Suffolk police have declared a "serious incident" in the small town of Kesgrave after a 15-year-old boy was shot and injured on his way to school.
Police said another teenage boy had been arrested and taken into custody for questioning over the shooting just after 8:40 am on Monday in the market town just east of Ipswich.
— Suffolk Police (@SuffolkPolice) September 7, 2020
In a statement on its website, the county force said the victim had been airlifted to Addenbrooke’s Hospital in Cambridge "where he is receiving urgent medical attention."
“We have now made an arrest as part of the investigation and are working with our partners in Suffolk and our schools to ensure that everyone feels safe when they are collecting their children from school this afternoon," Assistant Chief Constable Rob Jones said.
“There will be more police officers on patrol and to provide reassurance in the area and I would ask for anyone with information about this incident to come forward,” he added.
The police said two residential streets in the area, Friends Walk and Through Jollys, had been "completely closed off" and the adjoining Ropes Drive was partially closed, and asked the public to avoid those areas.
The Daily Mirror newspaper quoted one mother who said her daughter and children ran home screaming after hearing shots ring out.
Kesgrave High School tweeted confirmation that one of its year-11 students had been injured in the attack.
The school reassured parents that all other pupils were safe and were expected to stay until the end of the school day at 3:20 pm, with police present around the site.
— Kesgrave High School (@KesgraveHigh) September 7, 2020
— Kesgrave High School (@KesgraveHigh) September 7, 2020