(NewsNation Now) — One student is dead and one is in critical condition after a shooting involving several students of a Minnesota school, local authorities said Wednesday.
Local and federal authorities responded to a shooting that occurred at 12:07 p.m. Tuesday on the sidewalk near the front entrance of the South Education Center in Richfield, Minnesota.
The injured students were taken to Hennepin County Medical Center, where one succumbed to injuries.
The student who was killed was identified as 15-year-old Jahmari Rice, according to local media reports citing a close family friend.
A 19-year-old victim and a juvenile, 17, currently in critical condition were confirmed by police.
The 19-year-old suffered “minor injuries” at the scene but was not hospitalized, and police said they were not sure whether the injuries were from gunfire.
Police said the shooting was not random, saying the five students didn’t know each other and the altercation was possibly related to a previous dispute.
Individuals suspected in the shooting are currently in custody and identified as Fernando Valdez Alvarez, 18, and Alfredo Rosario Solace, 19.
The suspects fled immediately, Richfield Police Chief Jay Henthorne said in a news conference.
Richfield police recovered a handgun after executing simultaneous search warrants at two Minneapolis addresses, they announced Tuesday night.
“Officers are not looking for any additional suspects, but continue to process evidence related to the shooting,” police said in a statement obtained by NewsNation.
The South Education Center, in the 7400 block of South Penn Avenue, is a school serving special needs students and has an enrollment of about 200.
Social media posts showed some belongings scattered outside the school on a sidewalk and red stains can be seen in the snow.
Officers conducted a search of the school and surrounding areas and determined no further threat existed. Lockdowns of area schools have since been lifted.
“We express our deepest condolences to the family and friends of the victims. We are deeply saddened by this incident and will work to support the family, classmates and staff as much as we can,” District 187 Superintendent Sandra Lewandowski said in a statement.
“There are no words to describe the bravery exhibited by our staff at SEC and local authorities today. No one should ever have to respond to a tragedy like this and we commit to supporting staff, students, and family well-being as they recover from this incident.”
South Education Center is across the street from Richfield Middle School.
Richfield Middle School told parents in a letter that while the shooting occurred near the school, “at no time were any RMS students in any danger.”
“Around noon today, police and emergency medical support personnel accidentally showed up outside Richfield Middle School in response to an emergency call from the South Education Center,” school officials wrote in the letter. “As soon as the mistake was realized, they left for the South Education Center.”
The school also told parents that officers had weapons drawn and were in bulletproof vests but it was “unlikely that many students witnessed the event, as they were in class at the time.”
READ ALSO: Around the same time as the shooting in Minnesota, a shooting occurred at Bridgewater College in Virginia. Read the latest developments here.
Check back for details as this story is developing.