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New Hanover School shooting: 1 student injured, 15-year-old in custody

The New Hanover County Sheriff’s Office revealed Chance Deablo has been taken into custody on Aug 30 afternoon

Update:  A 15-year-old student is now facing an attempted murder charge after he allegedly shot another student following a fight at New Hanover High School on Aug 30. The New Hanover County Sheriff’s Office revealed Chance Deablo has been taken into custody on Aug 30 afternoon. He’s been charged with: Attempted first-degree murder, assault with a deadly weapon with intent to kill inflicting serious injury, bringing a weapon onto school grounds and discharging a weapon on school grounds. Whether the trial will be held in juvenile or adult court has not yet been decided.

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WILMINGTON, NORTH CAROLINA: New Hanover High School was placed on lockdown after claims of a shooting, just before 12 pm local time on Monday, August 30. Parents were asked to stay away from the building amidst the reports of the shooting. The high school board also confirmed the news of lockdown. According to Sheriff Ed McMahon, the shooting took place after an argument and fight on a catwalk between buildings at the school shortly after 11 am.

"New Hanover High School is currently on lockdown. We are asking families to NOT come to the building. Law enforcement is currently on the scene. We will update our New Hanover High School families as more information becomes available, "a statement released by the high school board said. A similar incident was reported at Washington Middle School, in Albuquerque, New Mexico, a wherein 13-year-old bully fired six bullets. A sixth-grader girl at Rigby Middle School in Idaho went on a shooting spree injuring three before being arrested in May. Earlier this month, former janitor Kristopher Clay of an Oregon school was arrested for stocking weapons for mass shootings. 

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Lt. Jerry Brewer with the New Hanover sheriff’s office confirmed that one student was shot and taken to the hospital. The official statement by the sheriff's office said, "NHSO is on scene at New Hanover high school where students are being evacuated to Williston middle school do to a shooting. Parents will need to pick up their children from the MLK Center once the school has done an accurate headcount."

Alongside the lockdown, authorities also blocked off roads close to the school. A spokesperson for New Hanover County Schools said that the sheriff’s office confirmed that this is not an active shooter situation. The school board said in a news release, "New Hanover High School students and staff have been escorted to Williston Middle School by the Sheriff’s Department after a shooting on the campus of New Hanover High School. The Sheriff’s office has confirmed this is NOT an active shooter situation. Once a full headcount is conducted, students will be taken to the MLK center at 401 S 8th street where they will be released to their parents. Williston Middle School and Gregory Elementary are safely under a shelter in place. Students from these two schools are not being released to families at this time. Please wait for further instructions before going to one of those locations to pick up your student." The identity of the victim or the shooter is not known at the moment. 

A video of the alleged fight in New Hanover high school is circulating widely online, however, there is no confirmation whether this is related to the shooting. 

Trigger Warning