Police ask why a 15-year-old boy shot dead two classmates and injured 18 more in Kentucky
Investigators in Kentucky on Wednesday were investigting why a 15-year-old boy opened fire in a high school, killing two 15-year-old students and injuring 18 others in the latest in a series of deadly shootings in American schools.
Police have not yet identified the gunman or released any information about what motivated the Tuesday morning attack in Marshall County High School in Benton, Kentucky, about 160 kms (100 miles) northwest of Nashville.
The suspect, who police said was arrested without a struggle, was due to appear in court by Thursday and could be charged as an adult, according to Marshall County Attorney Jeff Edwards.
About the time it registered, this guy was sitting here pulling the trigger into all of us. I can hear the gunshots
He will be charged with two counts of murder and multiple counts of attempted murder, according to the Kentucky State Police, who said they believe he acted alone.
All classes were cancelled in the Marshall County School system on Wednesday as the community struggled to understand the incident.
“A tragedy beyond words occurred in our community today,” school superintendent Trent Lovett said in a statement late on Tuesday. “As parents, our greatest fear is something happening to our children, and today that fear became a reality.”
The suspect on Tuesday entered a common area at the school, pulled out a handgun and began firing at students, state police said in a statement.
