Shots fired near New London High School, police say

NEW LONDON, CT (WFSB) – New London High School was in a lockdown after shots were fired nearby Thursday.

The lockdown at the school was lifted around 12:30 p.m.

A caller reported four juveniles shoot off a gun at a parking lot near the school, police said.

“One witness reporting that they observed three gun shots being fired in the parking lot near a wooded area,” New London police said.

The incident did not happen on school grounds, said city officials.

Police said officers responded to the area and looked for the juveniles involved.

Eyewitness News talked to some students on their walk home, near the shot fired report.

“I was scared, I wanted to go home, I just wanted to go home, I didn’t really care about nothing else,” said Jayda Pedraza, a student at the high school.

Pedraza got to walk home around 2 p.m.

Earlier in the day, it was all she could think about.

“Yes I was texting with my mom I was very scared, I didn’t know I just wanted to go home,” Pedraza said.

She said for 50 minutes her classmates sat in fear, unknown to what was going on outside school doors.

Pedraza said teachers tried their best to keep everyone calm, but they too seemed on-edge.

“They were actually scared too, you could see it in their face, they wanted students to go where they had to go, they tried to help as much as they could,” said Pedraza.

“There was gunshots, we didn’t know anything else really,” said Ashley Reyes, a New London High School student. “We was all chattin trying to figure out what was going on, nobody really knew.”

Both students said their parents got an email after the incident, but were frustrated in the school’s delay to send out a note.

“Yes my mother was very scared because they did not email, call her, nothing, they gave her an email after very less worries but still worried, she wants to switch schools now,” Pedraza said.

Both girls said incidents involving guns are happening all too often in New London.

Anyone with information is asked to call New London police.

Stay with Eyewitness News for updates.

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