Three students shot in drive-by

WASHINGTON (Map, News) - Three Ballou Senior High School students were shot near campus in a drive-by attack Tuesday that police believe may have sprung from a dispute between groups from two neighborhoods.

Shots were fired into a crowd of students who were leaving the Southeast Washington school around 3:30 p.m., police said. None of the wounds was considered life-threatening.

Metropolitan police last night were looking for a dark-colored Volvo that some witnesses linked to the shooting, Chief Cathy Lanier said. But she cautioned that others at the chaotic scene thought the shooter was in a small truck.

“There are a couple different stories we are trying to sort out,” said Lanier, who went to Washington Hospital Center and talked with the victims and their parents. “We believe there was some kind of dispute [Monday] or early [Tuesday]. There was an argument between two different groups of kids. We are not sure if any of the three struck were involved.”

Lanier said no suspect had emerged from witness interviews as of late Tuesday.

Two 10th-grade girls were shot in the leg, and an 11th-grade boy was struck in the back. The girls were expected to be released from hospital care Tuesday night.

The school was placed on lockdown right after the shooting.

Situated in the D.C. ward with the highest poverty, teenage pregnancy and dropout rates, Ballou has historically been known more for its crime than its academic successes.

But Michael Petrei’s “Ballou: A Documentary,” last year followed the school’s marching band as they worked for national recognition. In October the marching band was honored by first lady Laura Bush with a private White House screening of the movie.

Tuesday’s shootings come as the Southeast Washington school completed a security plan that was enacted in response to the 2004 murder of 17-year-old James Richardson. The plan called for a temporary influx of nine officers while work crews installed a new alarm and electronic door-locking system.

School officials have been concerned about warring street gangs from neighborhoods where the students live. Teachers told The Examiner that on the second day of school this year, a fight involving several dozen students broke out in the cafeteria and spread to the gym. Police arrested a student that day for carrying a gun.

During the 1999-2000 school year, nine students of Ballou High School were killed in street violence.

Ballou also has struggled academically, failing to meet federal standards five years in a row. It’s one of 27 schools that must be restructured next year, meaning that it could become a charter school or be put under the management of a private organization.

A closer look

Crews in recent weeks finished a long-awaited security system upgrade at Ballou. The enhancements entailed:

» Removing padlocks and chains previously installed on school doors and windows

» Installing delayed-egress hardware to keep doors locked during school hours

» Placing an alarm in the building that is tied to a central command system

» Assigning nine police officers to the campus, at least two more than what had been usual

smccabe@dcexaminer.com

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