Shooting Outside Sepulveda Middle School

A 13-year-old boy is accused of shooting outside Sepulveda Middle School in North Hills on Wednesday afternoon, injuring a 17-year-old and creating quite a chaotic scene during what should have been a routine drop-off.

According to police, the incident took place just after 3 p.m. The older boy, who isn’t a student there, was reportedly on his way to pick up his younger brother when some kind of altercation broke out, leading to gunfire.

The victim was hit in the thigh and taken to a hospital, although details about his condition haven’t been shared yet. It’s been indicated that school police officers managed to apply a tourniquet at the scene before paramedics arrived, which, I think, is pretty commendable given the circumstances.

Authorities have identified the 13-year-old as the suspect, but as of Wednesday evening, he was still at large. They did find a firearm believed to have been used during the incident nearby, but it’s unclear if the shooter has any gang affiliations.

Witnessing the chaos, students described moments of sheer panic as the gunshots rang out just outside the school. One student mentioned, “We heard several loud bangs. Then my friends and I started running. We saw a large group of people and everyone just dashed.” It sounds terrifying, really.

Police and school officials quickly moved in, placing Sepulveda Middle School on lockdown. Roads around the area were closed, while officers set up nearby and began investigating the scene.

The principal addressed families, clarifying that the injured parties were not students of the school and that the lockdown was a precaution. Initially, two individuals were detained but were later released after being cleared of any involvement.

By around 5 p.m., the lockdown was lifted, allowing students to leave, though additional police patrols would remain in the area. Officials reassured everyone that there was no ongoing threat to the school and that no other injuries had been reported.