May 25 (UPI) -- A student at an Indiana middle school opened fire on classmates Friday, injuring a fellow student and a teacher, local authorities said.
Noblesville Police Chief Kevin Jowitt said at a news conference the gunman was a male student at Noblesville West Middle School. Police arrested the student, who was uninjured.
The injured student, a 13-year-old girl, was transported to Riverview Heath hospital before being taken by ambulance to Riley Children's Hospital in Indianapolis where she was listed in critical condition, Noblesville police said in a news release. A friend of the teen's family told IndyStar she had surgery for a gunshot wound in her chest.
The adult victim was 29-year-old Jason Seaman, a seventh-grade science teacher and football coach. Emergency officials transported him to Methodist Hospital, where he was treated for gunshot wounds in his abdomen, hip and forearm, his mother said in a Facebook post. Seaman was listed in good condition at the hospital.
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Seaman's students said he stopped the shooter from injuring more people by tackling the gunman and swatting away the gun.
"First of all, thank you to the first responders from Noblesville and Fishers for their immediate action and care," Seaman said in a statement released to WXIN-TV in Indianapolis. "I want to let everyone know that I was injured but am doing great. To all students, you are all wonderful and I thank you for your support. You are the reason I teach."
Another student was treated for a fractured ankle.
Police said the shooting was limited to a single classroom in the school.
Indiana State Police Superintendent Douglas Carter said he spoke to Gov. Eric Holcomb, who was en route to Indiana from Europe. Carter made a reference to other recent school shootings across the nation during a news conference Friday afternoon.
"Here we go again, here we go again," he said. "It's just really ... unfortunate. I wish I had the answer."
"This is surreal," student Chad Lancaster told The Indianapolis Star. "This happens in high school, not here."
Jowitt also said another threat prompted a lockdown at nearby Noblesville High School, though the nature of that threat was unclear.
Vice President Mike Pence thanked "Hoosier law enforcement" in his home state for their swift response.
"Karen and I are praying for the victims of the terrible shooting in Indiana. To everyone in the Noblesville community -- you are on our hearts and in our prayers," Pence tweeted.
Noblesville is about 20 miles northeast of Indianapolis.
