MATT YORK VIA ASSOCIATED PRESS
Two teenage girls were shot and killed at a high school in a suburb of Phoenix early Friday, but there was no threat to other students on the campus, authorities said.
Officers in Glendale responded to reports of a double shooting at Independence High School just before 8 a.m. local time.
Two 15-year-old girls were found dead by an administration building under a patio at the school, Glendale Police spokeswoman Tracey Breeden said at a press conference. They each had a single gunshot wound, and a weapon was found beside them. The nature of the two girls' relationship is still unclear.
"This was not an active shooter situation," Breeden said. "We realized that when we got on the scene." She said police arrived on the scene within two minutes of receiving a call about a possible shooting.
Breeden could not confirm if the incident was a double suicide or a murder-suicide.
"There’s absolutely no way you can make a determination right now in this investigation," she said.
Students are allowed to leave campus if they have contacted a parent or guardian, according to a Facebook post from the Glendale Union High School District. Parents can meet their children at a staging area and sign them out, according to the school district's post.
This is the seventh school shooting in the U.S. this year, according to advocacy group Everytown for Gun Safety. The same number of school shootings had taken place at this time last year, while 15 had occurred at this time in 2014.
Mayor Jerry Weiers said cities across the state have called to offer support.
"This school has a special meaning to me," Weiers said. "I live by this school, my daughter went to this high school. This morning's tragedy hits really close to home."
"It's a tragic situation here today," Breeden said. "I want to speak to all the parents. I want them to know their children are safe, that’s one of the most important messages to get out this morning. Your children are safe."
Arizona Gov. Doug Ducey (R) commended local law enforcement's "swift response" in a statement.
Source : http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/arizona-high-school-shooting_us_56be0e98e4b0c3c55050fd62
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