1 student dead, another critically wounded in shooting outside Richfield school; 2 arrested

[Leroy N. Soetoro]

https://www.kare11.com/article/news/local/1-student-killed-another-
injured-shooting-outside-richfield-school/89-3e77b3ca-ed16-4ae7-8661-
751be3ab661d

RICHFIELD, Minn. — One student is dead and another is in critical
condition after a shooting outside a school in Richfield Tuesday.

At a news conference Tuesday afternoon, Richfield Police Chief Jay
Henthorne told reporters the two victims were shot on a sidewalk outside
the District 287 South Education Center around 12:07 p.m., and the suspect
or suspects fled in a vehicle immediately afterwards.

The two students were rushed to Hennepin County Medical Center, where one
was pronounced dead and the other is reportedly in critical condition.

Richfield police said Tuesday evening that two suspects were arrested in
connection to the shooting. Officials said a gun was also recovered,
however it's unclear if it's the gun that was used in Tuesday's shooting.
Police say they're not currently looking for any other suspects.

Law enforcement has not identified the victims; however, Richfield High
School football coach Kris Pulford confirmed the teen killed was 16-year-
old Jahmari Rice, son of local activist Cortez Rice. Pulford said Rice was
a former player for his team, and had just transferred schools two days
earlier.

The victims will not be identified by officials until family and friends
are notified, however, multiple sources have told KARE 11 that the student
killed was local activist Cortez Rice's 16-year-old son. Richfield High
School head football coach Kris Pulford confirmed the student's name is
Jahmari Rice.

"This is a tragic day in the city of Richfield," Henthorne said. "Our
community, our hearts, our prayers, our thoughts go out to District 287,
their students, their families and our community."

The chief asked anyone who has information on the shooting or those
responsible to call 888-ATF-TIPS or 800-CALL-FBI.

District 287 Superintendent Sandra Lewandowski said staff members and
police responded immediately after the shooting, and implemented lockdown
procedures.

"We express our deepest condolences to the family and friends of the
victims. To us there are students who come through the doors every day, we
care for them, and this is a terrible tragedy and loss," Lewandowski said,
her voice breaking. "We are deeply saddened by this incident, and will do
everything we can to work to support the families, classmates and staff in
whatever way possible."

Multiple squads were dispatched shortly after noon to the South Education
Center in the 7000 block of Penn Ave. South. Images from the scene
reflected a strong police presence that included special agents from the
FBI and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF).


Shortly after 1:30 p.m. District 287 sent a message to parents and
stakeholders. "We have just become aware of a police situation at South
Education Center. We are still gathering information at this time, the
site is on a hard lockdown as of this email. We will be communicating
updates with families as soon as we have more information."

That lockdown was lifted shortly before 2:30 p.m. when it was determined
there was no remaining danger.

On Tuesday evening, officials canceled school on Wednesday and Thursday.


One parent on scene at South Education Center waiting for her child shared
a text she received as the incident unfolded. "Mom, there is a shooter in
the school I love you," the message read.

Police and school officials established a pickup area at nearby Donaldson
Park where students could safely be reunited with their parents.


Community members gathered later Tuesday night to remember Jahmari,
including his former football teammates and coach. His former coach, Kris
Pulford, said he talked to him just last week.

"If I knew that was the last time, I probably would have said a little bit
more," Pulford said.

Pulford called him a "good kid," and his sudden death has many people left
grappling with what happened.

Richfield City Council released the following statement in response:

Like everyone in Richfield and the region, we are still processing the
tragic school shooting that took place just after noon today at the South
Education Center. These headlines appear far too often, and our hearts
sink that such a tragedy has landed in our community. We join our partners
at Intermediate School District 287, South Education Center, all Richfield
families and students who are grieving.

We were heartbroken to learn that one of the students was killed in the
incident, and another is in critical condition. We offer our condolences
to the family of the victim who was killed and our compassion to the
victim in critical condition and to those directly impacted by the
shooting. We thank the brave school staff, teachers, police officers,
firefighters and all cooperating jurisdictions for their assistance in
responding to this incident.

Richfield has long been a close-knit, safe and welcoming community.
Everyone in our community deserves to feel safe in their schools and in
their community, and today this safety was threatened. Please check-in on
your neighbors, hug your children and be there for your friends and
family.

As more information develops on the situation, we will be updating the
community.

Veteran KARE 11 photojournalist Craig Norkus lives across from the school.
He said he was preparing for work when he heard the siren of one squad,
and then they were "non-stop." Norkus called the response "overwhelming,"
saying he counted between 30 and 40 squads from various agencies, and a
minimum of five ambulances.

Superintendent Lewandowski told reporters that the South Education Center
is part of District 287, a partnership of 11 metro-area school districts.
The campus in Richfield serves about 200 students pre-K through Transition
with unique needs in a variety of programs.

Superintendent Lewandowski released a statement Tuesday evening:

With a heavy heart we report that on Tuesday, Feb. 1, there were shots
fired outside at South Education Center near the front entrance. Two
students were injured in the incident.

Our staff members and police responded immediately to the situation and
followed our security procedures. The two injured students are receiving
medical care for their injuries. As of now, one has passed away, one is in
critical condition (HCMC)

There are no words to describe the bravery exhibited by our staff at SEC
and local authorities today. No one should ever have to respond to a
tragedy like this and we commit to supporting staff, students, and
families’ well-being as they recover from this incident.

We remain in constant contact with the police department as they continue
their investigation. We are unable to confirm any reports due to the
ongoing police investigation. Please refer questions about the
investigation to the Richfield Police Department.

We express our deepest condolences to the family and friends of the
victims. We are deeply saddened by this incident and will work to support
the family, classmates, and staff as much as we can.

There are no words to describe the bravery exhibited by our staff at SEC
and local authorities today. No one should ever have to respond to a
tragedy like this and we commit to supporting staff, students, and
families’ well-being as they recover from this incident.

The safety of our students and staff is a top priority. We will continue
to update you as we learn more details.

It is always difficult to understand an incident like this and it is an
especially important time to reach out for support. District 287 stands
ready to support our students and staff as needed as we recover from this
tragedy.

According to a statement from Richfield Middle School, which is located
near the South Education Center, but part of a separate district,
emergency personnel responded to the school "accidentally," saying that at
no time were students at RMS in any danger. In their statement, school
officials say officers had weapons drawn and were wearing bulletproof
vests, however, they don't believe many students witnessed it since it
occurred while they were in class.

"It is important that you are aware of the incident in the event that your
child hears about it, as some children may be deeply impacted by this type
of news," the statement reads in part.

Police were previously called to the campus in September of 2021 on
reports of a student with a handgun. South Education Center was locked
down, and officers took a student into custody near the school entrance.
They found a loaded handgun in that student's possession.

This is a developing story. KARE 11 will continue to update this story as
more information becomes available.



--
"LOCKDOWN", left-wing COVID fearmongering. 95% of COVID infections
recover with no after effects.

No collusion - Special Counsel Robert Swan Mueller III, March 2019.
Officially made Nancy Pelosi a two-time impeachment loser.

Donald J. Trump, cheated out of a second term by fraudulent "mail-in"
ballots. Report voter fraud: sf.n...@mail.house.gov

Thank you for cleaning up the disaster of the 2008-2017 Obama / Biden
fiasco, President Trump.

Under Barack Obama's leadership, the United States of America became the
The World According To Garp. Obama sold out heterosexuals for Hollywood
queer liberal democrat donors.

President Trump boosted the economy, reduced illegal invasions, appointed
dozens of judges and three SCOTUS justices.