A 12-year-old girl accused of bringing a gun to Salvador Castro Middle School, where it discharged and wounded two students, was charged Friday in juvenile court with felony counts of being a minor in possession of a firearm and having a weapon on school grounds.
The girl, who is not being identified by authorities because of her age, is scheduled to be arraigned Monday, according to the District Attorney’s Office, which noted it would not release any further information on the case because of the defendant’s age.
Police announced earlier Friday that investigators have determined the semiautomatic handgun discharged while it was inside a backpack Thursday morning, and the shooting appeared to be accidental.
The two 15-year-old students who suffered gunshot wounds are expected to fully recover.
Some of the girl’s friends told reporters that she claims the gun “went off” when she dropped her backpack.
The LAPD issued a statement saying the shooting appeared to be “an isolated incident, involving the negligent discharge of a firearm, where innocent children and a staff member were unfortunately injured.”
The shooting occurred around 9 a.m. Thursday in a classroom at the school in the 1500 block of West Second Street in the Westlake district, police said.
A 15-year-old boy was shot in the head and a 15-year-old girl was struck in the right wrist. Speaking Friday morning on KNX Newsradio, Mayor Eric Garcetti said a single bullet apparently went through the girl’s wrist and struck the boy near one of his temples before lodging in his neck.
Dr. Aaron Strumwasser, who treated both teens at Los Angeles County+USC Medical Center, said the boy was “extremely lucky” to survive.
“The trajectory of the bullet did not hit any vital structures that were an immediate threat to life,” Strumwasser said. “So I think he will do fine.”
Strumwasser said both teens are expected to make full recoveries.
Three other people suffered minor abrasions, although they were not hit by gunfire — an 11-year-old boy, a 12-year-old girl and a 30-year-old woman.
Once the school was searched and the 12-year-old suspect was detained, classes resumed at both Castro Middle School and Belmont High School. The two schools share the campus. Many students were released early to their anxious parents at 1:30 p.m., but all students were released at the end of the school day after 3 p.m.
Classes resumed as usual Friday, but counselors were on hand.
“We will have counselors on site for students and staff (Friday) at Sal Castro,” Los Angeles Unified School District spokeswoman Shannon Haber said. “If any of the schools in the area need counseling support we will get support right away for students or employees.”
It was still unclear how the girl obtained the weapon and how she got it onto the campus undetected. Los Angeles School Police Department Chief Steve Zipperman on Thursday declined to discuss the type of security measures in place at Castro Middle School. The district requires daily random searches of students at its middle and high schools.
Zipperman and Los Angeles City Attorney Mike Feuer also lashed out at parents who fail to properly secure weapons in their homes, saying gun owners can be prosecuted if children get their hands on them.
An investigation was continuing into how the girl got the gun that she brought to Salvador Castro Middle School. Garcetti said on KNX-AM (1070) that the girl’s parents are believed to be separated, and her father has allegedly denied that he owns the weapon.
Garcetti said a “strong message has to be sent out to other students” about the danger of guns and bringing them to campus, but he also said the girl in custody should be provided with counseling and emotional support.
“We have to be sure to take care of this girl,” he said.
Zipperman said Thursday authorities’ initial focus will be caring for students who may have witnessed the shooting.
“We know this is a very traumatic incident for all the children involved, particularly inside that classroom,” he said. “As we continue to move forward with this, I want everyone to have a clear understanding that we will attend to the needs of these students who witnessed this very carefully, with the understanding this is very traumatic.
“We have our school mental health folks who are here to support the needs of the students and we will continue to work with those students,” he said.
Speaking at Van Nuys City Hall, City Councilman Mitch O’Farrell, who represents the neighborhood where the school is located, told his colleagues new gun safety legislation may be needed.
“One thing is for sure, after a complete forensic investigation on where this gun came from, how this 12-year-old girl brought this gun to school and what it was doing in her backpack, after we can trace how that gun got to that school and which adult or adults are responsible that let this to happen, then we will have something to work with in terms of taking a look at additional legislation,” O’Farrell said.
–City News Service