A mother and daughter react after being picked up on campus after school at Salvadore Castro Middle School in Los Angeles, California on February 1, 2018. (Xinhua/AFP PHOTO)
LOS ANGELES, Feb. 2 (Xinhua) -- A girl aged 12 was charged with two felony counts in court following Thursday's accidental shooting injuring five at a middle school in the western U.S. city of Los Angeles, local authorities said Friday.
Prosecutors have filed one felony count each of being a minor in possession of a firearm and having a weapon on school grounds, in connection with the shooting incident Thursday at Salvador Castro Middle School, said Los Angeles County District Attorney Jackie Lacey in a statement.
Police guard a roadblock to Salvadore Castro Middle School in Los Angeles, California on February 1, 2018, where two students were wounded, one critically, in a school shooting. (Xinhua/AFP PHOTO)
The teenage girl has not been identified, as the California state law dictates that information about juvenile court proceedings and records are confidential and shall not be made public.
The girl carried the handgun in her backpack which accidentally "went off" on Thursday, leading to a shooting in a classroom that eventually injured five. The investigation is still underway, the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) said in a statement earlier Friday.
Among the five injured people, a 15-year-old boy and a 15-year-old girl were hit by a bullet in the incident. The bullet went through the wrist of the girl and struck the boy in the head, the LAPD said.
Parents pick up their children at Salvadore Castro Middle School in Los Angeles, California on February 1, 2018. (Xinhua/AFP PHOTO)
The other three, including two students and a 30-year-old woman, suffered minor injuries that were not caused directly by the shooting.
"At this time, the information suggest that this was an isolated incident, involving the negligent discharge of a firearm, where innocent children and a staff member were unfortunately injured," the LAPD said.
It's still not clear how the girl obtained the handgun and brought it to the school.
A student and parent react while leaving campus at Salvadore Castro Middle School in Los Angeles, California on February 1, 2018. (Xinhua/AFP PHOTO)
The city's mayor Eric Garcetti was quoted as saying by a local news outlet, City News Service, that the girl's parents are believed to be separated, and her father has allegedly denied that he owns the weapon.
The girl in custody should be provided with counseling and emotional support, Garcetti said.
A total of 14 shootings have occurred on school campuses across the United States in 2018 as of Thursday, according to Everytown for Gun Safety, a non-profit organization committed to measuring U.S. gun violence with comprehensive and up-to-date data.
