ONE 15-year-old boy who was shot on Monday morning passed away at Watson Chapel Junior High School in Arkansas, said the Coroner’s Office of Pulaski County, according to CBS affiliate KTHV-TV. The Watson Chapel school district also announced the student’s death, citing his mother’s Facebook page.
The suspected sniper, a classmate who is also 15, was arrested shortly after the shooting, police said. The incident took place inside Watson Chapel Junior High School when students switched classes around 10 am, said Sergeant Kelvin, chief of police for Pine Bluff.
The suspect is being detained for a first-degree battery charge in Monday’s shooting and a judge set bail at $ 1 million, according to KTHV. The charges must be updated after the victim’s death.
A Facebook post for the school district on Monday said the shooting was an “isolated incident”.
Police said the Arkansas Department of Corrections canine squadron found the suspect hidden behind a house near the school. At the time, police described the shooting as a “targeted incident” and said the motive was being investigated.
The Associated Press said Monday was scheduled to be the first day back from Watson Chapel for on-site learning, after several weeks of weather-related problems closed the school. Pine Bluff is located about 44 miles south of Little Rock.