Two people are dead and two boys are in critical condition after a shooting early Monday at a middle school in a town in northern Nevada.
According to Fox News, the shooting, which occurred at Sparks Middle School in Sparks, Nev., east of Reno, left one staff member dead. The gunman, identified by one 13-year-old as a fellow student, died as well, of a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
Angela Rambo, a spokeswoman for the Renown Regional Medical Center, said both people injured in the shooting were males.
Sparks police say that reports of the shooting began to come in at 7:16 a.m. The shooting took place on the school’s campus, but outside the school building itself. The area has since been locked down.
Reno deputy chief Tom Robinson is quoted as telling the Reno Gazette-Journal that the schools and city are safe. Nevada Gov. Brian Sandoval said in a statement that he was “deeply saddened to learn of the horrific shooting,” adding:
My administration is receiving regular updates and the Nevada Highway Patrol is assisting at the scene.
Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, who represents Nevada, also released a statement reading in part:
No words of condolence could possibly ease the pain, but I hope it is some small comfort that Nevada mourns with them. I stand by to be of any assistance if there is anything that can be done.
The school has an enrollment of about 700 students.
