Student shot near New Britain High School, police say
A 16-year-old student was shot near New Britain High School Tuesday, the police chief said.
The teen was able to communicate and move around after being wounded, Chief Christopher Chute said. The student was taken to the hospital.
“He had non-life-threatening injuries,” Chute said during a news conference. “He was conscious; he was walking, he was talking.”
The shots were fired from an early 2000s light blue or light gray Nissan Altima, he said, and police are looking for the car.
“All of our officers are working on this diligently,” Chute said. He said there will be a stepped-up police presence at the school.
According to Chute, the shooting happened at 70 Mill St. — right near the high school at 110 Mill St. — shortly before 11:30 a.m.
The 16-year-old was walking from the intersection of Mill and South Main streets toward the high school when the Nissan pulled up alongside him. There was some kind of verbal exchange, after which at least one shot was fired from the car, the chief said. The Nissan took off, heading west on Mill Street.
Police believe the teen knows the person who shot him, Chute said.
Officers searched the area after the shooting and declared it safe, he said.
School spokesman Matthew Cannata said the school immediately went into a lockdown to allow the police department time to investigate.
At 12:15 p.m., police asked the school to switch from a lockdown to a shelter-in-place order because they had determined that there was no threat to students or staff, he said. With a shelter-in-place order, the doors of the building generally are locked to prevent people from coming and going, but people can move more freely within the building.
“All students and staff are safe,” Cannata said in a message to the school community.
If anyone sees a car matching the description of the Nissan, they are asked to call police. The main number of the New Britain Police Department is 860-826-3000.
Christine Dempsey may be reached at cdempsey@courant.com.
