Shooting of Student Prompts Lockdowns

One official, speaking on condition of anonymity because the case was open, said investigators have a good chance of finding the gunman. The official said the school has surveillance cameras that probably recorded the crime, and police interviewed several eyewitnesses.

Police and school security officers surrounded the school during the search for the gunman.

When classes ended at 3:15 p.m., parents arrived to pick up their children and make sure they were safe. Charles Marshall said his stepdaughter had phoned and asked him to be there when she was let out. He said she usually goes home on her own.

"Of course this makes me nervous; she's my daughter," Marshall said. "This is very scary, especially when you're dealing with kids."

Deborah Gorman, who was walking home with her 15-year-old daughter, said she hopes the school will take more measures to protect the students. "They need better security," Gorman said.

Assistant Police Chief Gerald M. Wilson urged parents to make sure their children are in class during school hours. "Your children are safe," Wilson said in a message to parents. "But you need to keep them in school."

It was the second time in recent years that a Cardozo student was shot in the leg.

In 2003, a 16-year-old student was shot inside the school after a lunchtime argument with another student. The shooter fled but later turned himself in.

That shooting was captured by a school surveillance camera, and police found a handgun at the scene.

Staff writer Theola Labbé contributed to this report.