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North Thurston High School building (Bahn Mi/Wikipedia Creative Commons)
A teacher at North Thurston High School is being hailed as a hero after taking down a teen gunman who fired multiple shots into the air at Monday morning at the Lacey, Washington school.
According to posts on social media by students, the shooter was taken down by teacher Brady Olson. A popular teacher, Olson has been at the school for nine years and teaches government and politics.
No injuries have been reported. The gunman was a 15- or 16-year-old boy, according to King 5.
The shooting happened in a the school’s “commons area,” according to Q 13 News.
Here’s what you need to know:
1. The Shooter Fired Multiple Shots Before He Was Taken Down
According to a Facebook post on the school district’s page, the shooter was stopped by staff and no injuries were reported.
The school said on its website, “A shooting has been reported. Lacey police have suspect in custody. NTHS in lockdown while authorities clear the school. No injuries. When safety of area is confirmed, reunification will take place at the football stadium after a full accounting of all students has been completed.”
Students quickly took to Twitter to praise Olson, the teacher who stopped the shooter:
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2. A Student Described the Shooter as Having a ‘Justin Bieber’ Haircut
A student at the school, Devin Santos, said she “did not recognize the kid,” telling Q 13 News, “(he) a white male, he had kind of a Justin Bieber haircut, it was black hair.”
3. A Student Said Someone Screamed ‘Shooting’ as People Ran Out of the School
A student told Q13 News that when she arrived at the school people were running out. It was about 7:30 a.m. People screamed “shooting” and she drove off, she told the news station.
The school district said police swept the school as a precaution before students are dismissed. The school was in lockdown and students were dismissed room-by-room to the football field, according to police.
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4. Students Reacted to the Shooting on Twitter
5. The School Has About 1,400 Students
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According to its website, the school is located in Lacey, Washington, in North Thurston County. About 1,400 students attend the school, which serves a portion of Lacey and North Thurston County. About 70 faculty work there.
