Noblesville shooting latest updates: Mayor says city 'rocked' by shooting will respond with 'hope'

IndyStar will update this story continuously with the latest confirmed information on the Noblesville West Middle School shooting Friday morning.

3:37 p.m. Saturday: Teacher lauded as hero released from the hospital

Jason Seaman, the Noblesville West Middle School teacher being praised for stopping Friday's shooting, was released from IU Health on Saturday.

Original story

Police say a male student opened fire in a seventh-grade science classroom just after 9 a.m. Friday, injuring a female student and a teacher.

The teacher, identified by family and students as 29-year-old Jason Seaman, underwent surgery at IU Health Methodist Hospital for multiple gunshot wounds, his brother said. The girl, identified by her family as Ella Whistler, was taken to Riley Hospital for Children. A statement released by her family said she was in critical, but stable condition.

Noblesville mayor: 'Our response is one of hope and togetherness'

In a written statement Friday night, Noblesville Mayor John Ditslear thanked first responders across Central Indiana for their response during Friday morning's "heartbreaking and shocking" incident.

"Today was a harsh reminder that no matter how hard we try to keep our children safe, we must prepare for the worst conditions," he said.

"The policies and procedures put in place by our public safety agencies and Noblesville Schools were proven to have worked. Lives were saved by the courageous actions of our first responders and NWMS staff. Their training minimized the destruction and violence that could have occurred — and I could not have been prouder of their bravery."

Ditslear said the American Red Cross was flooded with donations of food and supplies for students, personnel and responders on scene.

"Today, Noblesville was rocked at our foundation," he said, "but our response is one of hope and togetherness."

State officials respond: 'I've dreaded this day'

Gov. Eric Holcomb, who was flying back to the country following a workforce development trip to Europe as Friday morning's events unfolded, stressed the importance of providing adequate training and resources to prepare schools for these events.

“It’s heartbreaking to even imagine what these students and teachers and faculty had to endure," Holcomb said. "Which underscores just how important it is that we make sure that these schools and teachers and students have every resource conceivable.”

He said he was "in awe" of their response.

"This was as close to, I’m told, as textbook of a response as it could have been," he said. "The students, teachers, faculty, acted swiftly and appropriately, and I’m sure because of that, lives were saved."

Indiana State Police Superintendent Doug Carter said officials would eventually release more details, but that the investigation will take time.

"I wish that I could stand here and tell you that if we did A, B and C we could assure you that this will never happen again," Carter said. "But, unfortunately, I cannot say that to you. And believe me, if there was anything I could do in my power to say it, I would.”

Carter commended the response by local law enforcement and school officials alike and said he was proud of how the students and teachers acted in the face of danger.

“I’ve dreaded this day," he said. "But here we are."

'One of the scariest things I’ve ever been through'

Karlie Lytle was in the seventh-grade hall Friday morning, near the classroom where a student and teacher were shot. For about 30 minutes, she and her classmates crouched in a corner of their classroom with the lights out waiting for news.

“It was one of the scariest things I’ve ever been through,” she said.

Finally, a police officer cleared the room and released students to buses. They were taken to Noblesville High School, where they would eventually be reunited with their parents. It was a long wait, though, for Karlie’s parents.

“We were scared,” said Jesse Lytle, her dad. “We were really scared, especially when we heard it was in the seventh-grade hall.”

The Lytles had to wait about 30 minutes between when they heard there had been a shooting and when they finally heard from Karlie, who had left her cellphone in her locker. Once the students had gotten on the buses to the high school, she was able to borrow a phone and call her dad.

“Time kind of stood still,” he said. And when he heard her voice, he said “it was just … like our prayers had been answered.”

Like many families waiting to pick up their kids Friday, Megan Lytle said she didn’t expect a shooting at Noblesville.

“You see it on the news,” she said. “You think you know what it feels like.

“You have no idea.”

Nick Blackwell, 18, a Noblesville High School senior, shared similar disbelief.

"I never thought it would happen here," he said.

His little sister goes to the middle school.

"It was rough," he said. "I could not focus on my work when I heard there had been a shooting."

His high school was on lockdown for part of the day after what authorities believed was an unrelated threat. During the lockdown Blackwell said his class hid under desks, barricaded doors and turned off the lights.

