Junior killed in school shooting in D.C.

This is not original reporting. All information has been compiled from The Washington Post article Two Shot at Ballou High School by Justin Blum and David A. Fahrenthold.

A junior at Ballou Senior High School in Southeast Washington, D.C., was fatally shot at school on Feb. 2, according to The Washington Post. Another student suffered a graze wound to the leg.

Police identified the dead student as James Richardson, a star running back on the football team at Ballou. Richardson was taken to Washington Hospital Center, where he died of a gunshot wound to the back at 11:32 a.m. The name of the wounded student was not released.

The shooting took place at 10:30 a.m. outside Ballou's cafeteria, reported the Post. According to police, both students were shot with a handgun, and authorities are now seeking three suspects who fled the scene.

D.C. Police Chief Charles Ramsey attributed the shooting to what appeared to be "an ongoing dispute" between "groups of young people."

Throngs of parents dashed to the school after hearing the news about the shooting. Police initially withheld information about the incident but later briefed the parents about the situation, according to the Post.

Earlier this school year, Ballou Senior High School was closed because of dangers posed by the mercury spread in the school, and gunshots in a neighboring street disrupted the school on the first day it reopened. In addition, Ballou has seen several fights this school year.

Look for Silver Chips Online's pro/con columns on security measures next week.