A 13-year-old Albuquerque middle schooler has fatally shot a classmate during their lunch break on Friday.
Officers responded to the Washington Middle School at around 12:45 p.m. when reports of the fatal shooting first emerged.
The shooter was immediately apprehended by a school official who was later praised for his quick response.
“It’s just a terrible day for APS, terrible day for this community,” Superintendent Scott Elder said.
“I want to send out my thoughts and prayers. I want to also say thank you to the staff at Washington Middle School who showed tremendous strength and courage. Especially, our school resource officer who ran toward the situation and tried to de-escalate the situation.”
A witness told reporters that the shooter produced the weapon after a fight with the victim.
“He brought out the gun, cocked it, and all you hear is boom, boom, boom. Everybody just starts running.”
