A 14-year-old boy pulled out a gun in a school cafeteria Monday and opened fire, hitting two students, and then ran from the school, threw the weapon down and was apprehended nearby with the help of a police dog, authorities said.
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A suspect is in custody and the three victims were taken to area medical centers following the incident at Madison Junior/Senior High School in Madison Twp., according to WCPO and the Journal-News in Butler County.
School officials announced Madison Jr/Sr High School would dismiss early once they received clearance to lift the lock down from the Butler County Sheriff’s Office.
One person was taken into custody, Madison Local Schools posted on Facebook shortly after the shooting.
The school said administrators have notified the parents of injured students and are asking others to avoid school grounds.
According to WLWT, the shooting broke out around 11:20 a.m. CT at Madison Junior/Senior High School, which serves 1,600 students in grades 7 through 12.
The school district says on its website that the injuries are not life-threatening and that all other students are safe.
Police say they are interviewing witnesses as they piece together the investigation. The school reported on its Facebook page that, of three confirmed injured students, none had life-threatening injuries. Butler County Sheriff Deputies stand on the scene at Madison Local Schools, Monday, Feb. 29, 2016, in Madison Township in Butler County, Ohio, after a school shooting.
Madison Local Schools say both students riding buses and students who drove will be dismissed.
A recording indicates a 911 caller reporting a shooting at a southwest OH school immediately identified the suspect by name.
Middletown Division Police Chief Rodney Muterspaw said in a statement that the lockdown was a precautionary measure.
The campus is near Middletown, roughly 30 miles north of Cincinnati.
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Authorities do not know where the suspect got the gun but Jones said the teen did have the gun with him during the first part of the school day. Roads are blocked near the school.
