A student at a North Carolina high school has died after being shot by another student before class Monday morning.
The victim was undergoing surgery after being left in critical condition from the 7.15am incident but passed away later, police confirmed.
Footage from Instagram showed limited views of the altercation at Butler High School in Matthews – 12 miles outside of Charlotte – that led to one child dying.
s
One student was arrested after shooting another child dead at Butler High School in Matthews, North Carolina Monday morning at 7.15am
Emergency personnel responded to the shooting that generated an atmosphere of chaos and fear as dozens of parents rushed to the school to make sure their children were safe
The suspect, believed to be male, was taken into custody immediately after the shooting and law enforcement obtained the weapon used.
The victim, also believed to be male, was taken to Carolinas Medical Center Main at around 7.42am but was declared dead a few hours later after undergoing surgery.
According to Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools (CMS) Superintendent Dr. Clayton Wilcox, the shooting occurred in the main hallway of the school.
Footage from Instagram Stories showed the moment the incident took place
Students gathering in the packed hallways of the school witnessed the violence first-hand
The blurry clips show what it was like in the school as one student pulled a gun on another
The images emerged after the victim, believed to be male, was confirmed dead in hospital
Clips from a student’s account, calling the incident ‘kinda crazy’ showed the packed out hallway as the suspect pulled a gun on the victim.
‘He’s got a gun!’ one screamed.
Detectives interviewed shaken-up students who may have seen the shooting.
One girl told WCNC she witnessed the altercation, noting she heard ‘a pop’ before the two people involved started ‘wrestling on the ground’.
Gavriel Fulcher-Daniels said: ‘It sounded like a balloon but louder.’
Guardians and parents were advised of the incident via email and telephone calls, CMS said.
Parents were allowed onto the Butler HS campus two hours later, once the lock-down was lifted by law enforcement at around 9.15am.
Law enforcement raced to the scene. The suspect was taken into custody immediately
Parents gathered near the school to wait for news after the incident as students were held
Gavriel Fulcher-Daniels (left with Stephen Daniels) said: ‘It sounded like a balloon but louder.’
Matthews Police Captain Stason Tyrrell spoke after a deadly shooting at Butler High School
Some students were escorted from the building to the main entrance to meet their families, who were warned to exercise patience to ensure everyone’s safety.
While relatives were allowed to pick up students at the entrance upon direction of law enforcement, classes continued for those who remained on campus.
Around 2,000 students attend the school.
Some parents were reportedly given access to the building to sign a green slip to get their tearful children out of class for the day.
Students were escorted from the building to the main entrance to meet their families at 9.15am
A witness described how parents, who had no idea the extent of the shooting, were crying as they arrived at the school in response to messages from their children at the school.
Many initially gathered at the nearby Elevation Church to pray after the incident as they waited to hear news.
One parent, whose child was in in Building 900 – described as far away from where the shooting occurred – said his son text him to share that he was okay.
Matthews is located about 12 miles outside of Charlotte, North Carolina
The father added that a teacher had locked other students in a room.
He said he had dropped off his son just 15 minutes earlier at ‘7am sharp’ in time for his mid-term exams and received notification of the incident once he’d arrived at the golf course.
The dad shared how he was messaging him instructions to stay aware and texts of encouragement as he made his way back to the parking lot.
‘The never happened when I was growing up. Ever,’ he told WSOCTV.com.