ATLANTA — An Atlanta school was on high-alert as students went back for the first day of class after a shooting nearby - presumably over a cell phone.
Police said that around 11:30 p.m. Tuesday, officers were called to the 400 block of Hillside Village Drive in reference to a person shot. They arrived to find a 15-year-old with a gunshot wound to the leg.
The victim said that he and his 18-year-old brother went to speak with male suspects lingering outside their apartment.
"The suspects struck his brother in the face with a pistol and snatched his phone," Atlanta police said in a written statement.
As the suspects left, authorities said they turned around and one of them fired a single shot. That bullet struck the younger teen in the leg. He was taken to Grady Memorial Hospital for treatment.
Later in the day, Peter McKnight, the head of school for Drew Charter released a statement to the community regarding an "unfortunate incident" that occurred in the neighborhood, resulting in the injury of a Drew student.
"Due to the proximity of the incident to our school, there is an increased police presence on campus today," he wrote. "We are actively working to support the family of the injured student and other affected members of the community."
The school's note doesn't name the student, and Atlanta Police couldn't verify the victim's enrollment. However, the incident involving the teen happened nearby.
Drew Charter School opened in 2000 as the city's first public charter school which serves about 1,800 students. Wednesday was the first day of classes at the school for the 2019-2020 school year.
MORE HEADLINES