WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. — A student was shot in the leg near Reynolds High School around 3:30 p.m. on Tuesday, according to the Forsyth County Sheriff's Office. The victim was transported to a local hospital and Forsyth County Sheriff Bobby Kimbrough Jr said he's stable condition.
"He'll never forget what happened to him yesterday. The psychological effect, he'll never walk the same way," Kimbrough Jr said. "But I want you to know that as a community, we are better than this."
Kimbrough said the student’s mom expressed gratitude for community prayers and urged residents to "put their guns down ... "She wanted me to let you know that she wanted this to be resolved, not in the streets, not retaliation, but she wanted to be resolved with the right way."
Police and school officials aren’t sharing details about the suspect, but the district attorney said a recent change to North Carolina law could mean tougher charges for the shooter.
Forsyth County District Attorney Jim O’Neill said the amendment to the "Raise the Age" law will allow police to pursue stronger charges. The law requires 16- and 17-year-olds to be charged as adults for Class A through E felonies. Homicides, shootings, stabbings, and armed robberies all fall under these categories.
“Anyone who endangers children will face the full penalty of the law,” O’Neill said. "As of December 1st, if anybody committed a robbery, a shooting, what we describe as an A through E punishment felony which includes robberies, shootings, things of that nature, violent crimes, 16- and 17-year-olds now are gonna be brought to adult court immediately. Ok. There is no, there is no further hurdles that my prosecutors have to jump over and clear in order to get a juvenile into superior court," O’Neill said.
School shootings also impact the mental health of students, teachers, and staff. WFMY spoke to a pediatric psychologist who said open communication with students is crucial.
"It's important to provide a lot of support to um students who may have been most impacted by um the event, you know, particularly those who experience lockdown or, or those who attend Reynolds or um where wherever you know, they may have experienced an incident of school violence. So acting quickly, I think is important to buffer some of the effects of the traumatic event," said Linda Nicolotti, a pediatric psychologist at Atrium Health Levine Children's Brenner Children's Hospital.
The school district’s superintendent said some parents remain worried. About 600 students were absent during first period, as some parents said yesterday’s shooting still has them on edge.
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