2 injured in shooting at Missouri HS graduation, a day after gunfire near separate ceremony
Two people were injured after gunfire erupted at a high school graduation in Missouri on Sunday, just one day after shots reportedly rang out near a separate graduation ceremony in Kansas City.
Gunfire was reported around 2:33 p.m. local time at the Show Me Center, located on the Southeast Missouri State University campus in Cape Girardeau, Missouri, just as school resource officers with the Cape Girardeau Public School District were at the center for high school graduation, the Cape Girardeau Police Department said in a news release.
The officers detained a person of interest and rendered aid to the two victims, the release continued.
The two victims were taken to a local hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, police said. The person of interest is in the Cape Girardeau Police Department's custody.
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'No students or staff members were injured'
Howard Benyon, Cape Girardeau Public Schools superintendent, said on Facebook, "During our graduation ceremony today at the Show Me Center, an altercation occurred forcing us to stop the ceremony and evacuate the building."
"Fortunately, no students or staff members were injured and thanks to the assistance of staff members at the Show-Me Center, we were able to get everyone out of the building safely," Benyon continued.
Due to the incident, the school district will be "forced to reschedule the graduation ceremony at a later time," Benyon said.
"We want to plan an event that celebrates our graduates the way they deserve, but our priority at this time is working with police to aid their investigation of this situation," according to the superintendent.
Shots fired near DeLaSalle Education Center's graduation ceremony
Graduating seniors at DeLaSalle High School also had their ceremony interrupted by gunfire over the weekend.
The shots were reported around 3:35 p.m. on Saturday near the DeLaSalle Education Center's graduation, a Kansas City Police Department spokesperson Sgt. Phillip DiMartino told The Kansas City Star. No injuries were reported to police, the public information officer said.
Police do not believe the shooting had anything to do with the graduation, according to the spokesperson.
It is unclear if police have made any arrests related to the shooting.
USA TODAY contacted the Kansas City Police Department but did not receive a response.
DeLaSalle High School's graduation 'marred by an unforeseen event'
DeLaSalle responded to the shooting with a statement on the school's website saying, "Today, a tragic incident occurred during the high school graduation ceremony at DeLaSalle High School."
"What began as a beautiful day with over 500 families and guests celebrating our largest graduating class in 20 years was marred by an unforeseen event," the school said in the statement.
The school also confirmed that "no physical harm came to any students, families or staff attending the graduation," according to the statement.
"DeLaSalle High School prays for the safety of all of Kansas City, and our thoughts are with the community during this difficult time," the school said.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Missouri graduation shootings: 2 HS ceremonies interrupted by gunshots
