A 15-year-old Virginia boy has died after being shot at a bus stop while waiting for his school bus.
The teenager, whose name has not been released, was shot in Newport shortly before 6:20 a.m. Tuesday morning.
Police rushed to the scene after ShotSpotter technology alerted them to gunfire in the area, where they found the teen suffering from a life-threatening gunshot wound.
The victim was hospitalised but tragically died from his injuries hours later, as police launched an investigation that has so far found no suspects.
A 15-year-old Virginia boy has died after being shot at a bus stop while waiting for his school bus in the city of Newport on Tuesday morning.
The shooting occurred around 6:20 a.m., and a witness said a lone gunman shot another student before fleeing the scene.
Authorities have not offered a motive for the early morning shooting, but Newport Police Chief Steve Drew said early indications are that the shooting was likely targeted.
“I don’t think it was a random act,” he said. “It was some kind of situation between an individual and maybe another person. We just have to look at it.”
The teenager was shot and killed in front of several other students at his school, Menchville High, and a witness said the shooting happened before the sun had risen.
The 15-year-old witness, who did not give her name, told The Virginian Pilot that moments before the shooting she “saw a guy walk past me” wearing a gray hoodie and a blue medical mask covering his face.
She said she initially “didn’t think anything of it” but thought “it was kind of weird.”
She then saw the man walk around a small apartment building and back into the middle of the street, and that’s when she saw him pull out a gun.
Police have not made any arrests or identified a motive in the attack, but admitted that early indications show the shooting was likely targeted.
The teenager was shot and killed in front of several other students at his school.
At the same time, the victim had just arrived at the bus stop and the man proceeded to shoot him with a pistol several times.
“I saw him pull out the gun, I saw the flash and I ran,” the witness said.
The gunman fled the scene and police had made no arrests as of Wednesday afternoon. It is unclear where the victim was shot.
The father of the girl who witnessed the shooting told the Virginian Pilot that the shooting shook the city of Newport, adding: “Thank God my daughter wasn’t hit, because I was shooting in her direction.”
The girl’s father said the school bus arrived “almost immediately” after the victim was shot and killed, and remained at the scene as first responders rushed to help the boy.
Menchville High School Principal Jason Hollar informed parents and staff of the boy’s death in a tragic statement.
“Tragic events like this can be difficult to process,” he said.
“We recognize that some students and staff will need additional support and encouragement. Members of the school division’s support and response team are available at the school today to meet and speak with students and staff.”
Drew added that there would be an officer stationed at the bus stop for the rest of the week, but he did not cancel classes.
The father of one witness admitted his relief after the shooting, saying: “Thank God my son was not hit, because I was shooting in his direction.”
The shooting has shocked the city of Newport, Virginia.
Newport Mayor Phillip Jones said in a statement that the shooting was a “senseless tragedy” and praised the swift response by authorities.
‘A child’s life has been cut short and my heart aches for his family and loved ones during this unimaginable time.
“Words cannot fully express the pain we feel,” their statement read.