United States: a sixth-grader opens fire in her school, injuring three people

 Steph Deschamps / May 7, 2021

A sixth-grader opened fire Thursday morning at her middle school in the western U.S. state of Idaho, slightly injuring three people before being disarmed by a teacher, local authorities said.

The shooter, a student at this middle school in the small town of Rigby, was quickly apprehended by police, who did not release her identity or age. Sixth graders are typically 11 or 12 years old.

This morning, at approximately 9:08 a.m., a sixth grader took a handgun from her backpack. She fired several rounds inside the school and injured three people. Two of them are students and one is an employee of the school, Jefferson County Sheriff Steve Anderson said at a news conference.

He stressed that the injuries were minor and that the lives of the three victims, who were taken to hospital, were not at stake.

During the shooting, a teacher disarmed the student and held her until law enforcement made an arrest, Sheriff Anderson added, though he could not explain the child's motives.

The shooting began in the college's lobby and continued outside, he said.