And So It Begins....

Our children should not have to fear for their lives while trying to gain an education.

Aug 29, 2007 09:02 PM
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Gun Fired Near Elementary School, Students Arrested

Security at an elementary school was increased after a gun was fired near the campus Tuesday afternoon.

Police say seven students between 13 and 16 years old got into a fight near Hewetson Elementary School. One of the students had a gun and fired a shot into the air.

Two students at the center of the fight were arrested. But police say they did not recover a weapon.

While no one was injured after the gun was fired, police could clearly be seen patrolling the Hewetson Elementary campus all day Wednesday.

Last year CCSD police confiscated 54 guns and 200 knives on campuses throughout the school district. But already on the third day of school, campus police were on high alert after the first gun scare of the year on the second day of classes.

School police could be seen on just about every campus the department says had some link to Tuesday's shooting.

At Roy Martin Middle School, Metro patrolled the area while school police walked the campus going from classroom to classroom. Police believe a stabbing last school year near Martin Middle School is what led to the gun being fire Tuesday afternoon.

Lieutenant Ken Young with school district police credits the department's relationship with Metro as way to cut down on campus violence.

"We've strengthened our relationship with all the outside entities. Our detectives work with their detectives and that quickly bringing closure to incidents like yesterdays," Lt. Young said.

Belinda Rosas has children who attend Hewetson Elementary. "I was petrified, scared for my children. When my daughter got home she told us they told the teachers to lock the doors and not to let anybody out," she said.

She lives across the street from the campus and saw the whole thing unfold.

Police are still trying to determine if the students had the gun on campus all day before the shooting, and what campus each student was attending.

Again, two students were arrested. No other arrests have been made at this time.

Police are calling this a gang-related incident.