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   — The Roswell school shootings: Complete coverage 
   
   
   
   Two children were airlifted to a Lubbock hospital after today’s school shooting at Berrendo Middle School in Roswell. Police have a 12-year-old suspect in custody: Mason Campbell, a seventh-grader at the school. 
   
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   Campbell, who smuggled a 20-gauge shotgun with the wood stock sawed off into the school, warned several students not to attend school today, State Police Chief Pete Kassetas said at a news conference Tuesday night. 
   
   An 11-year-old boy and a 13-year-old girl were both seriously injured in the shooting. Both were airlifted to UMC Health System in Lubbock, Texas, according to a hospital spokesperson. As of 12:45 p.m., the boy remained in critical condition. The girl’s condition was initially listed at critical, but it has been updated to satisfactory, according to the hospital. 
   
   Family members have confirmed that the girl who was shot is Kendal Sanders. 
   
   Albuquerque attorney Robert Gorence said he is representing the suspect. He said the boy’s family will be issuing a written statement Wednesday. 
   
   After a hearing today, Campbell was transferred to a psychiatric hospital in Albuquerque. 
   
   New Mexico State Police Chief Pete Kassetas said during a news conference this afternoon that the suspect walked into the school gymnasium with a shotgun hidden in a bag of some sort. 
   
   Police are serving three search warrants: for Campbell’s school locker, his Roswell-area home and the bag. 
   
   Kassetas also said officers were working with the District Attorney’s Office to determine what charges should be filed against Campbell. 
   
   He said State Police Lt. Gary Smith was dropping off his child just as the school principal was locking the front doors. After Campbell shot the boy and the girl, he pointed pointed the gun at social studies teacher John Masterson. Masterson talked Campbell into putting the gun down, and Smith took the boy into custody. 
   
   Superintendent Tom Burris said the school’s faculty members had participated in “active shooter” training, and they responded appropriately today. 
   
   “In the 10 seconds that transpired from the time of this thing starting until the teacher had control of the weapon, there was no cowardice,” Burris said. “There was protection for our kids. Everyone acted and did their duties today at Berrendo Middle School.” 
   
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   Eva Gomez, Roswell Education Association president, identified eighth-grade social studies teacher John Masterson as the staff member who stopped Campbell and convinced him to put his gun down. Masterson also coaches track and soccer. 
   
   Masterson wouldn’t confirm that when contacted this afternoon, saying police had asked him not to comment on the shooting. 
   
   “It was a harrowing experience,” said Masterson, who has taught at Berrendo Middle School for 10 years. “All I can say was the staff there did a great job.” 
   
   Gov. Susana Martinez said a staff member received very minor injuries but declined medical care because he wanted to stay and help. 
   
   Gabriel Portillo, a seventh-grade student at Berrendo, said he saw a male student carrying a gun. He said that student shot a boy in the face near his eye. 
   
   Another student who witnessed the shooting said a male student shot the boy twice in the face and shot the girl in the arm. 
   
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   Eighth-grader Odiee Carranza said she was walking to the school gym when a boy bumped into her as he rushed past. She told him to be careful, and he apologized and continued on. He ran to the gym, where he pulled a gun out of a band instrument case and fired at the students. 
   
   “Then he shot up in the sky, then dropped the gun, and then some teacher grabbed the kid that had the gun,” Carranza said. 
   
   Another student, Gabbie Vasquez, said she knew the suspect, but didn’t consider him violent. “He really didn’t talk to nobody. He’s quiet and kind of awkward,” Vasquez said. 
   
   Brooke Linthicum, spokeswoman for the Eastern New Mexico Medical Center, said two students were treated there and later transported. She could not provide any more details about their arrival at the hospital. 
   
   In a Facebook post this morning, Roswell police asked parents not to go to the school because it was locked down. Parents instead were able to pick up their students at a mall parking lot nearby. 
   
   Fawna Hendricks, whose son is a seventh-grader at Berrendo, said she heard about the shooting on the radio. 
   
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   “Basically I jumped outta bed, threw on clothes, panicked,” Hendricks said. 
   
   Hendricks arrived at the school after it was locked down. She was sent to the parking lot of the Roswell Mall, where hundreds of parents had gathered. 
   
