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Police: “Chaotic” After Fight, Shooting at Del. High School Student, State Trooper taken to hospital after separate incidents

By  VINCE LATTANZIO

Updated 12:53 PM EDT, Fri, Jan 9, 2009

Related Topics: Jeff Whitmarsh

22 Comments   Post a comment Post a Comment

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Two separate incidents following a boy’s basketball game have landed a student and Delaware State Trooper in the hospital Thursday, according to Delaware State Police.

The first incident began around 8:30 p.m. after a game between William Penn High and Christiana High.

A group of girls got into a fight outside the school. A female State Trooper responded to break up the fight, but fell to the ground during the scuffle, breaking her clavicle bone.

Other officers assisted the woman, taking several girls into custody. All involved are students at William Penn High School. They are expected to be charged, Corporal Jeff Whitmarsh said.

A short time later, someone fired gunshots near the police scene hitting an 18-year-old William Penn student, police said. The teen is being treated at Christiana Hospital.

The student was hit in the side. Both he and the officer involved in the fight were taken to Christiana Hospital. No word on their conditions.

Corporal Jeff Whitmarsh of Delaware State Police called the scene Thursday night chaotic with troopers diving to the ground after hearing the gunshots.

“[The shooting incident] was on the other side of the parking lot. What occurred in this particular case was that when the shot rang out, the troopers out here heard it and everybody hit the ground. In the mean time, everyone starts to scatter. Cars start peeling wheels, taking off out of the parking lot. I mean it was just chaotic in front of the school tonight,” Whitmarsh said.

Police say there is no evidence at this time to suggest that the shooting and fight were related. They are investigating both incidents.

There will be increased security at the high school Friday because of the incident, police said.

Comments (22)

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  • Adria Tuesday, Jan 13 at 3:16 PM FLAG COMMENT Wow I can't believe this actually happened. Because I go to Glasgow High School and we were suppose to play Christiana High School on friday but they canceled our game because of the shooting that happened at william penn. They said that they were afraid that the same thing would happen at my school
  • jpdl Monday, Jan 12 at 4:37 PM FLAG COMMENT get rid of all the stupid guns and the hell with the frickin NRA!
  • anonymous Saturday, Jan 10 at 4:22 PM FLAG COMMENT I CAN'T BELIEVE THERE WAS A SHOOTING AT WILLIAM PENN!!!!!! I'M IN 8TH GRADE AT MCCULOUGH MIDDLE MY PRINCIPAL ALWAYS TOLD ME THAT WILLIAM PENN IS A GREAT SCHOOL AND BAD THINGS DON'T HAPPEN NOW I'M THINKING TWICE ABOUT GOING TO THAT SCHOOL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
  • John Friday, Jan 9 at 11:27 PM FLAG COMMENT simply put it, TNB
  • ME Friday, Jan 9 at 9:53 PM FLAG COMMENT WELL IT IS ASHAME THAT NOW THIS SCHOOL IS LOOKED APON AS A AWFUL SCHOOL. MAYBE THIS SHOULD BE ONE OF THE SCHOOLS SHUT DOWN. HIGH SCHOOL KIDS CANT PLAY A GAME OF BASKETBALL... COME ON NOW PEOPLE!! NOW EVERYONE AT THIS SCHOOL IS GONNA ACT LIKE A BUNCH OF BAD ASSSES CAUSE THERE WAS A SHOOTING THERE. PLEASE IT IS ALL A DISGRASE!! PLEASE OBAMA HELP US ALL!!

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