An armed school-resource officer prevented what could have been a massacre at a central Illinois high school Wednesday by shooting and subsequently disarming a 19-year-old former student.
The suspect reportedly arrived at Dixon High School around 8 a.m. and opened fire on school-resource officer Mark Dallas, Dixon city manager Danny Langloss said in a statement to WQAD-TV.
The shooting occurred in the school gym, where seniors were gathering for graduation practice, according to Saukvalley.com.
“We’re lucky the officer was there. His brave actions saved a lot of lives,” said Langloss, whose daughter was in the gym.
The student is now in custody and is currently being treated for non-life-threatening injuries. No other students or school personnel were injured. Dayton police believe the suspect acted alone and there are no further threats.