Two students are in serious condition after being gunned down in the hallway of their Manhattan, New York public school. The shooting on Manhattan's Upper West Side occurred at Martin Luther King Jr. High School on what would have been Dr. King’s 73rd birthday. The school has 3,000 students.

The suspected gunman was an 18-year-old who had not been attending school (School Safety Visitor Program). He opened fire in the hallway at the high school near Lincoln Center on Tuesday, seriously wounding two fellow students in what may have been a gang-related shooting, authorities say. He was arrested two blocks away, police said. Chancellor Harold Levy said the shooting may have been gang-related (Assessment Team Model).

Seventeen year old senior, Romain Morrison, said, "We were in school and we heard two gunshots. They were telling everyone to get out of the hallways."

The victims, Andrel Napper, 17, and Andre Wilkins, 18, were shot from behind in a fourth-floor hallway. One was shot in the back and the other in the buttocks, and both were listed in serious condition. A .380-caliber handgun was found on the fifth floor, authorities said. The Board of Education reported the school has metal detectors and X-ray machines, but it was not immediately known whether they were functioning (Crisis Response Training & Plan).

Many students "figured out for themselves" to leave, but the school was swiftly locked down and students kept in their classrooms as police in riot gear swept the building. "They wanted us to be in the room, locked up until they had things under control," said senior Giorlys Alvarez, 17, who was locked in a classroom for more than an hour.

Teacher Octavia Melian said the school had previous problems with students breaching security. She said students would pass through the metal detectors, then open side doors for their friends to smuggle guns and other items inside.

"It's been a constant concern with the faculty and the student body," she said.

If you are concerned about policies, procedures or the security of your school, go to Keys to Safer Schools.com’s website at https://keystosaferschools.com/criticaltraining.htm to learn what training and services are available. There is never a good time for school violence and there is never a bad time to start taking positive steps to insure the safety of your students and faculty.