BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (AP) – Birmingham closed one of its largest schools for a thorough safety sweep Thursday after metal detectors and other security measures failed to keep students from handling a gun in a classroom where one 17-year-old was fatally shot and another wounded in an apparent accident.
Birmingham Interim Police Chief Orlando Wilson said investigators are reviewing surveillance video for clues and interviewing students and staff to figure out exactly what led to Wednesday afternoon’s shooting at dismissal time at Huffman High School.
“We consider it accidental until the investigation takes us elsewhere,” Wilson said. “We have a lot of unanswered questions. There are so many unknowns at this time.”
The gun was recovered, but Wilson declined to say who fired it. No arrests were immediately reported.
“We’re hoping if we have footage, that it will reveal it,” he said. “If we have witnesses, we’re hoping they will tell it.”