UPDATE: Officials from the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department have identified the suspect in Monday’s shooting as Jessie Rios, 18. LVMPD officials say he has been taken into custody. Police say Rios will be booked into the Clark County Detention Center once the investigation is completed.
LAS VEGAS (KLAS) — A person was shot on a middle school campus Monday, Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department officials said.
At approximately 12:30 p.m., dispatchers received reports of an individual struck by gunfire Ed Von Tobel Middle School, near the intersection of Pecos Road and Carey Avenue in northeast Las Vegas.
Ed Von Tobel Middle School and Jay W. Jeffers Elementary School, another school nearby, were immediately placed in a hard lockdown while investigators set up a perimeter and ensured that children were uninjured.
At approximately 1:39 p.m., police said that Von Tobel Middle School had been cleared and that no additional injuries were reported. Officials from the Clark County School District Police Department said they plan a controlled release at dismissal time for both Von Tobel Middle School and Jeffers Elementary School.
According to officials, the adult victim was taken to an area hospital for treatment, where they are listed in stable condition. Detectives are interviewing potential witnesses that could provide more information on the shooting.
Sources told the 8 News Now Investigators on Monday night that a stray bullet may have struck the employee.
In a statement from CCSD Superintendent Dr. Jesus F. Jara, the victim was identified as a staff member and was later confirmed to be a campus security monitor by the Education Support Employee Association (ESEA).
“Thankfully, no students were injured in today’s incident at Von Tobel Middle School, and our hearts are with our staff member and their family as we pray for a speedy recovery,” Jara said.
The suspect in the shooting has yet to be identified or taken into custody, and it is not yet known if the shots originated from outside or inside the school.
The following message was delivered to Von Tobel Middle School parents as news of the shooting began spreading.
Greetings Ed Von Tobel Middle School families,
The safety of our students is the number one priority at Von Tobel Middle School.
As always, we want to keep you informed of important issues happening within our school community.
The school has been placed on a hard lockdown due to a police investigation. Students are safe in their classroom.
We will provide additional updates as information becomes available.
Thank you,
Leonardo Amador
Principal
8 News Now spoke with two young sisters who were confined to separate classrooms at the school during the lockdown.
“I was more worried about my sister because I’m the eldest in my family, and ever since the alarm came on, the announcement came on, I was scared and we heard like knocking from the police and moving,” Jazmine Reyes shared. “Once they got in I was wondering if my sister was safe.”
Anyone with more information on the incident is asked to contact Crime Stoppers via phone at (702) 828-5555 or its website.
