16-year-old charged in shooting that injured Lee High School student

MONTGOMERY, AL (WSFA) - The Montgomery Police Department has charged 16-year-old Lee High School student Quinterrious Lavon Norman in connection with a Thursday afternoon shooting that wounded a fellow student.

Norman is charged with first-degree assault, discharging a firearm in an occupied vehicle and certain persons forbidden to carry a pistol.

A car nearby was also shot into and damaged.

He was transported to the Montgomery County Detention Facility and is being held under a $165,000 bond.

The wounded female student at Montgomery's Robert E. Lee High School was injured when she was struck by a stray bullet on campus just before 3 p.m., according to the Montgomery Police Department.

The 15-year-old victim was taken to a local hospital and then airlifted to Children's Hospital in Birmingham where she's listed in critical but stable condition. Her identity hasn't been released.

Duckett said shots were fired off campus in an open field nearby and the victim, who was standing on campus, was hit by a bullet. No other injuries were reported.

"MPD's investigation indicates a single shooter discharged a firearm in a vacant lot adjacent to the school, resulting in the victim's injuries and damage to a nearby vehicle. The investigation further indicates that the shooter recklessly discharged the firearm and that neither the victim nor the vehicle was an intended target. Shortly after the shooting, MPD identified Norman as the shooter and took him into custody nearby," Duckett said in a press release Thursday night.

According to relatives, the victim was shot in the neck but is alert and awake.

Family members say she went outside to talk to friends after school before meeting up with her sister who was coming to pick her up. That's when she was shot. Witnesses said she was down on the ground near a staircase at the back of the high school. They did not see a fight or crowd gathered in the street or field near the school at the time of the shooting. The circumstances surrounding it remain under investigation.

Cpt. Duckett said the victim was not at all involved in the dangerous incident.

Dozens of investigators and police officers were on the scene after the shooting. They were concentrated in two areas - on campus in the area where the victim was struck and at the intersection of Brewton and Lockett streets where they believe the shots were fired from. That intersection was blocked off with tape for about two hours.

The high school was placed on lockdown for about 45 minutes and dismissal was delayed.

State Superintendent Michael Sentance released this statement Thursday night:

"Our hearts go out to the Robert E. Lee High School student injured in a shooting today, as well as her family. Although the incident occurred outside of the school building, student safety is always the top priority. Tomorrow, increased law enforcement, trained counselors, and State Department of Education staff will be on hand to assist in any way possible. It is imperative that schools maintain an atmosphere that is safe and conducive to learning. Thank you to the police, medical personnel, Superintendent Margret Allen, principal and staff at Robert E. Lee High for handling this incident with such professionalism."

Montgomery Public Schools spokesperson Tom Salter said the school system is cooperating with authorities in their investigation.

"We're certainly offering our thoughts and prayers to the family of the student. We are praying that she'll recover fully. We're working with MPD to help in any way we can," Salter said.

All MPS after school activities for Thursday were canceled.

Family members are at the victim's hospital bedside in Birmingham.

"She's responsive and there's good news in that she has feeling over her entire body," a family member said of the wounded 15-year-old girl.

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