3 wounded in shooting outside Pittsburgh high school: police
Three students were wounded on Wednesday afternoon in a shooting outside a Pittsburgh high school, and police said they had several "persons of interest" in custody.
Police spokeswoman Diane Richard said all three victims were walking outside Brashear High School shortly after dismissal when as many as three gunmen came out of the woods and opened fire. The victims, males aged 16 to 17, sustained what appeared to be non-life-threatening injuries, she said.
One victim was shot in the leg and foot, another in the neck and shoulder. The third victim, who was grazed in the head, ran into the school and alerted school officials. All three were listed in good or stable condition at local hospitals.
According to WPXI-TV, at least one person believed to be a suspect was taken into custody at a nearby home after a SWAT team swarmed the neighborhood.
Earlier, police and K-9 units searched the woods near the school. Footage from a helicopter above the scene showed at least one person being loaded into an ambulance. SWAT team members could be seen gathering at an entrance to the school.
Pittsburgh Mayor-Elect Bill Peduto urged "all residents in the area to lock their homes and stay indoors" while police pursued the shooting suspects.
Richard said police are investigating whether the incident is related to "something that happened a month ago" at the high school. The October incident, she said, led to a school lockdown and was "quite possibly drug-related." Richard added that the victims apparently knew the gunmen.
About 1,400 students attend the public high school, according to its website. A middle school across from the high school was also placed on precautionary lockdown.
