Police Arrest 12-year-old In Shooting Of 13-Year-Old At School

Authorities in Oakland, California have arrested a 12-year-old boy after they say he shot a 13-year-old at school.

Just before 1:30 on Monday afternoon, a 13-year-old student was shot inside his school, Madison Park Academy, by a 12-year-old, NBC Bay Area first reported, citing law enforcement officials. It is not yet known if the child suspected of shooting the student also attends Madison Park Academy.

“I left work immediately, went home, came straight up here. My kids are my world. Come on, man, this has got to stop, Oakland, this has got to stop,” parent David Mann told NBC Bay Area after the shooting.

Oakland Police Chief LeRonne Armstrong told reporters that officers who responded to the shooting "quickly and safely" took the 12-year-old into custody. The firearm used in the shooting was recovered by authorities, he said.

The 13-year-old victim is in stable condition at a local hospital where they're being treated for their injuries, authorities say. A motive has not yet been identified.

Related: Uvalde’s only pediatrician shares the horror of treating school shooting victims

During the press conference, Armstrong said it "saddens" him to "think a kid would bring a gun to school," adding that "no parent wants to send their kids to school" only to receive a phone call that their child has been shot.

"It’s the worst call you can get," he said.

TODAY Parents reached out to Armstrong and the Oakland Police Department for additional information and comment. A spokesperson reiterated what was shared by Armstrong during the press conference and provided no additional information at the time of publication.

School shootings rose to the highest number in two decades during the 2020-2021 school year, according to a report by the National Center for Education Statistics released earlier this year. Of the 93 incidents detailed in the report, 50 involved injuries and 43 included fatalities.

There have been 28 school shootings so far in 2022, according to Education Week, which has been tracking school shootings since 2018.

Related: School shootings rose to highest number in 2 decades, federal report shows

In 2020 and for the first time in U.S. history, guns became the leading cause of death for children and teens, according to research published in the New England Journal of Medicine.

In the co-authored research letter, professors at the University of Michigansaid the trend "shows that we continue to fail to protect our youth from a preventable cause of death."

Earlier this year, President Joe Biden signed the first piece of legislation aimed at curbing gun violence in 30 years, calling the signing a "monumental day" and saying that "God willing, it’s going to save a lot of lives."

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This article was originally published on TODAY.com