2 Students Injured In Shooting At High School In Newport News

NEWPORT NEWS, VA — Newport News police responded to a shooting late Monday morning at Heritage High School that injured at least two students. A teenage boy is in police custody in connection with the shootings, police said.

Students were evacuated and sent to the school’s tennis courts after the shooting, which occurred shortly after 11:35 a.m., the city police department said. Parents were instructed to meet their children there.

At a 1:30 p.m. press briefing, Newport News Police Chief Steve Drew said the two victims’ injuries were not believed to be life-threatening. Both victims were 17 years old. A boy was shot in the side of the face, and a girl was shot in the lower leg.

The victims were taken to the Riverside Regional Medical Center in Newport News.

According to information, the victims and the suspect knew each other, the chief said. It does not appear that the shooter wanted to shoot other people inside the school.

According to information, there may have been an altercation at the school that led to the shooting, Drew said.

At least two other students inside the school also needed medical attention in response to the chaos that ensued after the shooting. One student fell and either sprained or broke their arm, Drew said at a follow-up press briefing Monday afternoon. The other student was suffering from breathing problems.

Drew said the Newport News Police Department and the FBI “are searching every inch of the school” as part of the investigation into the shooting.

Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam said in a tweet early Monday afternoon that he and his team "are in close contact with first responders at Heritage High School in Newport News."

In a tweet, U.S. Sen. Mark Warner (D-VA) said he was "closely monitoring the horrifying reports of a shooting at Heritage High School in Newport News."

The Newport News Police Department said any reports of active shooters at other schools in the city are false.