SPRINGFIELD, Mass. (WWLP) – Springfield officials will provide an update on the shooting incident at Springfield Science and Technology High School.
22News will live stream the press conference from Springfield City Hall on Tuesday at 3:30 p.m. Mayor Sarno will be accompanied by Superintendent Warwick and Police Chief Claproad.
City leaders told 22News the situation could have gotten much worse. This all happened on Monday afternoon around clocking time at Cytech University. City leaders are now crediting school resource officers and cameras for their quick response.
Windows at Cytech University were boarded up after a bullet went through the window during an altercation on Monday. No one at the school was seriously injured in the incident, and everyone was caught on the school's emergency security camera system.
“Through the school cameras, we could see where the problems were. We knew where to direct our resources. And we had two student resource officers right there,” Claprude said. the superintendent told 22News.
According to Springfield Police Department Spokesman Ryan Walsh, on Monday around 2:10 p.m., a school resource officer at the school reported a large disturbance. Around the same time, Walsh said, a group of people who weren't students at a science or engineering college emerged. A teacher broke down the back door and told the group they were not allowed to leave, but Walsh said one of the suspects grabbed the door handle, allowing at least four people, including a female student, to get inside. It is said that
“I think somebody thought they were doing the right thing by opening that door and telling them to come in from the front. I think they understand that it could come in,” Superintendent Claproad said.
Walsh said the suspect pistol-whipped the victim and fired one shot in the school hallway, which broke a window. However, although no one was hurt, Mayor Domenic Sarno said the situation could have ended very badly.
“An incident like this has never happened in Springfield Public Schools and we don't want to see it in Springfield Public Schools. So we're going to work hard,” Mayor Sarno told 22News. Ta.
Mayor Sarno is encouraging parents of the students involved to talk to their children about the dangers of what happened at school. Counseling services will continue to be provided to Cytech staff and students in the coming days.
Taylor Knight is a morning anchor and I-Team reporter who has been part of the 22News team since 2018. Follow Taylor on X @TaylorKNews Check out her bio to see more of her work.
