Four students shot outside Philadelphia high school
The students are in stable condition
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Four students at Overbrook High School in Philadelphia were shot just as they were leaving school, police said.
The shooting occurred around 11:30am on Wednesday morning while the students were leaving for an early holiday break.
According to police the shooter or shooters fired from a Hyundai SUV.
CBS 6 reports that officers in the area of the shooting responded and began arranging for victims to be taken to area hospitals.
Two of the victims are 15-year-old female students and the other two were 16-year-old male students, police said. The girls are sisters.
All four of the students are being treated at area hospitals and are listed in stable condition.
The shooting occurred near The Beauty Lounge, which is a block from the high school. A door to the business appeared to have been shot and a bullet ripped a hole in the business’s window.
Philadelphia Mayor Kim Kenney issued a statement following the shooting.
"I am heartbroken by yet another act of violence against students. Violence of any kind is simply unacceptable, and it is unconscionable that anyone would jeopardize young people by firing a gun in the vicinity of a school. I am thankful that all victims are stable and nobody was killed," he said. “Our administration will work with the School District to support the Overbrook High School community, and with law enforcement to ensure the perpetrators are found and held accountable."
Kevin Bethel, the chief safety officer at the school district, was furious during a news conference on Wednesday following the shooting.
"We’re allowing people to walk around with guns and do whatever the hell they want in the city. Until we take on this problem and address this, we’re going to continue to come here. So, we can continue to meet like this but it’s unacceptable. We could have lost a child today," he said.
He also pointed a finger at parents, telling him they needed to do more to ensure their children did not have access to weapons.
"It’s a parent problem, too," he said. "Folks need to go in [their children’s] rooms and check to see what their kids are doing. Many of them I think know what they’re doing."
Overbrook High School and West Philadelphia High School were planning to play a Turkey Bowl game on Thanksgiving morning, but the game has since been canceled due to the shooting.
The city is offering a $10,000 reward for anyone with information leading to the arrest and conviction of the shooters.