South Dakota high school principal shot, wounded; students safe

Police say 16-year-old, Mason Buhl is being charged as an adult in connection with the shooting. Lein was transported to a hospital with a flesh wound on his arm.

An assistant principal tackled the student, and the school’s athletic director arrived shortly after to help subdue him.

There are counselors available for anyone who needs to speak with someone, although Holbeck said there haven’t been too many students traumatized by the shooting.

The school is located approximately 10 miles outside Sioux Falls.

According to Argus Leader all students were taken around 11 am to Harrisburg South Middle School where parents were waiting to pick them up. He said his ex-wife, with whom his son lives, called to tell him that their son had been arrested following the shooting. A struggle between the student and Lein ensued and a gun went off, said Sam Clemens, Sioux Falls Police information officer.

Eighteen-year-old Aanna Okerlund says she was in college algebra when one of her classmates ran into the room to tell the class he had seen a student with a gun.

The superintendent of schools for Harrisburg High’s jurisdiction is undecided whether or not to re-open school on Friday.

Lincoln County Sgt. Sheriff Terry Anderson guards the entrance of Harrisburg High School, Wednesday, September 30, 2015 in Harrisburg, S.D. Sara Rabern, spokeswoman for the AG’s office, said she has not heard of a school shooting in South Dakota since 2006, the year Marty Jackley became the US attorney for the district of South Dakota.

“His first question to me was, how am I doing”.

Holbeck says school leaders followed protocol and locked down the school to protect everyone inside.

The school has about 635 students from Harrisburg and other communities. “It doesn’t define Harrisburg a bit”, Holbeck said.