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Student injured in shooting at Kearns High School after Homecoming activities

Posted at 9:26 PM, Sep 08, 2016
and last updated 2016-09-09 12:03:32-04

KEARNS, Utah -- A 9th grade student was shot at Kearns High School Thursday night as activities for homecoming were wrapping up, and police later said the weapon is believed to have been a BB or pellet gun.

Ken Hansen of the Unified Police Department said the shooting occurred inside or near the school's gym, and the suspect is not in custody. Fox 13 News first heard report of the incident around 9:20 p.m.

Police initially described the incident as a shooting, but later said the victim was struck by a pellet or BB gun. A gray or silver sedan pulled into the parking lot of Kearns High School and a passenger in the backseat shot a 14-year-old male student in the forehead.

The teenager was taken to a hospital Thursday night via ambulance, and he was in fair condition as of Friday morning and is expected to recover.

Hansen said that even though it was not an actual firearm, the suspect could face aggravated assault and attempted homicide charges.

Ben Horsley, a spokesman for Granite School District, said the shooting occurred as school employees were locking up following homecoming activities. Horsley said those employees heard squealing tires and a gunshot, then found the injured student outside.

No suspect description has been provided so far. Police do not know if the incident was a random prank or an attack, but detectives are interviewing witnesses and reviewing possible surveillance footage.