ATLANTIC CITY, N.J., Jan. 9 (UPI) -- A 13-year-old boy was shot dead Wednesday afternoon when an argument turned violent outside his Atlantic City, N.J., middle school, police said.
An 11-year-old boy was hospitalized with a bullet in his leg, the Press of Atlantic City reported. Witnesses said the shooter, who was on a bicycle, peddled away.
The shooting took place shortly after classes ended at the Pennsylvania Avenue School.
Thomas Green of Atlantic City told the Press a group of boys were arguing. He said they scattered when the shooting started.
"They were arguing for a good while there, ten minutes just arguing and arguing and arguing," Green said. "One of them got on a bike, came right here, hit the kickstand, went in his pants and pulled out a gun. Boom, boom, boom. It was something, I tell you. In broad daylight too."
Councilman Marty Small, husband of the Pennsylvania Avenue principal, called the shooting "the worst fear of our community."
"It needs to be a wakeup call for everybody when a child can't walk home from school," he said. "You're dealing with a situation with kids that didn't even make it to high school yet."
