SandyMaloneItaly, TX – A 15-year-old girl was shot at Italy High School on Monday morning.
The victim was transported to Parkland Memorial Hospital. Her condition was unknown.
Police arrested a 16-year-old boy for the shooting.
The Ellis County Sheriff’s Office (ECSO) said that an active shooter was reported at the high school just before 8 a.m. on Jan. 22, WFAA reported.
Officials confirmed in a press conference that the suspect was a student, and that he left the school building immediately after shooting the girl in the cafeteria, the Dallas Morning News reported.
Authorities said the 16-year-old male suspect was taken into custody without incident after shooting the 15-year-old girl.
At 9:06 a.m., Italy Independent School District Superintendent Lee Joffre sent out an emergency text to parents of Italy High School students.
“We have had an active shooter incident at the high school campus this morning. The shooter is in custody and law enforcement has control of the scene. There has been one victim that has been transported to the hospital. All junior high and high school students are safe and will be transported by bus to Stafford Elementary for dismissal after police approval,” the message read.
ESCO officials kept parents informed throughout the incident with a series of tweets.
The town of Italy has only 2,000 residents, and the high school hosts 6th grade through 12th grade students. There were 281 student enrolled in 2017, according to statistics in the Texas Tribune.
The Dallas Morning News reported that ECSO will lead the investigation of the shooting, but that the Italy Police Department, the Hill County Sheriff’s Office, the Texas Department of Public Safety, and Texas Rangers were all assisting.