A 14-year-old student was shot in the leg outside a Staten Island school Tuesday afternoon, according to police, although it was not clear who pulled the trigger, or why.
The teen was hit just before 2 p.m. in front of Tottenville High School on Luten Avenue in the Prince's Bay neighborhood. Investigators said that five males were walking near the entrance of the school and began shooting in the direction of the victim.
A witness who was inside the school at the time said an announcement came on over the loudspeaker telling everyone to shelter in place. Hundreds of other students who had just been dismissed for the day ran for safety outside.
No details on a possible motive were immediately available. Dashcam video recorded near the scene captured the sound of eight gunshots fired just as school was let out. Police said they were looking for the group of males wearing ski masks and gray sweatpants in connection with the shooting.
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The victim, who witnesses said is a freshman and played on the junior varsity football team, is expected to survive after getting shot in the ankle. Police were not sure if the teen was the intended target of the shooting.
Police later said that one of the bullets fired struck an MTA bus that was stopped in front of the high school. No one on the bus was hurt, however.
Video posted to the Citizen app from down the block showed a heavy law enforcement presence closer to the school. The incident marked the 6th gun-related incident including guns seized in the city schools in less than three weeks.
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"While no part of this incident took place on school property, we are working closely with the NYPD on their investigation and will be providing additional supports and security to this school," a Department of Education spokesperson said.
Anyone with information on the shooting is asked to call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-577-TIPS.
