Dramatic moment cops arrest alleged Australian school shooter, 15, after he ‘took two high-powered rifles to campus and then opened fire at the buildings’
- Boy in custody over school shooting
- Allegedly assessed two rifles owned by his dad
- Police remain at the closed school on Thursday
Dramatic bodycam vision shows officers arresting a teenager accused of bringing two high-powered rifles to school and opening fire.
West Australian Police shared the frightening footage on Thursday, which shows the arrest of the boy at Atlantis Beach Baptist College, in Perth‘s north, on Wednesday.
The vision shows officers tackling the 15-year-old boy to the ground before placing him in handcuffs.
The boy allegedly fired five shots from a rifle prompting students and staff to hide inside cupboards and under desks in classrooms until police arrived on scene.
Dramatic bodycam vision shows an officer force a the 15-year-old boy who is alleged to be WA’s first school shooter to the ground and handcuffs him
Footage shows officers racing over to a black Nissan Pathfinder, where they find what appears to be rifle bags on the passenger seat.
‘Firearms are secured in the vehicle,’ officers are heard saying.
‘We have the vehicle, with firearms secured in the vehicle, one male in custody.’
Officers are then seen storming onto school grounds through the main entrance and racing to a demountable classroom that had been struck by a bullet.
Vision shows the entry and exit points of at least two rounds in a demountable where both children and staff were at the time of the alleged shooting.
Bullet casings are seen in the footage strewn across the carpark.
The boy was allegedly in possession of two rifles – a .243 calibre and a .22 calibre believed to be owned by his father.
Questions are being raised about how the 15-year-old allegedly got ahold of the weapons.
He is understood to be a former student at the school. He remains in custody as he assists police with their inquiries.
Officers are seen entering through the main school entrance and walking through to a demountable classroom that had been struck by a bullet
One of the high-powered rifles (pictured) allegedly used in the shooting was found in the front passenger seat of a vehicle parked in the Atlantis Beach Baptist College carpark
The alleged gunman (pictured in the back of police van) remains in custody
There were emotional scenes as traumatised students ran into their parents’ arms
Police found three bullet shells at the scene but have only found the trajectory of one.
The school is expected to reopen on Friday.
‘We thank God for the protection over our college, staff and students today. The WA Police Service were swift in their response time and supported us through the ordeal,” the college’s Facebook post read.
‘All students were kept safe and under police instructions, students were collected from the college by a parent or guardian.
‘The college board would like to thank the staff, administration team and the Western Australian Police for the way in which this incident was managed.’
Commissioner Col Branch said the investigation led by the state’s Major Crime Squad into the 15-year-old will be ‘thorough’.
‘That means (investigating) all electronic devices, associates, parents,’ he said.
‘How does a 15-year-old get hold of two lethal weapons and fire them in a school?’
Visibly distressed students, including small children, were seen running into the waiting arms of their parents who raced to the school after they heard about the incident.
