There is currently no active threat and no reports of injured students, according to the Olathe Police Department. The suspect, an 18-year-old male student at Olathe East, was shot and injured.
by Judi Fortino, Kansas News Service and KCUR
A school administrator and resource officer were injured in a shooting Friday morning at Olathe East High School. The suspect, an 18-year-old male student at Olathe East, is in custody.
At a news conference Friday afternoon, Olathe Police Department reported that the suspect was shot by the school resource officer. There is no active threat at this time, and all three injured are in stable condition.
Police say there are currently no reports of injured students.
Olathe Police public information officer Sgt. Joel Yeldell said they believe the suspect is a male student at the school, but cannot confirm at this time.
Yeldell said the police department received a call shortly after 10:30 a.m. that shots were fired at the high school. He said an incident had occurred in the school’s office area between a student and administrator.
“I’m in the same boat as the rest of you all, and parents here in Olathe of being shocked in this incident,” Yeldell said. “But I am also, at the same time, grateful to report that our SRO did this job and was injured because of it, and we have no students injured at this time other than the suspect.”
Reunification plans
Olathe Schools says that students who walk or are picked up by parents will be transported to California Trail Middle School at 13775 W. 133rd St.
Kids who ride buses will be sent home from Pioneer Trail Middle School at 15100 W. 127th St.
“Student drivers will be released in a staggered fashion and escorted to their vehicles,” the district tweeted. “Special Education bus riders will come home on buses from Olathe East as normal.”
Brian Koester, the father of a senior at Olathe East, said his daughter called him right after the shooting happened. Koester’s daughter said she was in the room next door when she heard about six shots.
“I mean, it’s crazy, you see it all the time,” Koester said. “I mean, thank god, hopefully the people that were shot don’t end up dying from it. But, thank god it was just as limited as it was.”
The district says that counseling services for students and staff will be made available until 7 p.m. Friday at California Trail Middle School and Pioneer Trail Middle School.
“Our thoughts are with the entire Olathe East High School community today,” tweeted Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly just before noon. “We are closely monitoring the situation on the ground & are in communication with law enforcement.”
Special agents from the Kansas City Division of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) were on the scene to assist the investigation.
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