GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — A student is expected to make a full recovery after a shooting outside a Grand Rapids Public School Tuesday afternoon, officials say. No charges have been made yet.
Two male students were in a park near Alger Middle School, adjacent to a school building when the shooting happened. It's unclear what led to the shooting, or why the students were outside the school during the day.
The boys ran to the school for help. Staff quickly began providing first aid, called first responders and placed the school on Code Red, Grand Rapids Police Chief Eric Winstrom said. No one inside was hurt.
The student was shot in the face. He was conscious and alert when he was sent to the hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, Winstrom said.
He is currently stable, officials said Wednesday. They believe the investigation will take longer than usual due to "the unique circumstances," police said.
The Kent County Prosecutor's Office will review the case to see if charges will be filed.
Winstrom says the gun was a semi-automatic 9mm handgun.
"This is a very unique situation. You don't usually talk about middle schoolers with guns," he said. "Lawful gun owners should know it is the morally correct thing to do, to safely store your firearms, it's also the law."
The other student is speaking with the Grand Rapids Police Department to help with the investigation.
"My understanding is, and it's very early on, is that there were two young boys who were students of the school together, one of them was shot and both of them sought refuge... this is something obviously could have been extremely tragic," GRPD Chief Eric Winstrom said. "Hearing the news from the hospital that he's expected to make a recovery. That's just exceptional news. We're very thankful for that."
Winstrom, a father to a middle schooler at a public school, says it's hard to get calls like the one he got Tuesday.
"If you are a gun owner, please be a very safe and responsible gun owner," he said.
The school was closed on Wednesday.
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