Armed teen holds W.Va. classroom hostage, surrenders

State Police Capt. Dave Reider said that law enforcement security would be beefed up at the school Wednesday when classes resume, the AP reported.

Police said the school was locked down and the rest of the students were evacuated to a football field before being taken home by school buses.

Barbour County Schools Superintendent Jeffrey Woofter says 29 students were in the second-floor classroom at Philip Barbour High School with the suspect when classes were about to change Tuesday.

There were no reported injuries. Police have not identified the student. Authorities said the episode lasted two and a half hours.

Investigators are still trying to pin down what led the 14-year-old – who was sent to a local hospital for evaluation after the incident – to do what he did. As she was crying, his daughter told his father that she never was as scared as she was now. Passing minutes appeared like hours earlier than authorities let the scholars head residence. Saltis said “a lot” was going through his mind in the meantime.

Local authorities got first reports about 1.30pm of someone with a gun in the building.

One terrified parent said that all of the other students were evacuated on the school’s football stadium and that he was finally able to see his daughter. Ben Queen/AP A school official speaks with parents after a 14-year-old boy held students and a teacher hostage. “That’s the way it works”.

Baylous says he has no details or description of the suspect, saying it was someone believed to have a gun.

The statement continued: ‘Additionally, the West Virginia State Police would like to thank all the parents of the schoolchildren for their patience, understanding, and cooperation.

According to a report from West Virginia Metronews, the incident was described as a “hostage type” situation.

‘Their ability to keep calm in this situation made it much easier for officers to successfully perform their duties, which resulted in positive conclusion to an incident which easily could have developed into a tragedy.

Philippi, a town of about 3,000 residents, is located in north-central West Virginia.