Shot Fired At Las Cruces High

A gunshot replaced the sound of a bell Tuesday night at Las Cruces High School. Las Cruces Public School District officials said there was no way of knowing exactly how many students witnessed the incident, but by Wednesday, nearly 2,500 kids had heard about it. ?I don?t feel safe anymore,? a student said. Unsafe became the general feeling among students less than 24 hours after police said a shot was fired in the school parking lot around 8:30 p.m., ?Something needs to be done, extra security measures or something,? another student said. Officials said the fight injured one student, who was later hospitalized. No one was hit by the gunshot. But students said it seems too easy for someone to carry a weapon to school. ?It makes me feel unsafe because you never know what people are carrying ? guns, knives, any of that,? a student said. ?I don?t want to get shot at school.? LCPS Security officials said while Tuesday is believed to have been a random act of violence, they acknowledge the risk of students bringing weapons on school grounds. ?Yes, it is easy,? Todd Gregory, LCPS Security, said. ?It can happen.? And last night, it did happen. School officials said a fight broke out between a group of four to seven teenagers, possibly from Las Cruces and San Andres High Schools. Before it was over, someone fired a single shot into the air. ?We?re going to implement some extra patrols, whether it?s motor vehicles, bicycles, foot patrol,? Gregory said. ?We also coordinate with the city police.? Additionally, guards check every car that drives onto campus. ?I don?t think it has to wait until something bad happens,? Gregory said. ?We all have to play our part in safety and security.? Still students said they don?t know if they will ever feel as safe as they once did. ?We have to be on our toes, you have to be on the lookout,? a student said. ?Is something else going to happen, you just never know.? Students said they would like to see metal detectors and cameras installed. District officials say the problem with additional security measures is having the manpower and necessary funding. LCPS follows a federal, zero tolerance policy toward weapons on campus. District officials said the use of a gun on school grounds is an automatic 1year suspension. One student has been brought in for questioning. No arrests have been made.