KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Another school community is now forced to reflect on violence after three people were shot during an altercation Friday at Olathe East High School.
Around 10:30 a.m. on Friday, the school resource officer working at the high school radioed to dispatch asking for help after he’d been shot.
“Shots fired in Olathe, officer needs assistance,” a police dispatcher said over the radio.
As the altercation ended, the school was placed on lock-down while responding officers secured the scene.
When the scene was secure, officers located an administrator at the school, the school’s resource officer and a student at the school, who is also the alleged suspect, all suffering from gunshot wounds.
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The three were taken to nearby Overland Park Regional Medical Center for treatment of gunshot wounds. Two of the three victims were released Friday afternoon. A third victim at the hospital was initially described as suffering from critical injuries.
While paramedics treated the injured, district administrators put together a plan to reunite students with their parents at the nearby California Trial and Pioneer Trail Middle Schools.
Scenes of emotional reunions between parents and students quickly filled the parking lots of the schools.
"I'm excited. I wanted to cry," the parent said, while getting choked up. "Oh my baby is here."
Though parents had been informed that no students were injured, many felt they couldn't relax until they laid eyes on them.
"When she got off the bus I checked her whole body. I'm not letting them go anywhere. They're not going out of my sight," the parent said. "I'm so happy I started crying."
The nature of the altercation between the student, administrator and SRO was still under investigation Friday night.
In the meantime, high school-aged students are forced to reflect on violence within their school.
“I don’t know how I’m going to walk through those doors,” an Olathe East student said when asked what it will be like returning to school Monday. “I feel bad for everybody that was in that office along with me."
“I hope they are dealing with this well because I know it was very tough when we were all together after it happened,” the student said.
Video that was widely circulated on social media as the event unfolded showed an armed subject in the entry way of the high school attempting to make entry.
The Olathe Police Department said the subject was a first responder who was attempting to get into the school.
On Friday night, members of the community gathered at the Overland Park Church of Christ for a moment of reflection.
