In the wake of the tragedy at Virginia Tech earlier this year, it’s been reported all over the world today that two 17-year-old students were shot in an incident at Delaware State University last night. Both students, a male and a female whose names have not been released, were originally from the Washington, D.C. area. The male student is in stable condition, but the female’s injuries are listed as serious.
The campus remained locked-down today as police searched for a student who was allegedly involved in the shooting. The New York Daily News is reporting that investigators have identified two “persons of interest” in the incident, and were questioning one while still looking for the other.
Lessons learned from mistakes made in the Virginia Tech shootings are being widely credited for helping Delaware State, a historically black college about 95 miles from D.C., respond quickly and effectively to this shooting. So far, there are no reports about a possible motive.
UPDATE: Turns out the shooting was the result of a dispute over a card game. The victims have been identified as Shalita Middleton, who was listed in serious condition with a gunshot to the abdomen, and Nathaniel Pugh, who was shot in the leg and ankle. Middleton is a graduate of D.C.’s Woodrow Wilson High School, and Pugh of Dunbar High School.