RENO, Nev. (CNN) — The Nevada middle school student responsible for killing a teacher used a handgun taken from his parents, according to a federal law enforcement source who has been briefed on the situation. The student then used the handgun to shoot and kill himself.
Two other students were injured when one of their classmates opened fire at a Nevada middle school on Monday, police said.
The suspect’s motive was unclear.
“As you can imagine, the best description is chaos,” said Tom Robinson, deputy chief of the Reno Police Department. “It’s too early to say whether he was targeting specific people or just going on an indiscriminate shooting spree.”
A 13-year-old student told the Reno Gazette-Journal that he saw a student fire a shot at a teacher.
“The student was pointing a gun at the teacher after the teacher told him to put it down, and the student fired a shot at the teacher, and the teacher fell, and everybody ran away,” the student said.
One of the injured students underwent surgery, Mieras said, and the other is “doing well.”
Authorities released few details about the incident, but city officials said in a statement that the suspect was “neutralized.”
“Law enforcement assures that the school and community are secured at this time,” the statement said.
City officials said authorities received emergency calls from students and staff at the school about 7:15 a.m. about an active shooter on campus.
Authorities said students were being taken to a nearby high school to meet their parents. School was canceled for the day at Sparks Middle School and nearby Agnes Risley Elementary, officials said.
“I was deeply saddened to learn of the horrific shooting at Sparks Middle School this morning,” Nevada Gov. Brian Sandoval said in a statement. “My administration is receiving regular updates and the Nevada Highway Patrol is assisting at the scene. Kathleen and I extend our thoughts and prayers to the victims and those affected by these tragic events.”
From Amanda Watts and Chuck Johnston, CNN
