Petrina Francis, Staff Reporter

An employee of Marksman Limited (right) and a police officer gather evidence outside a grade nine classroom at the Norman Manley High School, St. Andrew, after a female student was shot in her right arm by a fellow student yesterday. - Norman Grindley /Deputy Chief Photographer

A 15-year-old boy was arrested last night after shooting a female schoolmate at the Norman Manley High School in St. Andrew.

According to Deputy Superintendent of Police, Michael Phipps, of the St. Andrew South Police Division, about 4:00 p.m. yesterday, the male student was showing the illegal firearm to other students in a classroom, when it went off hitting the 15-year-old female student, in her right arm.

DSP Phipps said an alarm was made and, when staff members and students attempted to accost the student, he pointed the firearm at them and escaped over a fence.

When The Gleaner visited the institution about 5:00 p.m., the classroom where the grade nine student was shot, was cordoned off, while investigators gathered evidence.

The school administrators were tightlipped about the incident and one of the vice-principals declined to comment, noting that he was not at the school when the incident occurred.

Investigators believe the boy, who lives with his grandmother at a Kingston address, left the area for Spanish Town. The female student was treated at a Kingston-based hospital and her condition is not believed to be life threatening.

The Gleaner understands that a security guard, contracted by Marksman Limited, was at the gate when the incident occurred. The gate was opened as the school, which operates on a shift system, had dismissed about 15 minutes prior to the shooting incident.