KIPP DC College Prep closed Tuesday after student shot; police search for gray SUV
WASHINGTON - KIPP DC College Preparatory is closed Tuesday one day after a student was shot outside the school prompting a temporary lockdown.
The school confirmed the shooting in a letter sent to parents addressing an altered dismissal plan.
Around 1:38 p.m., D.C. police said they received a call for a shooting in the 1400 block of Brentwood Parkway Northeast — outside KIPP DC College Preparatory.
When officers arrived at the school, they found the victim – later identified as a student – suffering from gunshot wounds. Police at the scene reported the victim was "conscious and breathing," when they located him.
A spokesperson with KIPP DC noted that at approximately 1:40 PM, the school "temporarily moved into a lockdown stance after learning of a student being shot outside of KIPP DC College Preparatory. All staff and students remained in their classrooms with their doors locked and MPD was called immediately. All other students and staff are safe and the scene is secure."
D.C. police are currently looking for a gray SUV with unknown license tags, last seen on Mt. Olivet Road NE. Images of the vehicle were captured by surveillance cameras and have been released by police.
KIPP DC also stated that they have been "in close touch with MPD and the family of the student and are waiting to hear more information from them. We will shift to a controlled dismissal for students this afternoon. Police will be on site and there will be road closures during dismissal."
During KIPP DC's "controlled dismissal," students needed to be picked up by their parents or receive confirmation of a safe plan for those students to get home.
KIPP DC officials decided school will be closed Tuesday and will reopen on Wednesday with mental health practitioners and services available to all students. There will also be an additional police presence on campus in the coming days.
"We are outraged and concerned by the uptick in violence in our community," the letter sent to families reads. "The safety of our students and staff is our top priority. We will continue to work with MPD and city leaders to ensure that students and staff are safe at school. We encourage parents to talk with their
children and monitor their wellbeing and emotional health."
The school system said that the family has given them permission to share that the student is in stable condition and expected to be released from the hospital Monday night.
This is a developing story. Stay with FOX 5 for more updates.