2 Suspects Arrested, 1 Still at Large in Graham-Kapowsin School Shooting

The shooting was prompted by a prearranged fight between two students after one allegedly made a comment about the other’s girlfriend.

2 Suspects Arrested, 1 Still at Large in Graham-Kapowsin School Shooting

One student was shot in the leg and another was shot in the lower abdomen.

Two teens are in police custody and one is still at large in connection with a shooting near Graham-Kapowsin High School in Graham, Wash., on Tuesday.

Court documents indicate the shooting happened 20 yards behind the school at approximately 2:30 p.m. after two students prearranged a fistfight.

The fight was set up after the girlfriend of one of the suspects had an altercation with another girl in the school cafeteria on Monday, according to The News Tribune. A student reportedly told the suspect to “control his girlfriend”.

During the arranged fight which gathered a crowd, the student who made the comment allegedly said he had “no beef” with the suspect and he did not want to fight him.

That’s when police say three suspects go into a green Chevy Impala. As they drove off, the front seat passenger fired toward the student who refused to fight. That student was not shot but two other students, a 16-year-old and a 17-year-old, were hit.

One of the students was shot in the leg and was able to make his way into the school’s locker room. The second student was shot in the lower abdomen and was found in the parking lot. He required surgery to his bladder, leg, kidney and intestines, according to Komo News.

Students who witnessed the altercation ran inside the school to avoid gunfire, prompting a lockdown of four schools in the area.

Some students were not released to their parents until approximately 6:30 p.m., reports KIRO.

Sheriff Spokesman Ed Troyer says anyone who was inside the vehicle will be held as accountable as the one who pulled the trigger. Troyer also says the investigation is being disrupted as some students and witnesses are intentionally giving detectives misleading and false information.

“There’s a lesson to be learned here – especially nowadays. If you’re going to go to a fight or a prearranged fight, there’s a strong possibility that somebody has a gun. And if shots are fired and that person is not trained to use that gun, they’ll continue to move until they hit somebody and unfortunately you can become a victim,” said Troyer.

The two suspects were booked into Remann Hall Juvenile Detention Center. Court Commissioner Clint Johnson ordered they be held until Friday while prosecutors decide what to charge them with.

The Pierce County Prosecutor’s Office says it plans to charge the two 17-year-old suspects as adults. Deputy Prosecutor Kevin Benton expects the teens will be charged with first-degree assault and drive-by shooting.

Police believe the shooting may have been gang-related. Parents of the victims say their sons have no gang ties and were only bystanders.

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Amy is Campus Safety’s Executive Editor. Prior to joining the editorial team in 2017, she worked in both events and digital marketing.

Amy has many close relatives and friends who are teachers, motivating her to learn and share as much as she can about campus security. She has a minor in education and has worked with children in several capacities, further deepening her passion for keeping students safe.

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