1 wounded in school shooting, ‘could have been much worse’
WEST LIBERTY, Ohio — A school shooting that left one student hospitalized and others scrambling out classroom windows could have been far worse if not for the heroics of staff members who stopped the shooter and had him pinned down when police arrived, authorities said.
The shooter, a 17-year-old senior, used a shotgun and intended to harm more than the student who was hit, Champaign County Sheriff Matthew Melvin said.
The shooter was in custody facing a preliminary charge of felonious assault, with an initial hearing scheduled Monday, authorities said.
“As tragic as this situation is, we are very, very fortunate,” prosecutor Kevin Talebi said. “It could have been much worse. I’m very, very thankful that, as bad as it is, it didn’t escalate to a much more tragic incident.”