HAMMOND, La. — A 13-year-old boy is in custody after authorities say he shot his father Tuesday morning outside Tangipahoa Alternative School in Hammond, prompting an immediate campus lockdown and a rapid response from school staff and law enforcement.
Police said the shooting happened around 7:39 a.m. in the school’s carpool line on Crystal Street. After the gunfire, the vehicle the two were in crashed into a nearby home. Officials said the father was taken to a hospital in critical condition but was later listed in stable condition.
According to Hammond Police Chief Edwin Bergeron Jr., officers were first alerted when a school resource officer radioed that he had heard a gunshot and needed backup. Investigators later learned the student had been dropped off at school by his parent but refused to get out of the car.
Bergeron said a school resource officer and a police lieutenant then spoke with both the student and the parent, who decided to leave and take the teen home. But before they could get away, authorities said the teen got out of the vehicle armed with a gun and began moving toward the school. That is when a school resource officer intervened.
Bergeron said the officer placed himself between the student and the school building, disarmed the teen, and took him into custody without any additional gunfire or injuries on campus. He said the entire confrontation unfolded within about a minute of the initial radio call.
“We don’t know what his [the student’s] intentions were… but our trained officer put himself in danger, disarmed the shooter, and was able to take him into custody,” Bergeron said.
The school, which serves about 250 students, was placed on full lockdown immediately after the shooting. Authorities later lifted the lockdown once the scene was secured.
Officials also said a child sitting in the backseat of the vehicle when the shot was fired was not injured and was later released to a family member.
Tangipahoa Parish Assistant Superintendent Ron Genco said the school’s safety preparations helped staff act quickly in the chaotic moments after the shooting. He said employees secured students in locked classrooms in less than a minute, crediting regular active shooter drills for the swift response.
Genco said the campus has metal detectors, policies governing cell phones, and two full-time school resource officers. He added that counseling services will remain available throughout the week for both students and staff.
The investigation remains ongoing.
