- A male high school student opened fire in the cafeteria around 11.30am
- He struck one of his classmates who is now in the hospital in stable condition
- The shooter was able to be taken down quickly by a teacher who subdued him
- The names and ages of the suspect and victim have not been released
A teacher took control when a male student opened fire in a central Illinois high school cafeteria on Wednesday morning, police have said.
A male student at Mattoon High School opened fire at about 11.30am and shot another student before being quickly subdued by a teacher.
The names and ages of the suspect and the victim have not yet been released – and it is not immediately clear how the teacher was able to get the shooter under control.
A teacher took control when a male student opened fire in a central Illinois high school cafeteria on Wednesday morning, police have said. A photo shows a student embrace his family member outside of Mattoon High School after the shooting
By the time police were able to reach the high school the shooter was already subdued and a school resource officer was already on site.
The suspect, is in custody, police said, and the injured student is in stable condition at a local hospital.
The Mattoon Journal-Gazette reported that police were clearing the high school room by room.
Immediately following the shooting students were evacuated and eventually bused to a nearby school to be picked up.
School officials said their buildings were on a soft lockdown as a precaution.
A male student at Mattoon High School opened fire at about 11.30am and shot another student before being quickly subdued by a teacher. Pictured above a student sits and watches as teachers and authorities discuss the incident
Mattoon Community Unit School District 2 said on its Facebook page that it is working with emergency workers to determine what happened.
‘We are saddened that this event has happened and we will provide counseling to students in need,’ the district said in a statement.
‘We appreciate the quick response of school staff and first responders. Most importantly, we offer our thoughts and prayers to the injured student and all who are affected by this tragedy.’
Mattoon is about 180 miles (290 kilometers) south of Chicago.