The injured student, a 15-year-old boy, was driven to a hospital by a parent who was dropping her daughter off at school shortly after the 7 a.m. shooting at the campus in the 39000 block of 25th Street West.
The victim suffered a gunshot wound to his shoulder area and was hospitalized in stable condition, Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Jim McDonnell said at an afternoon news briefing.
The 14-year-old male suspect was taken into custody at a Vons grocery store about a mile from the campus. There were no reports of any other injuries.
A Highland High School student told KNX Newsradio that he saw the teen suspect emerge from a bathroom with a rifle-type weapon, which he randomly pointed at people. The student said the suspect looked at him and told him to run, which he did, shouting at other students to do the same.
A parent told KNX that his wife was dropping their daughter off at the school when the wounded student ran up to her car, shouting “He shot me! He shot me! I don’t know why he shot me!” The woman told the boy to get into her car and she drove him to a nearby hospital, the parent said, adding that his wife was interviewed by sheriff’s deputies and was told the “little boy is going to be fine,” but he “didn’t know who shot him.”
The shooting was initially reported as an active shooter, prompting a massive response from law enforcement, including the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. About 30 minutes after the high school shooting was reported, the sheriff’s department also responded to a call of gunshots being heard at the nearby campus of Manzanita Elementary School in the 38600 block of 33rd Street East, but those reports turned out to be unfounded.
Sheriff’s Capt. Darren Harris said earlier that deputies believe the suspect was acting alone.
There was no immediate word on a motive for the shooting. The suspect fired about 10 rounds and told his father that he had fired into the air, McDonnell said.
All schools in the area were placed on lockdown while law enforcement swarmed the high school campus, and nervous parents began gathering nearby, anxiously hoping to retrieve their children.
The lockdown at Highland High School was lifted around 10:20 a.m., and students were being released to parents on Avenue P-12 south of the campus.
McDonnell said the sheriff’s Palmdale Station fielded nearly 100 calls in the minutes after the shooting.
A warrant was served at the boy’s home about 11 a.m., McDonnell said. That investigation is continuing.
The high school and others in the Antelope Valley Union High School District will be open on Monday with counselors on hand, an assistant superintendent said.
The suspect used to attend Highland High School but his family transferred him to another school, officials said.
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Editor’s note: Story updated to include additional details.
Big says
So what, [removed] happens
rons racist says
probably one of your own
Loser says
Oye Cerote aprende a limpiarte el culo.
Hows Spanish coming along?
Roberto says
I was told this was a ongoing bullying situation. And the bully got shot.
God made men, Sam Colt made them equal, and John Browning made them civilized.
ENOUGH IS ENOUGH! says
after reading this article and the one in the LA Times, it is OBVIOUS this kid’s mom called her LAPD “friend” and told him the boy was on the loose with a weapon. his dad later called the same cop and told him his son had shot in the air, but not hit anyone.
BUT DID NOT CALL 9-11!!!!
both of these people need to be in jail along side their son. and both should face the same charges as their son, but add AIDING AND ABETTING A SHOOTING to the charges, and whatever else the DA can pin on them to set an example to all parents that if their kids use their guns to commit a crime, they are EQUALLY culpable for the crimes…
TBundy says
Not sure how you wrote the mom into this story but you might be correct.
Someone should be arrested for allowing the kid access to weapon.
I feel there are a lot of adults culpable in this event.
Highland High sucks!
Tom says
I call B.S. about Michelle’s story. With all the shootings going on no school or police department is not going to investigate a possible student with a firearm especially on a special needs bus. Lying won’t help solve the current issue. Really bad story Michelle we all see your trying to jump on the band wagon.
A A P says
Thank goodness no one was killed. It appears from this story that it was handled well. Over at the Antelope Valkey Voice they’re bringing race and other idiotic comments. I’m glad we have normal news like the AV Times to give us the truth and not a pile of garbage like the Voice.
Tm says
What is more of a shame is that it shows how weak a person is to automatically think shooting someone is going to solve the issue .
Mark Westrom says
Evidently you’ve never been told how two people can keep a secret.
One of them needs to be dead
Tm says
Yeah so are we going to have ignorant people start claiming that this is a government operation or what … or are they actually going to realize this is reality…
Not surprised this actually happened in the AV, was waiting to hear this for awhile now, this is how people solve their personal issues.. it it worth it to spend the rest of your life behind bars because they don’t know how to handle personal issues . And I am sure it was over something ridiculous.
Why says
Why is all school Sheriffs resource officers at Palmdale high schools report to Lancaster sheriffs station and not Palmdale’s station? I heard that sheriffs officer assigned to Highland was in Lancaster when this shooting happened.
UT says
AV Union HSD (which all the high schools out in PLM/LAN are part of) main office is in Lancaster (a block from that station I believe), the contract is probably with or out of Lancaster station, and therefore, that’s why.
Craig says
… scant room for argument, they’re emerging from their K-12 just as drop dead stupid as they’re going in. How on Earth does a WW II Soviet Union rifle wind up in the hands of a dimwitted juvenile delinquent in Palmdale?
Roberto says
That rifle is heavy as hell too. 7.62 round, semi auto.. sure glad it wasn’t an AR-15 haha freakin’ idiots
h says
There should be a law against 14 year old males having guns!This is an outrage!!!! I can’t believe this!
Tom says
Many boys have firearms as did my son’s at the young age of ten years old. It is the parents job to keep firearms locked in a safe place as well as teach how to respect and use a firearm. A person’s mentality is more the issue rather than age.
h says
I was being facetious Tom.
Tt says
In reality stupid parents need to actually lock up their guns then kids wouldn’t have them have as many guns as you want legally but if you have kids use locks morons.
Michelle says
On January 21st my son was apprehended by a boy on the Special Needs Bus pulled out a gun and the clip fell out my other son which was on the bus also tried to tell the bus driver she told him to sit down and be quiet so for 2 days I didn’t even know this had happened and the principal calls me to tell me and she didn’t even bother to call the police and report it can you believe as mandated reporter she failed to report this and this happened at Quartz Hill Elementary and she is still working there then the sheriff station had the audacity to put that it was a plastic gun they all cover up for each other what a shame what world are we living in.