According to authorities, a shooting at an eastern Idaho middle school has injured two students and a custodian, and a male student has been arrested.
Authorities said a male student was arrested after a shooting at an eastern Idaho middle school on Thursday that injured two students and a custodian. According to Jefferson County Sheriff Steve Anderson, the victims’ injuries were not life-threatening.
“We had the worst nightmare a school district could have. “A school shooting occurred here at Rigby Middle School,” said Jefferson School District Superintendent Chad Martin. “As far as we know, the shooter has been apprehended. There is no longer any danger to the students.”
Around 9:15 a.m., police were called to the school. Several law enforcement agencies were on the scene.
Students were evacuated to a nearby high school, and parents waited in line to see their children again.
Sgt. Bryan Lovell of the Bonneville County Sheriff’s Office stated that the investigation is still ongoing and that no additional information is available. He stated that the school was still attempting to account for and release all of the students.
Rigby is a small town located approximately 95 miles (145 kilometers) southwest of Yellowstone National Park. According to the National Center for Education Statistics, Rigby Middle School has approximately 1,500 students in grades sixth through eight.
In a prepared statement, Gov. Brad Little said, “I am praying for the lives and safety of those involved in today’s tragic events.” “We appreciate the efforts of our law enforcement agencies and school leaders in responding to the incident.”
Layne McInelly, president of the Idaho Education Association, stated that the union is prepared to provide whatever assistance school staff, students, and the community require.
“We send our best wishes to the victims of this tragic incident and wish them a full and speedy recovery.” Patience will be required while school officials and law enforcement agencies investigate the situation, according to McInelly in a statement.
Community members gathered bottles of water and packaged snacks to give to students as they waited in the hot sun to be reunited with their families. People who want to help by donating water and snacks should bring them to the Upper Valley Child Advocacy Center rather than the school, according to Rebecca Noah Casper, mayor of nearby Idaho Falls.
“Idahoans want to assist. It is NOT a good idea to show up. “Praying and sending positive thoughts is NEVER inappropriate,” Casper wrote on Twitter.
It appears that this is Idaho’s second school shooting. In 1999, a student at a Notus high school discharged a shotgun several times. The gunfire did not hit anyone, but one student was injured by ricocheting debris from the first shell.
According to a Deseret News report from 1989, a student at Rigby Junior High pulled a gun, threatened a teacher and students, and kidnapped a 14-year-old girl. About an hour later, the police safely rescued the hostage from a nearby church and arrested the teen. In that incident, no one was shot.
