A 14-year-old boy with a handgun held several students and a teacher
hostage in a West Virginia classroom on Tuesday afternoon before he let
them go after negotiations and surrendered, State Police said.
The hostage situation began at about 1.30pm and the
boy let the hostages go an hour later. No injuries were reported and the
boy was put into custody, Daily Mail reports.
State Police Lt Michael Baylous said in a statement that the male student had taken a pistol into a second-floor classroom Philip Barbour High School in Philippi, in the north-central part of the state.
Local
authorities received a call about a report of someone with a gun about
1.30pm, and said the school was placed on a lockdown.
Students
were evacuated when the school was placed on lockdown. Many students
waited in the football field bleachers to be released by police
After
initial negotiations, the suspect agreed to release the students and
teacher, then eventually put the gun down and surrendered without
further incident, Baylous said.
The suspect has been taken to a hospital for evaluation before being taken into custody by police.
Steve
Saltis was among several anxious parents who went to the school and
waited outside an area cordoned off by police tape while waiting for
students to be released.
Saltis said by phone
that his daughter attends the school and that 'a lot' was going through
his mind while he waited for her to head home.
A
school official speaks with parents of children from Philip Barbour High
School after the school was evacuated and placed on lockdown.
A West Virginia State Police Officer speaks with parents of children from Philip Barbour High School on Tuesday.
Saltis
said many students had been sitting in the school's football stadium
after the school was evacuated and that he was able to talk to his
daughter.
But Saltis said law enforcement officials told parents nothing while the suspect was still in the school.
Barbour County Prosecutor Leckta Poling wouldn't specify what charges would be brought against the male student.
She said no charges had been filed as of Tuesday night but that the county is pursuing charges.
Poling said that because the case involves a juvenile, the court process would be closed. Police haven't identified the student.
Classmates of the gunman took to Twitter to speak about their emotions surrounding Tuesday's incident.
Some
students and Twitter users wrote about how thankful they were that the
situation was not worse. Others questioned the boy's actions and the
reasoning behind those defending him on social media.
State
Police Capt Dave Reider says there will be an increased law enforcement
presence at Philip Barbour High School on Wednesday. He said the school
will be open but the start of classes will be delayed by two hours.
A
statement was released by the state police thanking 'thank all involved
law enforcement agencies, fire departments, and first responders',
Daily Mail reports.
The statement continued:
'Additionally, the West Virginia State Police would like to thank all
the parents of the schoolchildren for their patience, understanding, and
cooperation.
'Their ability to keep calm in this
situation made it much easier for officers to successfully perform
their duties, which resulted in positive conclusion to an incident which
easily could have developed into a tragedy.
'Finally,
the West Virginia State Police would like to recognize the involved
school personnel for having a clear, concise plan of evacuation for the
school and executing it with perfection.'
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