A middle school pickup turned into a chaotic crime scene when a 13-year-old boy allegedly opened fire outside Sepulveda Middle School in North Hills Wednesday afternoon — leaving a 17-year-old wounded.
Police say the gunfire erupted just after 3 p.m. as the older teen — who is not a student — was walking toward the school to pick up a younger sibling. That’s when some kind of altercation broke out, followed by shots according to NBC4.
The victim was struck in the thigh and rushed to the hospital, where his condition was not publicly released. A school police officer reportedly applied a tourniquet at the scene to slow the bleeding before paramedics arrived.
Entrance to Francisco Sepulveda Junior High School. Authorities have identified a 13-year-old boy as the suspected shooter, but he remained on the loose as of Wednesday evening. Police said the firearm believed to have been used in the shooting was recovered nearby. It’s still unclear whether the suspect has any gang ties.
Terrified students described a frantic scene as the gunfire rang out just steps from campus.
“We heard a couple of loud bangs,” one student told NBC 4. “Then me and my friends started running. We saw a lot of people crowded, and everyone started running.”
An aerial view of a middle school with numerous police cars and officers on the street. NBC4 School officials quickly placed Sepulveda Middle School on lockdown as LAPD officers and school police swarmed the area. Streets around the campus were shut down as investigators combed the scene, with patrol cars lining nearby blocks.
“The injured person was not a Sepulveda Middle School student,” the principal told families in a message, adding that the lockdown was issued out of an abundance of caution.
Two individuals were initially detained but later released after being cleared of involvement.
By around 5 p.m., the lockdown was lifted and students were allowed to leave, though officials said extra police patrols would remain in place.
Authorities stressed there is no ongoing threat to the school, and no other injuries were reported.
