A Perth school has been placed into lockdown, with a teenager, believed to be a former student, taken into custody following a shooting incident.
WA Police said their officers were called to reports of shots being fired at Atlantis Beach Baptist College, on Breakwater Drive in the outer-northern suburb of Two Rocks about 11.50am on Wednesday.
Preliminary reports suggest a 15-year-old boy attended the school and fired a gun in the carpark.
Speaking to media on Wednesday afternoon, WA Police Commissioner Col Blanch said the teenager is believed to be a former student of thhe school, and to have fired three shots, one of which hit a school building with people inside it.
He said “very young” students were among those who called triple zero after the shots were heard, and that those who called provided “great detail”.
Atlantis Beach Baptist College, in the outer-northern suburb of Two Rocks, was put into lockdown late Wednesday morning after an apparent shooting incident. Picture: Google Street View
Police have arrested the teenager and seized two firearms, both rifles, from a black four-wheel-drive vehicle they allege he arrived on school grounds in.
“We’ve found three shells, we believe three shots were fired, and at least one of them hit a school building,” Commissioner Blanch said.
He said there had been no injuries as a result of the incident and that there was no further threat to the public.
“It really shocked me that this has ocurred in Western Australia, but what I’m really pleased about is the response from the school and the response from the community, he said.”
“This is one of the most rarest incidents in Australia … I truly believe this is a rare incident, and a one-off.”
Police are now at the home of the 15-year-old, and the Commissioner confirmed his parents would be questioned as part of the investigation.
“This will be a very thorough investigation,” he said. “How does a 15-year-old get a hold of two lethal weapons and fire them in a suburban school area?”
Statement from Deputy Commissioner Col Blanch: Cleo Smith has been found alive , Source;, https://www.facebook.com/WA.Police/videos/413985786889333
“I want to reassure the parents and the community that we have a significant number of police resources on site, and we’re dealing with the situation,” WA Police Inspector Geoff DeSanges said earlier in the day.
“We ask that parents and members of the public give us some distance to complete our duties.”
Firearm Incident at Two Rocks School
UPDATE: There is no ongoing risk to the public in this incident. Police can confirm that nobody was injured & that all staff and students at the school have been accounted for. One person is in police custody and investigations are continuing pic.twitter.com/NUSxuWbHv2
— WA Police Force (@WA_Police) May 24, 2023
Investigations continue, and police will provide further updates throughout the afternoon.
NCA NewsWire has contacted the school for comment.
Read related topics:Perth