17 people were injured and 2 killed this morning in a Kentucky high school shooting
Since the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting in 2012, the United States has experienced many more mass shootings in its wake. And now the first fatal shooting of 2018 has occurred. This morning, January 23rd, a mass shooting was reported at Marshall County High School in southwestern Kentucky.
Governor Matt Bevin said in a press conference that a 15-year-old male student was responsible for shooting 14 people, two of whom were killed. Five other people sustained injuries unrelated to gunshot wounds. State troopers believe that all victims were students. The motive for the shooting remains unknown, along with the identity of the student responsible.
The boy and girl who were killed were both 15-year-old students. Kentucky State Police Commissioner Richard W. Sanders said the girl died immediately, while the boy died after reaching the hospital to be treated for his injuries. Five other victims were transported to Vanderbilt University Medical Center, 120 miles away in Nashville. Bevin confirmed that the shooter had been taken into police custody.
Armed with a handgun, the shooter entered the school shortly before 8 a.m. local time and opened fire, Sanders said. He will be charged with murder and attempted murder.
"This is a tremendous tragedy and speaks to the heartbreak present in our communities," Bevin wrote in a statement. "It is unbelievable that this would happen in a small, close-knit community like Marshall County."
A statement from Gov. Bevin regarding this morning's events in Marshall County: pic.twitter.com/0n0cxgJkvi
— Governor Matt Bevin (2015-2019) (@GovMattBevin) January 23, 2018
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell addressed the shooting on the Senate floor.
"I know I speak for communities across my home state in sending prayers of comfort and healing to students, faculty, and everyone affected by this violence," McConnell said. "Our hearts are with the entire community of Marshall County, and our gratitude is with the first responders who rushed into harm's way."
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r9-hq0i32e8?feature=oembed
If you wish to help after this mass shooting, you can donate blood or contribute money to any relief funds that are created. Our hearts go out to Marshall County, Kentucky, and to all those affected by the shooting.