Two students were killed and two other teens wounded in a shooting Friday afternoon near a high school on Chicago’s West Side, authorities said.
Chicago firefighters said the four 16-year-olds were shot near Benito Juárez High School. Chicago Police Superintendent David Brown, at a press conference, confirmed the deaths of two of the victims.
Police spokesman Tom Ahern said the four were shot outside the school. Police and paramedics responded to the shooting shortly before 3:00 p.m. Friday.
A spokesman for the Chicago Fire Department said all four were taken to the same hospital. One child was pronounced dead on arrival, another child was in critical condition and two other teens, a boy and a girl, suffered non-life-threatening injuries, Ahern initially said.
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PremiumPremiumPremiumPremiumChicago Public Schools CEO Pedro Martinez also appeared at the news conference, saying, “First we want to make sure we keep the victims in our prayers.”
The school system, also known as CPS, issued a statement saying in part that “the safety of our school community is our highest priority.” He added that the system safety and security office was working with school officials and school leaders to gather information about what happened.