Male student in Noblesville school shooting had two handguns

Update from the 2 p.m. press conference with local law enforcement: A boy in the class asked to be excused then returned to class with two handguns, Noblesville Police Chief Kevin Jowitt said.

A teacher and a student were injured when the boy started shooting, Jowitt said.

The student was apprehended either in the classroom or the immediate vicinity, Noblesville Police Lt. Bruce Barnes said.

The school is a crime scene, Barnes said. The investigation is just five hours old.

Police from multiple agencies have been assisting with the investigation. Indiana State Police Superintendent Doug Carter expressed his frustration.

"Here we go again," Carter said. "I wish I had the answer. It's just another sad day. Another cotton-picking sad day."

Officials have not identified the shooter or the victims, nor given updates on the conditions of the two injured.

Teacher stopped the shooting, parents say

The teacher injured in the Noblesville West Middle School shooting Friday morning has been identified as Jason Seaman, according to multiple parents interviewed by IndyStar who have children in the school.

Parents also said Seaman intervened to help stop the shooter. Details of how events unfolded in the classroom were unclear.

Seaman has been a science teacher for Noblesville schools for nearly four years, according to his LinkedIn profile. He also has been a football coach for seventh-graders for two years.

Jeremie Lovall said his daughter, a seventh-grader in the school, was in the classroom when the shooting started. She called her dad, who lives in Kokomo, to tell him she was OK.

“She kept saying, ‘I saw my teacher get shot,’” Lovall said.

Seaman was shot three times and was undergoing surgery, according to his brother, Jeremy Seaman.

Seaman was awake and talking to his wife while en route to the hospital, his brother said.

Jeremy Seaman said he wasn’t surprised his brother, a former defensive end for Southern Illinois University, put his own safety at risk on behalf of his students.

“It’s not surprising, to be honest,” he said of his brother’s intervention in the shooting. “He’s not really ever been the person to run away. When the safety of the kids is at hand, it’s not surprising to me that he was going to do what he had to do.”

More: Teacher identified as Jason Seaman

Indiana middle school shooting details: one detained, two injured

At 9:06 a.m., dispatchers received the call of an active shooter at Noblesville West Middle School, police said. Nearby police responded immediately.

An adult teacher and teenage student were injured in the shooting. Both were taken to IU Health hospitals but the extent of their injuries has not been shared with media. Their families have been notified, Indiana State Police Capt. Dave Bursten said.

A male student has been detained, Noblesville Police Chief Kevin Jowitt said.

Around 11:10 a.m., police led someone in handcuffs from the high school into a police SUV.

Jowitt said a second threat that locked down Noblesville High School on Friday morning is not believed to be related to this incident.

There is "no information that this is anything other than a communicated threat," Jowitt said.

Soon after the shooting, a hectic scene erupted outside of the middle school as parents frantically searched for their children and school officials worked to load students into buses.

The middle-school students were bused to the high school.

Parents wishing to pick up their children from Noblesville schools may do so throughout the day, school officials said.

There are no more suspects at this time, police said.

A press conference is scheduled for 2 p.m.

Indiana middle school shooting: What we know now

Related: Where is Noblesville, Ind.?

Watch video of the press conference here if video does not appear above.

'This is surreal,' parent says of Indiana school shooting

Jayden Williams, an eighth-grader, was in the locker room changing out of his gym clothes when an announcement came over the middle school’s speaker system.

“It’s not a drill. Shots have been fired by the seventh-grade hallway.”

He and his classmates escaped through the back of the building and ran through fields, over to the nearby Fox Prairie Golf Course.

“We were all pretty scared,” he said.

Eventually, they were bused to the high school to meet up with the rest of the classmates.

Despite a recent spate of high-profile school shootings, many of the parents milling anxiously around the Noblesville High School parking lot — where parents were directed to pick up their kids — in the heat for hours Friday said they still didn’t expect it to happen here.

Not in their schools. Not in their neighborhood. Not in Noblesville.

“I never expected it at a middle school,” said Denisha Williams, Jayden’s mom.

Jayden didn’t either. “I feel like our school’s generally happy,” Jayden said. “Kids are happy.”

