Garfield High School is closed Thursday afternoon as Seattle police investigate a nearby shooting that left a teenager injured.
Shots were fired in the school parking lot around lunchtime and a Garfield High student was injured, according to a statement from Seattle Public Schools.
Nova High and nearby Washington Middle School are in shelter-in-place mode, with exterior doors locked but normal school operations continue, the district said.
On the social media platform The shooting comes 15 days before the last day of school at Garfield High.
“We are still investigating the scene and there are a lot of moving parts,” police spokesman Eric Muñoz said.
Harborview Medical Center was treating the teen, who was in serious condition in connection with the shooting, spokeswoman Susan Gregg said.
Photos taken by a Seattle Times photographer show a large police presence at the school in the city’s Central District. About 1:30 p.m. Thursday, more than a dozen Seattle police cars, including one for a K-9 unit, were parked along the west side of the school.
Police placed crime scene tapes to prevent anyone from entering the school.
Once the lockdown ends at Garfield High, students and parents will be able to meet on the south side of the school, Seattle police announced on X Thursday at 1:13 p.m.
Serafina Alberoto, 16, and Meriyem Roba, 16, both sophomores at Garfield, were buying lunch at a nearby chicken shop when they said they saw seven Seattle police cars heading toward the school .
At 12:32 p.m., Roba’s first-grade brother called her and begged her not to walk back to school.
“He said, ‘Don’t come, don’t come, the whole school is on lockdown,'” Roba said. “He was panicked.”
In March, students and parents at Garfield High demanded changes to the school’s and city’s safety and security policies after a student was shot while waiting for her bus outside the school .
Before that, there was a shooting outside the school in October and a series of nearby shootings last June that did not involve students but led to increased security on campus.
Roba and Alberoto said they feel numb by the increase in shootings around their school. From a perch on a patio outside the school, they pointed out the locations of recent shootings.
“We don’t feel safe – imagine if it was one of us? » said Rob.
“It could be any of us at any time,” Alberoto said.
Sophomores said Garfield students struggle emotionally and some have been drawn into gangs. Their social media often shows comrades posing with guns, they said.
Students said their counselors were overworked and appointments with the school therapist were rare.
“We need to give them a home for the future, because if they think they will die at 25, why not do it?” » Roba said, pointing to the crime scene tape.
On Thursday, the Seattle Public Schools website linked to a page for Gun Violence Awareness Day, which falls on Friday.
Seattle Times reporter Lauren Girgis contributed to this report.
This story is developing. Check back for updates.