Principal Kevin Lein was shot by a student at Harrisburg High School in South Dakota. (Harrisburg High School)
A high school principal in South Dakota was shot Wednesday by a student, the Argus Leader reports.
Harrisburg High School Principal Kevin Lein suffered a flesh wound, officials told the newspaper. The shooter was taken into custody and has not yet been identified. All students at the school are safe, according to the Argus Leader.
Lein was shot in his office, and an assistant principal took down the gunman, officials said.
Here’s what you need to know:
1. The School Was Placed Into Lockdown
The school was placed into lockdown after the shooting, the Argus Leader reports.
Harrisburg High School still blocked off. @KDLTNews http://t.co/VKmJD3FdUp
KDLT’s Jack Eble reported that buses appeared to be taking students from the school.
The shooting was reported at about 10 a.m.
2. Lein Was Shot in the Arm
Sending prayers to my fellow educators and students at the Harrisburg High School. Stay strong Principal Kevin Lein! #sdedchat
Principal Kevin Lein was shot in the arm, KELO-TV reports.
King said Principal Kevin Lein addressed students after being shot. “He came on the intercom to say he loved us.”
The superintendent of the school district said Lein was in stable condition and in good spirits.
3. The Gunman Was Held Down Until Police Arrived
.@Argus911 Lincoln county deputy sheriff blocks entrance to Harrisburg high school. http://t.co/1Vxp4ySqrl
Police said at a press conference that assistant principal Ryan Rollinger heard a gunshot from Lein’s office and went to help. He tackled the shooter, and athletic director Joey Struwe then helped him hold the gunman down until police arrived.
“For years we’ve been, schools have been trying to figure out how to prepare for this,” superintendent Jim Holbeck said. “And you hope it never happens in your backyard.”
4. He Has Been Principal at Harrisburg High School Since 2010
According to the biography on his website, Lein has been principal at Harrisburg High School since 2010.
Lein wrote in a 2010 blog post introducing himself to the school, “My face hurts. I haven’t stopped grinning since the day I became a part of Harrisburg School district. Hi – My name is Kevin Lein, the luckiest principal ever. A fantastic facility, super students, spectacular staff and a community of diversity and good intent. Serving you will be a sincere pleasure.”
5. He Is a Former College Professor & Basketball Coach
Law enforcement on scene at Harrisburg High School after a shooting. Principal injured, according to supt. http://t.co/hA8m3POEAw
Lein, who was born in Maryville, Missouri, has previously worked as a college professor, an athletic director, a coach, a teacher and a journalist.
According to his website, Lein worked at Hanson High School from 2008 to 2010, before coming to Harrisburg in South Dakota. Before that, he was the athletic director at the College of Saint Mary in Omaha, Nebraska, from 2006 to 2008.
He was a professor at Dakota Wesleyan University from 1993 to 2006, and was also the head women’s basketball coach there from 1998 to 2004, the head softball coach from 2002 to 2005 and assistant men’s basketball coach from 1990 to 1998. Before he worked at Dakota Wesleyan, he was the chairman of the physical educatio ndepartment from 1984 to 1990 at Mount Marty College, where he also coached the women’s basketball team.
Lein was a middle school teacher and tennis coach from 1990 to 1993. His first job was as a reporter and editor at the Yankton Press & Dakota from 1978 to 1988.
He and his wife, Amy, have two children, Kennedy and Karter, according to his biography.