Chad Lancaster, who has an eighth-grade daughter and sixth-grade son at the middle school, said he heard from his ex-wife in a phone call.

Their daughter, hiding under her desk, called the mother. She told her to run.

Lancaster has been trying to reach his son all morning but has not heard back yet.

“This is surreal," Lancaster said. "This happens in high school, not here."

Maria Roney, whose son is an eighth-grade student, said that even with seeing school shootings across the country, she never expected it to happen at her son's school.

“Never thought that this would happen,” she said. “Not in Noblesville.”

Lilly Kempf, an eighth-grader at another middle school, Noblesville East, held back tears as she talked about the feelings she experienced as she learned the news.

"I was really nervous for my best friend and my family and ... ," she briefly trailed off.

"I wasn't really surprised because after everything had gone down, I had a feeling it would happen eventually, because, you know ... ," she said as she wiped a tear from her eye. "As soon as we got the code yellow, I knew that's what was going on."

Mayor John Ditslear was on his way to work when his assistant called him about the shooting.

He turned his car toward the middle school and arrived around 9:30 a.m., in time to see cops swarming the school, kids being loaded onto buses along Hague Road and some parents searching for their children.

“We’re praying for everyone involved,” he said. “Those kids were scared to death. It’s a tragic day here in the city of Noblesvsille. You never think it’s going to be at your school.”

Information on students: Here's where parents should go to get information on their children

Vice president, governor respond to Indiana school shooting

Elected officials have offered their prayers and support on Twitter.

Vice President Mike Pence released a statement to his home state: "To everyone in the Noblesville community – you are on our hearts and in our prayers. Thanks for the swift response by Hoosier law enforcement and first responders."

Related: Parents, officials react to shooting

Gov. Eric Holcomb, who is on the inaugural flight from Paris to Indianapolis, also tweeted: “Speaker Bosma, Pro Tem Long and I are monitoring the situation at Noblesville West Middle School from the air on our return trip to Indianapolis from Europe,” Holcomb said in a statement. “Approximately 100 state police officers have been made available to work with local responders and will offer all assistance needed. Our thoughts are with all those affected by this horrible situation.”

Congresswoman Susan Brooks, Sen. Todd Young and Sen. Joe Donnelly also tweeted that they were monitoring the situation.

“My team & I are aware of the horrific shooting at Noblesville West Middle School,” tweeted Brooks, who represents Noblesville in Congress. “My prayers are w/the Noblesville community, especially those who are injured & those who witnessed an active shooter situation- something no one should ever have to go through. Especially children.”

Indiana Senate Democrats respond to shooting

Indiana’s Republican-dominated General Assembly just held a one-day special legislative session earlier this month, in part to address school safety issues. Lawmakers approved an additional $5 million in safety improvements grants and made $35 million available for school safety loans. The bill also required school safety audits and allowed schools to barricade doors for three minutes during a fire alarm to investigate an active shooter situation.

But Democrats criticized the legislation for failing to restrict access to guns. Republicans, who have supermajorities in both chambers, have loosened gun restrictions in recent years, including a 2014 law that allowed guns in locked cars in school parking lots.

Hours after the Noblesville shooting, Democrats in the Indiana Senate called on lawmakers to impose more restrictions:“Legislators must admit and take seriously that we have to keep guns out of our schools, and restrict access to deadly weapons by dangerous individuals. No child should go through something this traumatizing and it’s our job to stop it."

State teachers: 'Thoughts and prayers aren't enough'

The Indiana State Teachers Association released a statement following the shooting:

"Our hearts go out to the students, educators, families and community members of Noblesville who this morning faced a senseless act of gun violence at Noblesville West Middle School. We understand at least one student and an adult may be injured, and we are praying for the best.

This national crisis has landed in our backyard. We all have a responsibility to keep our kids safe from violence, and it’s unconscionable that they live in fear that one day their school may be next. When is enough, enough?

Thoughts and prayers aren’t enough to keep our students and educators safe. We need to keep dangerous weapons out of the hands of dangerous people. We now know that it is up to communities, families, activists, educators and the students themselves to stand up and demand that those who are trusted with protecting them do their jobs."

What else we know

The American Red Cross Indiana Region is standing by to assist.