UPDATE (4:15 p.m.): Officials provided more information about the shooting incident at Rigby Middle School Thursday morning. Police identified the shooting suspect as a 6th-grade female student who is in custody at the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office.
Jefferson County Sheriff Steve Anderson said a female teacher disarmed the student and detained her until law enforcement arrived. The Associated Press reports the girl pulled a handgun from her backpack and fired multiple rounds inside and outside the school.
The two students who were shot will be monitored overnight. One student was shot once in an extremity and may require surgery in the future. The second student was potentially shot twice, according to a hospital official. That student had two injuries, one in an upper extremity and another in a lower extremity. The custodian was treated in the emergency room and has been released.
Officials are not releasing the names of anyone involved in the incident at this time. Authorities say they are investigating the motive for the attack and where the girl got the gun.
UPDATE (3:30 p.m.): Schools in the Jefferson School District will be closed tomorrow and will resume on Monday. Counselors will be available tomorrow from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Rigby High School, according to a Facebook post from the district. The counselors will continue to be available as they are needed.
ORIGINAL STORY: Three people were shot at Rigby Middle School on Thursday morning, Jefferson County Sheriff Steve Anderson confirmed to EastIdahoNews.com. Police were called to the school at around 9:15 and two of the injured people are students and the other is an adult custodian.
Police say the injuries do not appear critical. It’s not clear exactly what happened, however, the school district did confirm it was an active shooter situation.
Anderson says one male student is in custody.
Idaho Falls Fire Department spokeswoman Kerry Hammon confirms three people are being transported by ambulance to Eastern Idaho Regional Medical Center. They are all in stable condition, she said.
Multiple law enforcement agencies are on the scene.
Middle School students are being evacuated to Rigby High School, where parents can pick up their students. Students that are not picked up will be bussed home.
The Associated Press reports the shooting appears to be Idaho's second school shooting. Gov. Brad Little tweeted the following message about the situation.
I am praying for the lives and safety of those involved in today’s tragic events,” Little said. “Thank you to our law enforcement agencies and school leaders for their efforts in responding to the incident. I am staying updated on the situation.
Superintendent of Public Instruction Sherri Ybarra released the following statement:
My prayers are with those injured this morning at Rigby Middle School. I am grateful to our first responders and school staff who are working to deal with this terrible incident. I will do everything I can to support the district and the community moving forward.
Idaho Congressman Mike Simpson also tweeted a statement about the situation:
I am monitoring the heartbreaking events in Rigby today and my heart goes out to all of those involved in this tragedy. To the first responders and our heroic teachers and faculty who are keeping our children safe, thank you. https://t.co/CjZqWic5Ug
— Cong. Mike Simpson (@CongMikeSimpson) May 6, 2021
The Idaho Education Association president made the following statement, saying they are ready to provide whatever support is needed:
We send positive thoughts to the victims of this tragic incident and hope for their full and rapid recovery. Patience will need to be at a premium while school officials and law enforcement agencies investigate the situation. The IEA and our local education associations are ready, willing, and able to provide whatever support is needed for the staff, students, and community impacted by today’s act of violence.
Portions of this article were written by Nate Sunderland of East Idaho News.
