Girl, 14, dies after shooting near Montgomery middle school; 1 in custody
MONTGOMERY, AL (WSFA) - The Montgomery Police Department has taken a person of interest into custody in the shooting death of a 14-year-old Bellingrath Middle School student Monday afternoon.
According to Capt. Regina Duckett, possible charges are pending and the investigation is ongoing.
A female student was shot around 3 p.m. Monday near St. James Missionary Baptist Church No. 2., which is on South Court Street and next door to the school. The victim, whose name hasn't been released, died at an area hospital a short time later.
Police Chief Ernest Finley said his officers were searching for two suspects who possibly also attend the school.
"This is such a tragedy. We offer sympathy and support to the family, and we pray that God will guide our community out of the troubling social ills that are hurting our children," MPS Superintendent Margaret Allen said in a statement.
A motive hasn't been released.
If you have any information regarding this shooting, call 911 or CrimeStoppers at 334-215-STOP. A $1,000 reward is being offered.
"It is always, when you talk about young ones, the young babies," Finley said. "We are very serious about raising adults and we want them to get to that particular age and be successful citizens. I just hope and pray every day for safety, and in Montgomery we just don't need this to happen."
This shooting happened at the end of the school day as many students were walking home from classes. It's not connected to an incident earlier in the day that involved two juveniles shooting into the air near Montgomery's McKee Middle School.
"The loss of a child through violence is a moment that diminishes us all. Education is, by its nature, about the promise of the possibilities of life, hope, and the future. All of that was cruelly taken away this afternoon," State Superintendent Michael Sentance said in statement after the shooting Monday. "We cannot fully express our sorrow for the student's family, her friends, and others touched by her life. Tomorrow, the Montgomery Public Schools will offer assistance to those who grieve the loss of this young student. And we pray for all."
Monday's fatal shooting comes six weeks after a freshman student was shot in the neck while on the property of Montgomery's Robert E. Lee High School. She survived the shooting. A suspect was arrested in that incident.
"It's a situation that we have to really hammer down, each and every day, with parents, with adults, anybody with some stature, just to plead and talk to these young folks and adults as well," the chief said.
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