly ready for it. Our hearts and our prayers go out to the victims and their families and all those involved.”
Martin said classes would be canceled across the district on Friday so families could be together.
An investigation into the incident is underway. Upon its completion, Jefferson County Prosecutor Mark Taylor said his office "will be filing appropriate charges, possibly including three counts of attempted murder."
Idaho Gov. Brad Little said in a tweet that he was “praying for the lives and safety of those involved in today's tragic events.”
“Thank you to our law enforcement agencies and school leaders for their efforts in responding to the incident,” said Little, an NRA-backed Republican who has worked to loosen gun laws.
Anderson said he couldn’t answer questions about whether the victims were targeted or if there were any warnings that the suspect might pose a danger. It was not yet clear where the student, who was not identified, obtained the firearm or what the motive for the shooting was, he added.
The shooting was captured on the school's security system.
Several other agencies were assisting in the investigation, including Idaho State Police and the FBI.