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14 shot, two dead after Kentucky school shooting

15-year-old suspect in custody
Posted at 8:44 AM, Jan 23, 2018
and last updated 2018-01-23 14:51:15-05

A school shooting at Marshall County High School in Benton, Kentucky has left two dead and 17 injured, Gov. Matt Bevin said in a press conference Tuesday.

 The suspect, a 15-year-old male student, was apprehended at the scene. He will be charged with murder and attempted murder.

The two deceased students were also 15 years old. One victim, a girl, was pronounced dead at the scene. Another, a boy, was pronounced dead at a nearby hospital.

Of the 19 people who were injured, 14 were treated with gunshot wounds. Five additional people were treated for other injuries. Six of the injured were life-flighted to nearby local and regional hospitals.

The scene is secure and the suspect is in custody, according to the Kentucky State Police Facebook page. A Marshall County Deputy apprehended the suspected shooter, according to the state police Twitter account.  

Agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) are at the scene to assist, the agency tweeted. So far, the motive for the shooting isn't known.

Marshall County High School is in Benton, Kentucky. All officers at the Benton Police Department office inside City Hall left to go to the scene, Benton City Clerk Beth Cooper said.

About 30,000 people live in Marshall County, about 115 miles northwest of Nashville. Benton is the county seat.

The violence came a day after a shooting at a high school in Texas.

A 15-year-old female student was shot Monday, Italy city officials said in a statement. She was taken by helicopter to a hospital in Dallas.

The suspect, a 16-year-old male, was "apprehended within minutes," the statement said.