14 DAY TRIAL // A student at an all-boys Catholic school in Cincinnati has tried taking his own life by shooting himself on Monday, April 29.
The unidentified gunman is an honors student, and NBC News reports that the incident took place during a leadership class requiring honors levels for admission.
WVXU notes that he attends La Salle High School and his parents have asked for his name not to be disclosed at this point.
“We thank all of you for your thoughts and prayers. We ask that the media please respect our privacy at this time so we can do what we need to do for our son and our family.
“We also ask that friends of our son and family please refrain from Facebook and Twitter comments. We appreciate the heroic efforts of UC Medical Center staff as they care for our son,” they said in a press release.
He brought a semi-automatic handgun in class at around 9 a.m. and went on to shoot himself. He has been transported to University of Cincinnati Medical Center with life-threatening injuries.
According to the State Impact, several students called 911 prompting the Hamilton County police to send squads prepared to deal with an active shooter situation.
“We're at La Salle High School and there is a guy with a gun,” a witness told the dispatcher.
“We’re huddled in a corner,” a second student described.
“I believe my teacher tried to subdue him, [...] I ran out of the room,” a student giving the name Andrew detailed.
The school was on lockdown while students were evacuated. A search of the classroom revealed no other concealed weapons on the scene, and no victims were reported.
“We’re doing everything we can. Our number one priority is with that student that was involved and then with the students in the building,” says school public relations officer Greg Tankersley.