A 17-year-old high school student in Birmingham, Ala., has been shot to death inside a classroom in the school.
Al.com reports that Courtlin Arrington, a senior at Huffman High School, was fatally shot Wednesday afternoon as classes were being dismissed for the day.
Police say another Huffman student has been taken into custody in connection with the shooting, but no charges have been filed as of Thursday morning. He was treated Wednesday for a self-inflicted gunshot wound in his leg before officers took him into custody.
The student in custody was described as a junior, 17, who is a member of the school's football team.
Initially, Birmingham police officials said the shooting appeared to be accidental. But after looking at video recordings of the incident, authorities decided to consider charges against the student.
Arrington was on track to graduate in May, had already been accepted into college and had planned to become a nurse.
"The magnitude of this event causes us to pause," says Birmingham City Schools Superintendent Lisa Herring. "However, we want to assure our parents, students, staff and community that safety and security are a top priority."
Herring says Huffman High School has metal detectors in use, but declined to comment further.
