A “depressed” 15-year-old freshman shot himself in the head Tuesday during English class at a Florida high school, authorities said.
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With so many students witnessing the shooting at Lecanto High School, there will be a few tough times ahead for everyone.
Despite his head wound, the sheriff said, the student remained conscious and was able to confirm that he had no intention of targeting others.
Fortunately, the boy survived and is in a hospital in the Tampa area.
The incident happened around 10:30 at Lecanto High School.
The Citrus County Sheriff’s Office said no other injuries were reported. Deputies, including the four resources officers assigned to the multi-school campus, immediately reacted in case the act was part of a wider plot.
The sheriff himself avoided using the word “suicide” during his update on the shooting but said his detectives were still working to identify a possible motive, looking through the student’s phone and interviewing classmates.
The students in the ninth-grader’s classroom received counseling later in the day. Dawsy says that the troubled teen is alert and responsive but still in critical condition.
“That they be ready to have these conversations with their children about staying safe at school and also about children dealing with depression, dealing with bullying and what suicide is”, said Arnold.
It was the first shooting in a Citrus County school since Dawsy has been sheriff.
The school was placed on a full lockdown while police investigated. The lockdown was lifted early Tuesday afternoon.
The sheriff credits the quick response of all involved and training that deputies participated in.
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“Our first goal was to eliminate the threat and make sure the campus is secure, and that’s exactly what we did”, Sheriff Dawsy said.
