17-year-old arrested in shooting at Lawrence Central

Update:

Lawrence Police said Saturday that they had arrested a 17-year-old male Lawrence North High School student as a suspect in the shooting of another student outside Lawrence Central High.

The teenager was brought to the police department by a parent and admitted to firing several shots from a handgun outside the school’s gymnasium, one of which struck the 15-year-old victim, a student at Lawrence Central, police said in a news release.

The shooting occurred shortly before 9:30 p.m. Friday night outside the gym, during the final seconds of a high school boys basketball game against Warren Central.

Police said the 17-year-old, who has not been identified because he is a juvenile, faces preliminary charges of criminal recklessness with a firearm, possession of a handgun without a license on school property, and dangerous possession of a firearm, all felonies. He was taken to the Juvenile Detention Center.

The 15-year-old victim, who also has not been identified, was taken to Riley Hospital for Children, where he was treated for a gunshot wound to the lower left calf and released.

Both youths told police that they and their friends had been in a dispute for more than a year, which included other fights, mostly in the Castleton area.

The Marion County prosecutor's office is reviewing the case to decide on what formal charges to file.

Initial story posted at 11:50 p.m. Friday:

A 15-year-old student was shot in the leg outside the gym at Lawrence Central High School during a Friday night boys basketball game against Warren Central High School.

Shots were fired shortly before 9:30 p.m., police said, as the boys varsity basketball game was coming to a close. Officers from the Lawrence Police Department arrived on scene and located the teen boy, identified as a Lawrence Central student, suffering from a gunshot wound to the leg.

He was immediately transported to Riley Hospital for Children at IU Health and is expected to survive his injury, police said.

Following the shooting, "the scene was secured by the authorities and fans were evacuated from the gymnasium," a release from the Lawrence Township Schools said.

In a private social media message sent to IndyStar, a witness said just before the game ended, kids began heading toward the exit of the gym as if a fight was about to break out. The witness said after the victim was shot, he was able to hobble back inside the school to take shelter.

Lawrence Police Capt. Gary Woodruff said the shooting was the result of an argument between the 15-year-old and another person.

According to a release, the 15-year old and the suspected shooter have been involved in previous fights for over a year.

"Our first concern is for the safety and well-being of students, their families, and those impacted by the events of this evening," the release from the school district said. "In the wake of this event, school personnel will be reviewing all information from the police and will work to assure that our students and families will be safe in the future."

With only 20 seconds left in the game, school officials allowed it to continue. Warren Central defeated Lawrence Central 58-53

This story is breaking and will be updated.

Call IndyStar reporter Michael Anthony Adams at (317) 444-6123. Follow him on Twitter at @MichaelAdams317 and on Snapchat at @michael389.