Huffman High School Shooting Victims: 17-Year-Old Killed, Another Injured In Birmingham, Alabama

An Alabama student was killed and another injured in a shooting at Huffman High School, Birmingham, on Wednesday.

Shots were heard around 3 p.m. local time (4 p.m. EST) inside the school and the facility was placed under temporary lockdown. Classes were dismissed for the day and students who were still inside the school were ushered into classrooms or other secure locations in the institution.

Birmingham Mayor Randall Woodfin said the city was mourning the death of the 17-year-old girl, whose name has been withheld from the public because her family has not been informed yet, AL reported.

However, some reports on social media identified her as Courtlin Arrington.

The victim, who was going to turn 18 in a month, “had aspirations and dreams to be a nurse,” Woodfin said. "We are not just talking about some person, (we're) talking about losing a part of our future. Our hearts are heavy.”

The girl, along with a 17-year-old boy who was injured at the scene, were rushed to UAB Hospital in separate Birmingham Fire and Rescue Service trucks. Both the victims were of African American origin.

The male victim, who was shot in the leg, was in critical condition when admitted to the hospital. After receiving medical attention, his condition improved and he was released from the hospital at 7:30 p.m. local time (8:30 p.m. EST). The male victim, whose identity was not revealed, was then taken to the police station for questioning.

The girl, on the other hand, was given CPR on the way to the hospital but efforts to revive her failed.

The police are looking at surveillance footage and questioning witnesses who might have seen what happened.

“At this particular time, we consider it accidental until the investigation takes us elsewhere,” acting Birmingham Police Chief Orlando Wilson said. “We have a lot of unanswered questions. There are so many unknowns at this time.”

The gun, which was used in the shooting, has been recovered from the scene, Kansas City reported. According to the police, the Huffman High School shooting was different from the kind of school shootings happening in the recent times, as it was not like "someone from the outside came into the school."

Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey said in statement regarding the incident: “I am saddened to learn about the death of the Huffman High School student. I am praying for the family of this young lady who has tragically lost her life way too early. Every life is precious and, even though this was an accident, it reaffirms that there is no place for students to have firearms or other weapons on campus.”

Birmingham City Schools also released a statement regarding the shooting. “Two students were involved in a shooting during dismissal today at Huffman High School. The school was placed on a brief lockdown, and police were called to the scene. Students have been released and police are actively investigating the circumstances surrounding the shooting,” the statement said, Fox-affiliated WBRC reported.