KYW Newsradio Team Coverage

A student brought a rifle to Springfield High School on Tuesday morning and shot himself in a school hallway, sending other horrified students fleeing for cover.

School district officials say one else was injured, and the school was placed in lockdown about 9am as police and school officials investigated.

The Springfield School District's web site said all schools in the district would be closed on Wednesday but psychologists would be available to counsel students.

KYW's Al Novack reports that shortly after the gunfire, news helicopter video showed some students being led away from the school building, located at Route 309 and Paper Mill Road.  The school grounds was peppered with police cars, at least one ambulance, and other emergency vehicles.

KYW's Tony Hanson spoke with some students, who said that at the sound of gunshots, many students ran from the building in panic, while others couldn't believe that what they were hearing was gunfire. One described it as the sound of a couple of two-by-fours being smacked together.

One fellow student says the gunman -- later identified as 11th grader Shane Halligan, 16 -- stood in a second-floor hallway of the science wing, yelled for everyone to "get on the ground," then fired three shots into the ceiling.  A student who witnessed a portion of the incident says a teacher tried unsuccesfully to calm the gunman and get him to put the gun down.

KYW's Lynne Adkins spoke with the mother of a tenth-grade student at the school who said her daughter called to say she was fine. 

Janet Kostenbauder says her daughter Justine told her the sound of shots could be heard as students were changing classes, and many students immediately ran out of the building toward Paper Mill Road.

According to Justine Kostenbauder, police who were nearby told the students to keep moving futher away from the school building.  Those inside were told to lay on the floor until police gave the all-clear.  Students were then being escorted to the adjacent middle school building.

In an interview live on KYW Newsradio 1060, school district spokeswoman Laura Feller said all schools of the district would remain in lockdown until cleared by police, and campuses were to all vehicles other than emergency vehicles.  She said that high school students were being counseled at the adjacent middle school.

Feller had praise for the students, whom she said were very well versed in their emergency evacuation plan and followed it calmly.  Feller also said that police, whose administration building is a block from the high school, were on scene within a minute of the incident. 

Springfield High School went through a similar lockdown on September 21st, when a student was spotted in the school with a gun.  No shots were fired in that incident, and the student was taken into custody about a block from the school.

The Springfield Township (Montgomery County) School District's web site reported Tuesday's incident quickly, advising parents that students were being cared for, and was updated frequently during the day.

KYW's Brad Segall reports that the bomb squad was called to the scene to investigate a large black duffel bag found near the shooting scene. Officials say the bag was used by Halligan to bring the rifle into the school.

Officials say Halligan left a note for his family.  Later on Tuesday, Montgomery County DA Bruce Castor (right) disclosed that the boy's father had recently had a discussion with his son about cutting back on extracurricular activities (including a plan for military service) and maintaining his grades.  Castor says the boy somehow got access to his father's AK-47 rifle and brought it to school.

KYW's Michelle Durham reports in light of this terrible tragedy comes two questions--who was the student and why did he do it?

Montgomery County District Attorney Bruce Castor says 16-year-old Shane Halligan may have been despondent over falling grades and the limitations placed on his social life by his parents.  But why do this at school?

"Remember you are talking about a 16-year-old who's mind is not fully developed obviously and things bother adolescent more then they logically should. My best guess is to go out in a blaze of glory with a lot of attention brought to it."

Castor says one thing is clear Shane Halligan did not intend to hurt anyone but himself and reportedly told fellow students to get away from him because they didn't want to be there.