Sandy MaloneOlathe, KS – The principal of Olathe East High School and a school resource officer were shot by a student on Friday morning and then the officer shot the armed student.
Authorities received the first 911 call about the incident at Olathe East High School, located at 127th Street and Black Bob Road, at about 10:41 a.m. on March 4, KCTV reported.
The Olathe Police Department said an 18-year-old student opened fire in the principal’s office.
Olathe Police Sergeant Joel Yeldell said the school resource officer returned fire and then disarmed the suspect, WDAF reported.
The school resource officer was also wounded by gunfire.
Olathe police have credited the brave school resource officer with stopping the gunman before the more people were shot, WDAF reported.
A recording of the officer’s radio call for assistance after he was wounded was posted to social media and pinpointed the location of the active shooter for responding officers.
LISTEN: An officer's call for help
This is a recording of the Olathe officer radioing for help from Olathe East after he had been shot. pic.twitter.com/W0TsgD6hcR
— KSHB 41 News (@KSHB41) March 4, 2022
The officer applied a tourniquet to his own wound while he waited for backup and EMS to respond, WDAF reported.
Cell phone videos posted to social media from inside the school showed officers responding to the scene.
Olathe East High School shooting footage 😳
#Shooting #olatheeasthighschool #olathe #praying pic.twitter.com/bWm9CSPd16— 😇 (@_CocoaGoddess1) March 4, 2022
Overland Park Medical Center confirmed that all three gunshot victims were transported to its trauma center, WDAF reported.
“I did hear just shortly before we started that our officer is fine. He’s talking to people at the hospital,” Sgt. Yeldell said at a press briefing on Friday afternoon. “Our administrator is also in stable condition and, I believe, expected to survive, as well as the suspect that’s in custody.”
Hospital officials said one of the patients remained in critical condition.
The sergeant said the only student who was injured during the incident was the gunman who shot the principal and school resource officer, WDAF reported.
Officials have not identified the school resource officer or the student, but police confirmed the wounded administrator was the high school’s principal.
Students said the police response to the active shooter incident was swift and enormous, WDAF reported.
“I heard one shot. Most of our doors and windows are soundproof for the most part,” freshman Aiden Stuart said. “Within the first 10 minutes we were told to lockdown, many cop cars rode into the school. There were probably 50 cars there, so all of us knew something was happening,”
Stuart said it was the first time he and his classmates had actually needed the active shooter training they’d drilled for, WDAF reported.
“Obviously everyone’s like hey, this is actually happening where it doesn’t happen to a lot of schools around. and when it does it’s a big deal, so most of us were a little surprised, a little scared,” the freshman said.
Video: Mom tries to calm daughter over the phone who was still inside Olathe East High School after this morning's shooting. pic.twitter.com/XGcbu1U8xH
— The Kansas City Star (@KCStar) March 4, 2022
At #californiatrailmiddleschool waiting for the busses to arrive with the kids from #olatheeasthighschool #olatheeast pic.twitter.com/rGZp35kqs5
— Lucy Ramirez (@MexiCANtoo) March 4, 2022
The high school lifted its lockdown late on Friday afternoon and began releasing students to their worried parents.
Holly Matkin
