3 Teens In Custody From Shooting Near Normandy H.S.

A shooting just off the campus of Normandy High School as the school day ended Wednesday injured a 17 year old student. Wellston Police had three persons of interest in custody Wednesday night, but the shooter remained on the loose. "Something is going to happen, there will be retaliation," said a worried Carmen Ward. Her friend's 19 year old son was in the fight that started it all.

"He did nothing today, but come to get an education," she said. "He had no idea that gun fire was gonna ensue behind that…he had no idea he was gonna have to run home, no idea his friend was gonna get shot, he did not know any of this."

The boy was fighting with a girl, says Ward, at the corner of Lucas and Hunt and Martin Luther King. Police say more than a dozen people gathered around the fight, including the shooting victim. The gunman fired toward the group, hitting the 17 year old sophomore in the leg. He stumbled back to the high school campus for help.


Police took two people into custody immediately, and a third was taken in a short while later. One of them is a student at Normandy High School, says Wellston Police Chief G. Thomas Walker, which contradicts an earlier statement from the district. However, none of them are believed to be the shooter, says Walker. And while Walker says he does not think the shooter is a student, more than one witness says the young man is.

Sources say this all stems from a long standing feud between kids from Wellston and kids from Hillsdale. Wellston schools dissolved last year. This is the first semester for them to attend school at Normandy. Bringing two long standing rivals together under one roof worried parents, and Ward says this proves there was good reason to worry.

Walker says there is not a problem with security on the Normandy High School campus. "They've done everything they can to beef up security. They have an excellent security staff, they hire off duty officers from the municipalities that are served by the district. Our officers work the area when school lets out. This is an isolated incident. We haven't had anything like this since I've been here as chief."

Ward worries more violence is brewing. "You have merged districts that know nothing of each other but retaliation and violence, and now our children in Hillsdale are ready to retaliate against Wellston, for what? For what? It's not going to accomplish anything."

Police say the shooter is a black male, thought to be 17 or 18 years old. He has a medium build and a medium complexion. He had on a white dingy t-shirt and khaki pants, and has braided hair.