A police chief says a teenage suspect and officers fired gunshots at each other at an eastern Indiana middle school before the youth killed himself.
Richmond Community Schools posted on social media all schools were locked down because of an "active shooter situation" at Dennis Intermediate School.
Indiana State Police say the 14-year-old suspect is dead, and no students were injured.
ISP Sgt. John Bowling says someone called in to Richmond Police dispatch before 8 a.m. Thursday.
"The local police, Richmond and the Wayne County Sheriff's Department, received information this morning that a person was possibly en route to Dennis Intermediate School here in Richmond, on the west side of Richmond, to possibly commit a violent act," Bowling says.
Police say the school district was immediately placed on lockdown. Officers confronted the teenage suspect, who then shot out the glass of a locked entry door to the school and ran inside. He and police exchanged gunfire as officers pursued him in the building.
Police say the 14-year-old died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound. No officers were injured, and it has not been determined if the suspect was wounded by police.
Bowling says the early morning tip likely prevented anyone else inside the school from getting hurt.
"Mainly because someone knew something, and they said something," Bowling says. "They warned police and police were able to respond. The school was able to follow procedures to help protect students."
Officials say the suspect was not a student at Dennis Intermediate School.
All students and staffers were safe following the shooting, said Bridget Hazelbaker, a spokeswoman for Richmond Community Schools.
Students from the school were being bused to Richmond High School for parents to pick them up.
Other schools in the district will resume classes and follow regular dismissal times.
Dennis will not be open for students Fri Dec 14 & Mon Dec 17. All other RCS schools will be open. The event today at Dennis was an isolated incident. We will have extra law enforcement presence at all schools. If you plan to keep your children home tomorrow, we understand. pic.twitter.com/e6bNUYNWvh — WeRrichmond (@wearrrichmond) December 13, 2018
This is the second school shooting in Indiana this year. A student opened fire at Noblesville West Middle School in May, injuring classmate Ella Whistler and teacher Jason Seaman. A judge ordered the 13-year-old be sent to a juvenile detention facility.
This story has been updated. The Associated Press contributed to this report.
