CLEVELAND (WJW) — The Cleveland Metropolitan School District released a statement after a shots were fired outside the Collinwood High School happened around 10 a.m. Wednesday.
“We are grateful for the swift response of CMSD safety team city police to secure our school and to launch an active and aggressive investigation of what appeared to have been a targeted attack on one of our students,” the statement said. “Together, CMSD and city officials are examining the measures we can collectively take to address the challenges that our schools and community face with a spike in violent acts.”
Officials say a student may have been the target of the shots fired outside the school. They said the student made it safely inside, and the school was placed in lockdown.
Prior to the shooting, city leaders scheduled a group of prevention and safety partners as part of the Mayor’s Violence Prevention efforts, the release said.
“CMSD is grateful for the City’s leadership in convening these valued partners and stakeholders, and district officials are working collaboratively toward solutions we can implement in schools and neighborhoods to ensure the safety of our students and our community,” the release said.
According to the release, after the lockdown at Collinwood High School was lifted Wednesday police, including units from the Cleveland Division of Police and two CMSD mobile deputy officers, stayed at the high school.
CMSD also had several central office staff members on site to support students and educators.
According to the release, this investigation is still ongoing.
In January, a CMSD student was also shot and killed at a bus stop.
The shooting happened at a bus stop on MLK Jr. Drive right outside John Adams College and Career Academy in Cleveland on January 10. Police say a male suspect walked up to 18-year-old Pierre McCoy and then shot and killed him before running away.
Cleveland City Ward 2 Councilman Kevin Bishop says he was told by investigators that McCoy’s attack was also targeted, but the exact motive has not been revealed.