The Latest: Mayor says his city mourns school shooting death

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (AP) — The Latest on a shooting at an Alabama high school (all times local):

6:30 p.m.

Birmingham Mayor Randall Woodfin says his Alabama city is mourning the death of a 17-year-old female student in a shooting at a local high school.

Authorities say the student was killed and another 17-year-old student, a boy, was injured Wednesday afternoon at Huffman High School. Authorities say they’re investigating whether the shooting was accidental.

Woodfin says the deceased student would have turned 18 in about 30 days and was a senior “who had aspirations and dreams to be a nurse.” He adds, “We are not just talking about some person, (we’re) talking about losing a part of our future. Our hearts are heavy.”

Neither student was immediately identified, and police say they are seeking surveillance video and witnesses to determine what had happened.

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5:45 p.m.

Police say a 17-year-old girl has been killed in a shooting at a Birmingham, Alabama, high school that has left another 17-year-old student, a boy, injured.

Birmingham’s interim Police Chief Orlando Wilson said at a news conference after Wednesday afternoon’s at Huffman High School that authorities are seeking to determine whether the shooting was accidental. Authorities had previously told local media groups it was accidental but Wilson says the circumstances remain under investigation.

Wilson declined to identify either student. He says authorities are investigating whether a gun now in the possession of authorities was accidentally discharged. The chief says the shooting occurred as school was being dismissed Wednesday, adding it’s not from where “someone from the outside came into the school.”

Wilson did not respond to questions as to who fired the gun.

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4:30 p.m.

Authorities say two students have been hurt in an accidental shooting during afternoon dismissal at a high school in Alabama’s largest city.

Birmingham Police Sgt. Bryan Shelton told local media organizations that one of the students suffered life-threatening injuries in the shooting Wednesday afternoon. Shelton initially called it an “accidental shooting” but details weren’t immediately available. Authorities later said they were seeking to determine if the shooting was accidental, adding they were investigating the circumstances and seeking witnesses and surveillance video of the scene.

The Birmingham City school system said in a statement that the shooting at Huffman High School prompted a brief lockdown and police were called. It says students were subsequently let go and police are investigating the circumstances surrounding the shooting.

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