12-year-old boy shoots classmates at school in US

A 12-year-old boy reportedly shot and killed a classmate of the same age at a school in the US state of South Carolina. The motive for the act was not initially clear. The suspect from Tanglewood Middle School in Greenville was arrested and charged with murder and illegal possession of weapons as a minor, among other things, the sheriff’s office said Thursday night (local time).

A school security officer heard gunshots and called for backup around noon. Emergency services found the injured victim when they arrived. The boy was taken to the hospital, where he was later pronounced dead. Police found the alleged perpetrator after a search of a residential building and arrested him. A weapon was seized.

The two boys knew each other, it was said. However, the reason initially remained unclear. Investigators also wanted to find out how the suspect got the gun.