SandyMaloneOcala, FL – A student was shot by another student at a high school in Marion County on Friday morning.
The Ocala Star-Banner reported that a male student shot another male student in the ankle at Forest High School.
The school was put into lockdown, and police have asked people to stay away. Parents were being asked to pick up their children at the First Baptist Church of Ocala, where they were being transported by bus, FOX News reported.
The shooter has been taken into custody by authorities, and the student who was shot was transported to the hospital with non-life threatening injuries, the Ocala Star-Banner reported.
The Ocala Police Department, the Marion County Sheriff’s Office, the Florida Highway Patrol, and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) responded to the high school and divided up into teams to clear the buildings, parking lot, and vehicles on the campus, the Ocala Star-Banner reported.
The Forest High School shooting occurred on the anniversary of the Columbine High School shooting that occurred on April 20, 1999. Many students in schools across the country were planning walkouts to protest gun violence on Friday.
The Marion County school district released a statement that announced that all walkouts were cancelled for the day, WKMG reported.
“(Today), public high school students in Marion County have the opportunity to exchange ideas and opinions when it comes to school safety. These trades of philosophies are structured around citizenship and responsible civic participation,” the statement read.
“Instead of walking out of class, Marion County students will constructively use a 30-minute time period to exchange ideas, discuss differing opinions, and offer hard-thought solutions on how our community should address school tragedies like the Parkland, Florida shooting in February,” it continued.
“Just days after that shooting, Marion County Superintendent Dr. Heidi Maier announced April 20 would offer students a civic opportunity and student-led activities to openly discuss and safely voice their concerns for school safety in today’s world.
“Marion County’s seven traditional public high school principals have worked with student leaders to tailor activities for their respective campuses, realizing what one campus wants is different than what another campus wants. Schools and students will recognize the difference of opinions in their student bodies during events and activities closed to the public. For safety reasons, students will not be permitted to leave campus during these specific times.
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