STANLY COUNTY, N.C. --An Albemarle High School student was shot by another student during an argument at the school Tuesday morning, Stanly County authorities said.
Albemarle police said a male student was shot twice in the courtyard at the front of the school around 7:30 a.m. before classes started for the day.
"In this case we had the suspect immediately in custody," said Albemarle Police Chief William Halliburton.
A parent who spoke to NBC Charlotte identified Jalen Russel as the shooter and the victim as Bernard Miller. Halliburton would only say the victim "was shot in the lower extremities."
Police said the shooting stemmed from an altercation between the two students. There were a few students who witnessed the shooting.
Halliburton said the shooting was an isolated incident and the shooter has been charged with assault with a deadly weapon.
Halliburton would not officially release the name of the shooter or victim, but NBC Charlotte was able to confirm the identities from witnesses at the school.
"We had 20 officers there (at the school) within minutes," Halliburton said during a news conference.
He said after Russel shot Miller he walked into the front office and turned himself into the principal and resource officer.
"We have recovered the gun," Halliburton said. "It was placed on the ground."
The chief said the weapon was a handgun but did not say how many shots were fired.
"He could have done more so the reaction is that we're thankful that he gave himself up," Halliburton said.
Officers did a sweep of the school while students were in lockdown. After the school was deemed safe, students were evacuated.
"The school was evacuated within one and a half hours," Halliburton said.
Once the school was evacuated the students went about a block away to North Albemarle Baptist Church on Salisbury. A staging area was set-up for parents at the church.
Classes have been cancelled for today. A decision has not been made if classes will be cancelled for Wednesday.
Halliburton said police had trained for school shooting during a training exercise this summer.
"I feel we were as prepared as we could be," he said.
The victim was taken to Stanly Regional Medical Center for treatment.
The alleged shooter, Jalen Russel, has ties to the Triad area. In a statement released from Montgomery County Schools, the district said "we can confirm that the young man mentioned in news reports was a student at Montgomery Learning Academy and is not longer a student at Montgomery County Schools." The district also said that because of federal privacy laws, there is very little that the school system can say regarding current or former students.
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