   Hendricks said her son’s teacher allowed him to call her. “He’s scared. Most of the kids up there are pretty scared,” she said. 
   
   Lorena Beltran heard about the shooting when her daughter, who attends the school, texted her. She said her daughter said that a male student had been shot in the face. 
   
   Sixth-grade student Anyssa Vegara said she was talking to a security guard when she heard the shot. 
   
   “I turned around, and all I saw was someone on the floor with their arm bleeding,” Vegara said. 
   
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   She said the security guard ran to assist the injured student, and school officials ordered all the students to their classrooms. 
   
   Eventually, she was able to text her mother, Monica Vegara. 
   
   “From the time hearing about it, until the time she texted, it was a nightmare,” Vegara said. 
   
   William Vegara, Anyssa’s father, said it was nerve-wracking. “You never know if it was your kid or not.” 
   
   School will be back in session Thursday, according to the Roswell Independent School District superintendent. 
   
   A prayer vigil was scheduled tonight at the Roswell Convention Center. 
   
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   “Please don’t forget this community is a strong community, They will pull together,” Martinez said. 
   
   Material from The Associated Press was used in this report. ||||| ROSWELL, N.M. (AP) — A student opened fire Tuesday morning at a middle school in the southeastern New Mexico city of Roswell, shooting two students before being taken into custody. 
   
   Law enforcement personnel set up a perimeter following a shooting at Berrendo Middle School, Tuesday, Jan. 14, 2014, in Roswell, N.M. Roswell police said the suspected shooter was arrested at the school,... (Associated Press) 
   
   Students surrounded by officials are escorted from Berrendo Middle School after a shooting, Tuesday, Jan. 14, 2014, in Roswell, N.M. Roswell police said the suspected shooter was arrested at the school,... (Associated Press) 
   
   Students are reunited with family following a shooting at Berrendo Middle School, Tuesday, Jan. 14, 2014, in Roswell, N.M. Roswell police said the suspected shooter was arrested at the school, but authorities... (Associated Press) 
   
   Students are escorted from Berrendo Middle School following a shooting, Tuesday, Jan. 14, 2014, in Roswell, N.M. Roswell police said the suspected shooter was arrested the school, but authorities have... (Associated Press) 
   
   A student, right, waits at a staging ground area set up at the Roswell Mall following a shooting at Berrendo Middle School, Tuesday, Jan. 14, 2014, in Roswell, N.M. A shooter opened fire at the middle... (Associated Press) 
   
   Law enforcement personnel set up a perimeter following a shooting at Berrendo Middle School in Roswell, Tuesday, Jan. 14, 2014, in Roswell, N.M. A shooter opened fire at the middle school, injuring at... (Associated Press) 
   
   A woman hugs a student at a staging ground set up at the Roswell Mall following a shooting at Berrendo Middle School, Tuesday, Jan. 14, 2014, in Roswell, N.M. A shooter opened fire at the middle school,... (Associated Press) 
   
   A woman waits at a staging ground area where families are being reunited with Berrendo Middle School students after a shooting at the school, Tuesday, Jan. 14, 2014, in Roswell, N.M. A shooter opened... (Associated Press) 
   
   Students are escorted from Berrendo Middle School after a shooting incident, Tuesday, Jan. 14, 2014, in Roswell, N.M. Roswell police said the suspected shooter was arrested at the school, but authorities... (Associated Press) 
   
   A student, left, is hugged following a shooting at Berrendo Middle School, Tuesday, Jan. 14, 2014, in Roswell, N.M. A shooter opened fire at the middle school, injuring at least two students before being... (Associated Press) 
   
   Officials at University Medical Center in Lubbock, Texas, say a 14-year-old boy was flown there in critical condition and a 13-year-old girl was en route in serious condition. Information from nurses treating the boy indicates he was the shooter's target, hospital spokesman Eric Finley said. 
   
   Police say the suspect opened fire at Berrendo Middle School as classes were starting for the day. 
   
   A student who witnessed the shooting said a male student shot the boy twice in the face and shot the girl in the arm. 
   
