Boy, 13, Named As Suspect In Shooting Near LA Middle School

LOS ANGELES, CA — A 13-year-old boy is believed to be the person responsible for shooting a 17-year-old near a San Fernando Valley middle school Thursday afternoon, according to police.

The shooting occurred just after 3 p.m. on the 15300 block of Plummer Street, two blocks east of Sepulveda Boulevard, according to the Los Angeles Police Department.

The shooting "occurred off campus adjacent to Sepulveda Middle School," according to the Los Angeles School Police Department.

Police arrived to find the victim, a 17-year-old boy, suffering from a gunshot wound to the thigh, NBC Los Angeles reported. He was transported to a local hospital in unknown condition.

The victim, who is not a student at the school, was walking toward the campus to pick up a younger sibling, the station.

Police said there was some sort of altercation that proceeded the shooting, NBC Los Angeles reported.

A 13-year-old boy believed to be a student at the middle school was named as a suspect, according to the LAPD.

The boy had not been arrested as of Wednesday night.

The shooting prompted a brief lockdown at the middle school Wednesday and extra patrols near the school on Thursday.

"Due to the proximity to our campus, we placed the school on lockdown and requested assistance from the Los Angeles School Police Department," according to the Los Angeles Unified School District. The lockdown was lifted a short time later.

Additional officers were patrolling the school campus Thursday.

"Region North will be providing extra staff to support the safety and wellbeing of our school community," according to the LAUSD. "Our school will also provide resources for students who may request additional mental health support."

City News Service contributed to this report.