North Carolina high school student dies after being shot by classmate, police say

A North Carolina high school student died after he was shot and killed by a fellow classmate, police said.
(FOX46 Charlotte)

A North Carolina high school student was shot and killed after a fellow classmate opened fire Monday, police said.

Officers responded to a report of a shooting at Butler High School, about 12 miles southeast of Charlotte, at about 7 a.m. The school was placed on lockdown as emergency crews took the student, who was not identified, to a hospital where he later died from his injuries, Matthews Police Department Patrol Commander Mason Tyrell said in a Monday news conference.

“It’s been an extremely tragic event here for us in Matthews for the Butler High School community,” Tyrell said.

Officers took the suspected shooter — only identified as a student at the high school — into custody and recovered the weapon used in the incident, officials said.

“This is believed to be an isolated incident and the scene has now been secured by police,” Matthews police said in a statement on Facebook.

Tyrell said school surveillance video captured the shooting that appeared to have stemmed from a fight between the students. It’s unclear how the student obtained a gun.

A student at Butler High School told FOX46 a physical fight broke out between the classmates prior to the shooting.

“I was in the cafeteria, the hallway next to the cafeteria…and I just heard a shot. Well I heard a loud noise. I thought it was someone banging against the lockers. I thought it was a prank at first, and I saw people running,” a student told FOX46.“…As soon as I get to my hallway, teachers are yelling, ‘There’s a lockdown, there’s a lockdown! There’s a shooter!”

A crowd of frustrated parents also gathered on the school’s campus and demanded answers and to let their children out. The students were able to leave the campus once the lockdown was lifted.

A student opened fire at Butler High School on Monday, striking a fellow classmate, police said.
(Google Maps)

“We are incredibly saddened by the fact that we had a loss of life on one of our campuses,” said Clayton Wilcox, superintendent of Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools. “What makes it doubly worse is it was one of our students who was the shooter.”

Wilcox said there were many students in the school’s hallways when the deadly shooting happened. He said officials will be reviewing security plans to increase safety.

“We worked really hard on school security the last six or seven months,” Wilcox said. “We will review procedures and security plans and perhaps will do things that are a little more aggressive.”

State Superintendent Mark Johnson said in a statement that he was “heartbroken” by the shooting.

“I am heartbroken to hear that we have lost a student to school violence in one of our schools. We have contacted Charlotte-Mecklenburg authorities and will assist in any way we can, but of course our first thoughts are for the parents and other loved ones of the student who passed away. The safety of our students is paramount. This is a sad day for all of North Carolina, and we must work together as a community to address these problems,” Johnson said.

Fox News’ Travis Fedschun contributed to this report.