   Eighth grader Odiee Carranza said she was walking to the school gym when a boy bumped into her as he rushed past. She told him to be careful, and he apologized and continued on. He ran to the gym, where he pulled a gun out of a band instrument case and fired at the students. 
   
   "Then he shot up in the sky, then dropped the gun, and then some teacher grabbed the kid that had the gun," Carranza said. 
   
   Carranza described the shooter as a "smart kid and a nice kid." 
   
   A statement from the state police said authorities responded at 8:11 a.m. Roswell police say the school was placed on lockdown, and the suspected shooter was arrested. Age and other details on the suspect were not immediately released. 
   
   Police said children were bused to a nearby mall, where parents could pick up them up. 
   
   "I'm still scared to go back to school," Carranza said. 
   
   Sixth-grade student Anyssa Vegara told the Albuquerque Journal she was talking to a security guard when she heard a shot. 
   
   "I turned around, and all I saw was someone on the floor with their arm bleeding," Vegara told the Journal. 
   
   She said the security guard ran to assist the injured student, and school officials ordered all the other students to their classrooms. 
   
   Eventually, she was able to text her mother, Monica Vegara. 
   
   "From the time hearing about it until the time she texted, it was a nightmare," Monica Vegara said. 
   
   Fawna Hendricks, whose son is a seventh-grader at Berrendo Middle School, told the newspaper she heard about the shooting on the radio. "Basically I jumped outta bed, threw on clothes, panicked," Hendricks said. 
   
   Another student, Gabby Vasquez, said the boy who was shot "was really nice, got along with everybody." Hospital officials said Tuesday afternoon that the 14-year-old had undergone surgery but was still in critical condition. 
   
   Employees who arrived early to work at United Drilling Inc., across the street from the school, heard no gunshots. They didn't know about the commotion until around 8 a.m., when their parking lot filled with police and rescue vehicles. 
   
   At the Roswell mall, parents waited anxiously for their children. Some held hands, while others hugged each other. 
   
   Two prayer services were scheduled for Tuesday night at Roswell's Calvary Baptist and First Baptist churches. Pastor Chris Mullennix said parents were worried and heartbroken, but there was a sense among many he spoke with that the community would be able to come together. 
   
   "This is something that strikes people to the core," he said in an interview. "We're not talking about a flesh wound or just a mental wound, we're talking about the very souls of people being shaken and rocked by something like this." 
   
   Mullennix said the prayer services will start the healing process. 
   
   "This is tragic but yet people in Roswell are tough, and people in Roswell will recover because we do have a sense of community, and I think that's really important," he said. 
   
   In the hours after the shooting, social media sites were flooded with sentiments offering prayers for the community. Some Berrendo students posted on their Facebook sites that they were scared and didn't want to return to school. 
   
   At a briefing later in the day, White House press secretary Jay Carney said the president was aware of the shooting. 
   
   "Our understanding is this is not an active shooter situation," he said. "The president's team is monitoring the situation and is in close touch with our federal partners." 
   
   Roswell has a population of about 50,000. It is a center for ranching and farming, and is home to the New Mexico Military Institute, the only state-supported military college in the West. The city is perhaps best-known as the site of an alleged UFO crash in 1947. 
   
   ------ 
   
   Associated Press writers Jeri Clausing and Susan Montoya Bryan in Albuquerque contributed to this report.
target: – Two kids were seriously injured today in a shooting at a middle school in Roswell, NM, and authorities say the shooting suspect—another student—is in custody. A 12-year-old boy and a 13-year-old girl were airlifted to a Texas hospital, KOB reports. The boy was in critical condition and the girl was upgraded to serious condition. The suspect is a 12-year-old boy, and initial reports suggest that the wounded boy was his intended target. Witnesses say he was shot in the face, reports the Albuquerque Journal. Police haven't speculated about a motive. The AP has this: "Eighth-grader Odiee Carranza said she was walking to the school gym when a boy bumped into her as he rushed past. She told him to be careful, and he apologized and continued on. He ran to the gym, where he pulled a gun out of a band instrument case and fired at the students." She described the suspect as a "smart kid and a nice kid." Gov. Susana Martinez says a teacher at Berrendo Middle School approached the shooter and convinced him to put his shotgun down after the initial shots.