A 19-year-old man forced his way into a Virginia elementary school and shot a staff member before being found dead from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound inside the building, authorities said.
The shooting happened Wednesday morning at Westwood Hills Elementary School in Waynesboro, Virginia, triggering a lockdown and a major police response. The injured staff member survived and was treated at a hospital before being released. Police identified the gunman as Anthony I. Ignatiadis-Isabelle, 19, of Augusta County.
The incident began after authorities received a report of a suspicious person on the school grounds at about 9:12am. Police said Ignatiadis-Isabelle forced his way into the building shortly afterwards.
Officers responded within minutes of receiving the emergency call and entered the elementary school. Police found Ignatiadis-Isabelle dead inside the school library. Authorities said the 19-year-old had suffered an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound.
Per reports, only about three minutes passed between the initial call and officers locating the gunman inside the school. No students were inside the library at the time, authorities said.
An adult staff member was also shot during the incident. The staff member was expected to survive and was later treated and released from hospital. The circumstances surrounding the shooting of the staff member remains under investigation.
Authorities have not established a motive for the attack or explained whether Ignatiadis-Isabelle had any connection to the school.
The shooting prompted an immediate lockdown at Westwood Hills Elementary as police rushed to the scene.
Waynesboro Public Schools Superintendent Jeffrey Cassell praised school employees and law enforcement officers for their response, saying emergency procedures were followed after staff alerted authorities.
'Our safety and security protocols and procedures worked,' Cassell said.
Students were later reunited with their families at Westminster Presbyterian Church.
The school was scheduled to remain closed Thursday while authorities and school officials dealt with the aftermath. Families were also expected to receive information about counselling and other support services.
The incident came early in the school year, adding to concerns among parents and staff after an armed intruder entered the building.
Police and other agencies continued investigating the circumstances surrounding the attack. According to reports, the gunman was not a current student and there was no immediate indication that he had previously attended Waynesboro Public Schools.
It was also reported that the injured staff member was treated and released, while authorities continued examining what led to the shooting.
