“We are grieving, along with the School District of Beloit, over the senseless and violent tragedy which occurred in the parking lot of Beloit Memorial High School Saturday night, where a former Beloit student lost his life due to gun violence,” MMSD superintendent Dr. Carlton Jenkins said in a statement Monday morning.
RELATED: Police: Over 30 people witnessed shooting at Beloit Memorial High School
All MMSD students were deemed safe after the incident, with district officials saying Saturday night that La Follette’s basketball team was on the team bus and on their way home as police investigated the shooting.
However, it is the latest brush with gun violence for La Follette High School and MMSD.
“Although we are grateful and relieved all of our MMSD students were kept safe, these senseless acts of violence have a ripple effect, impacting the basic fabric of all our school communities,” Dr. Jenkins said. “As we continue supporting our La Follette students, our hearts break for the Beloit school community, and we ask you to join us in keeping them in our thoughts in the upcoming days.”
A La Follette student was arrested for bringing a stolen gun to school in early December, prompting a cancellation of co-curricular activities that night with Madison East High School. Madison police responded by stationing additional officers outside of La Follette High the next day.
School officials in Janesville are responding to Saturday night’s shooting by increasing police presence at its sporting events for the remainder of the year — starting with Monday night’s girls’ basketball game between Janesville Craig High School and Beloit Memorial.
In Beloit, authorities expressed frustration Sunday because a group of at least 30 people witnessed the 19-year-old being killed, but nobody is speaking to police about what happened.
“My department and myself are growing tired of the people who are refusing to talk to us,” Beloit Police Chief Andre Sayles said. “The culture of no snitching needs to stop.”
As of Monday, no arrests have been made for Saturday night’s shooting and no suspects have been publicly identified.
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