Police said the
shooting happened Monday morning at
Butler High School in
Matthews,
North Carolina.
A high school student was shot dead by a classmate inside their Matthews, North Carolina, school Monday morning after getting into a fight, police said.
The Matthews Police Department announced the death during a news conference hours after Butler High School, about 12 miles southeast of Charlotte, was placed on lockdown, according to NBC affiliate WCNC.
Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools Superintendent Dr. Clayton Wilcox said the shooting happened around 7 a.m. ET in a crowded hallway before classes started for the day. Police said the two students had a fight and the incident was caught on surveillance video.
Authorities have yet to release the victim's identity, and said the suspected shooter has been arrested and the weapon was recovered.
"We are incredibly saddened that we had a loss of life on one of our campuses," Wilcox said. "And what makes it doubly worse is it was one of our students who was the shooter."
North Carolina Superintendent Mark Johnson said in a statement on Facebook that he was "heartbroken" over the shooting.
"We have contacted Charlotte-Mecklenburg authorities and will assist in any way we can, but of course our first thoughts are for the parents and other loved ones of the student who passed away. The safety of our students is paramount," he said. "This is a sad day for all of North Carolina, and we must work together as a community to address these problems."
Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools issued a statement on Facebook saying the lockdown has since been lifted and there is no immediate danger on campus.