Gunfire hits front of North High School in Minneapolis; no one hurt

No one was hurt after bullets struck North High School in Minneapolis Wednesday afternoon, school officials said.

Multiple shots were fired about 12:30 p.m. by the sidewalk west of the intersection at 15th and Irving avenues that "went into North High School near the front entrance of the school," Minneapolis Public Schools officials reported on Twitter.

"The building is now secure and students and staff are safe," school district officials said in the alert. "Our staff is supporting students in dealing with this incident. We appreciate your patience as we work to get more information."

North High will resume a normal school day on Thursday, district officials said.

Alanna Smith, 17, a student at North said: "Everybody's OK. Nobody got hit. It was outside. Everybody is safe to come back tomorrow."

District spokesman Dirk Tedmon said it's fortunate that "it wasn't a passing time or anything like that" at the school.

Minneapolis Police Chief Medaria Arradondo noted that while they're still searching for a suspect, he praised the quick response of the school resource officer who kept students safe and coordinated the police response to the school.

At 12:32 p.m., officers responded to the area of 15th and Irving Avenue North on a report of the sound of shots fired. A ShotSpotter activation was reported.

Within minutes, three school resource and numerous patrol officers arrived at the school at 1500 James Av. N. and searched the area attempting to locate the individuals who fired these shots, said police spokesman John Elder. No suspects were located, he said, and evidence was collected for analysis.

Solana Anderson, a North High parent and vice-president of the school's parent organization, said her son, who had gone out for lunch was returning to the school building when the incident happened.

"It's scary," she said. "I feel worried and concerned."

North High, one of the district's oldest buildings, needs security upgrades, she said, adding that the district also needs to put in place a good crisis response plan. But most importantly, Anderson said, she wants to use this experience to bring the school community together to address the issue and help students heal.