Kittitas County Sheriff - Press Release

Update: Student injuries were self inflicted

Kittitas County, WA -11/08/2012 - At approximately 10:30 this morning, a 17-year-old Kittitas Secondary School student walked in to the school with a gunshot wound to the chest. The student received non-life threatening injuries and was transported in stable condition. The shooting is alleged to have occurred in a residential development east of the school grounds. School staff immediately initiated lockdown procedures and called law enforcement.

Investigators have determined that the gunshot was self inflicted. The student left the school at about 9 AM, went home, and shot himself in the barn. The weapon has been located. No other details are available at this time.

Law enforcement personnel from several local agencies responded and secured and searched both the Secondary School and the nearby Elementary School to verify that no further threats were present.  Roadblocks were set up and a perimeter was established around the residential development where the incident is believed to have occurred and a search initiated for a suspect.  The Washington State Patrol provided aircraft support in the area.

All students in both schools were accounted for and released for the day.  Parents are allowed to pick up their students from the schools.  Kittitas Secondary School Principal Chris Brower advises that conferences for today are canceled, but normal after-school activities will resume this evening, and school will be on regular schedule tomorrow.

Responding agencies included Kittitas Police Department, Kittitas County Sheriff’s Office, Ellensburg Police Department, Central Washington University Police Department, Washington State Patrol and Washington State Department of Fish and Wildlife.

Kittitas County, from the Cascades to the Columbia, and online at http://www.co.kittitas.wa.us

###
For more information (press only):
Undersheriff Clay Myers 509-962-7525 or 509-925-8534