James David Dickson, and Candice Williams

DetroitNews

Detroit — A high school principal chased into his building by gunfire on the second day of school never saw the attack coming, police said.

“His upper torso was inside of his truck picking up personal items he was going to use for the work day,” said Detroit Public Schools Community District Police Chief Stacy Brackens. “He didn’t see a person running away.”

Chrystal Wilson, spokeswoman for the Detroit Public Schools Community District, said the incident took place just before 7 a.m. at Detroit Collegiate Preparatory High School at Northwestern, on the 2200 block of West Grand Boulevard.

Detroit Police Chief James Craig, in a video posted on the department’s Facebook page, said three rounds were fired: one hit the rear of the principal’s vehicle as he exited, and two others were fired as he was running inside. The vehicle is a 2015 silver Chevy Tahoe, police confirmed.

Police have identified a “person of interest” in the shooting, Craig said, but he added it was too early to say if the principal was targeted or if the person of interest was actually responsible.

“There’s just not enough information to say he was targeted,” Craig said.

The Detroit Public Schools Community District Police are taking the lead in the investigation with assistance from the Detroit Police Department, officials said. Investigators processed the scene Wednesday and checked for spent casings.

“We feel we might be able to identify the perpetrator in a few days,” Brackens said. “Hopefully. That’s our goal.”

Brackens said there was police presence on the school’s campus during the day including student dimissal.

The principal declined comment via a security guard at the school Wednesday.

There is not believed to be a current threat to students, and no one was harmed, Wilson said.

jdickson@detroitnews.com