Three people were wounded during a drive-by shooting that took place outside Orangeburg-Wilkinson high school in Orangeburg, South Carolina on Wednesday afternoon, law enforcement sources familiar with the situation confirmed to this news outlet.
Luckily, all three students were listed in stable condition with non-life threatening injuries and are expected to recover from the wounds they sustained in the shooting – which took place on the first day of the 2021-2022 school year.
School officials confirmed the shooting in a message posted to their website at 4:30 p.m. EDT.
“Three Orangeburg-Wilkinson High School students have sustained injuries resulting from gunshots fired from a vehicle driving by during afternoon dismissal,” a statement from the school noted. “Law enforcement is on the campus of Orangeburg-Wilkinson high school at this time. All students have been secured inside the school building. An alternative dismissal location and other information will be shared with students and families as soon as it is available.”
“We thank you for your patience and understanding as we prioritize safety,” the statement continued. “Additional communication will be shared as soon as possible.”
According to Orangeburg county sheriff Leroy Ravenell, one suspect is already in custody in connection with the shooting – which is under investigation.
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(Via: Orangeburg-Wilkinson High School)
Deputies with the sheriff’s office and the Orangeburg department of public safety responded to the incident. The sheriff’s office will lead the investigation, Ravenell said.
A statement released at 5:11 p.m. EDT noted that “with the support of law enforcement, students will be safely evacuated from Orangeburg-Wilkinson high school” to a nearby technology center – where parents and guardians were invited to make arrangements to pick up their children.
“All students are safe and being accounted for following such a traumatic experience this afternoon,” the school later confirmed. “Our community’s continued patience and prayers are requested for all students, especially those who sustained injuries resulting from this afternoon’s tragedy. Additional information will be shared regarding the extent of injuries, which are believed at this time to be non-life threatening.”
At last count, an estimated 1,017 students attended Orangeburg-Wilkinson – which is served by approximately 55 teachers. The school had a 73 percent graduation rate in 2020 – down from 81.7 percent two years earlier – according to data from the S.C. Department of Education (SCDE).
The school will be closed on Thursday and Friday – including all athletic events and after-school activities – as officers continue their investigation into the incident.
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR …
(Via: FITSNews)
Will Folks is the founding editor of the news outlet you are currently reading. Prior to founding FITSNews, he served as press secretary to the governor of South Carolina. He lives in the Midlands region of the state with his wife and seven children. And yes, he has LOTS of hats (including that Boston Red Sox lid pictured above).
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