Gunfire exchange injures three in Olathe East High School shooting; 18-year-old charged
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Olathe East High School shooting
A shooting at a Johnson County high school injured a school resource officer and an administrator, according to police. The suspect, a student, is in custody.
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Update: On Saturday, Johnson County prosecutors charged a student, Jaylon Elmore, in the Olathe East shooting. That story is here.
A school administrator and resource officer were injured in a shooting Friday at Olathe East High School, according to police.
A suspect, who is a student, was also injured and was taken into custody.
The school, at 14545 W. 127th St., is one of five high schools in Olathe Public Schools, a district in Johnson County, Kansas, in the suburbs of Kansas City.
Olathe East has roughly 2,000 students in a district with about 30,000 students.
Olathe East student charged with attempted capital murder
Update: 2:24 p.m.: The 18-year-old Olathe East High School student who was arrested has been charged with attempted capital murder, court documents said.
Jaylon Desean Elmore was charged Saturday in Johnson County District Court in connection with the shooting of school resource officer Erik Clark. Further charges are expected.
Elmore’s bond was set at $1,000,000.
18-year-old Olathe East student arrested
Updated 11:56 a.m.: An 18-year-old Olathe East High School student has been arrested as police continue to investigate the school shooting Friday at Olathe East High School, Johnson County jail records show.
Jaylon D. Elmore was taken into custody in connection with attempted first-degree murder, according to records from the Johnson County Detention Center. He is listed as a senior on the high school’s varsity football team.
Olathe police referred questions to the Johnson County District Attorney’s Office, which did not immediately respond to a request for confirmation.
School administrator wounded in Olathe East shooting identified
Updated 9:16 p.m. Friday: Kaleb Stoppel, the Olathe East High School athletic director and assistant principal, is the administrator injured in a shooting at the school on Friday, according to a post from Kansas state Sen. Cindy Holscher.
Olathe police said the shooting occurred when the student displayed a gun in the school’s main office, and shots were exchanged between him and the school resource officer. Stoppel, School Resource Officer Erik Clark, and the suspect, an 18-year-old, were all shot.
Stoppel and Clark were discharged from Overland Park Regional Medical Center on Friday afternoon. The shooting suspect remained there in critical condition.
Student displayed handgun in office, leading to shootout with officer: police
Updated 8:57 p.m. The Olathe East High School shooting that wounded three late Friday morning unfolded after a student displayed a handgun in the main office as the school resource officer was responding there to assist with an administrative matter, according to police.
Gunfire was exchanged between the 18-year-old student and Officer Erik Clark, said Sgt. Joel Yeldell, a spokesman for the Olathe Police Department. Both were wounded. A school administrator was also shot.
The suspect remained in Overland Park Regional Medical Center in critical condition. Clark and Stoppel were discharged earlier that afternoon.
School resource officer hurt in Olathe East shooting identified
Updated 7:21 p.m.: Erik Clark has been identified as the school resource officer who was injured in the shooting at Olathe East High School on Friday, according to the Johnson County Sheriff’s Office.
Clark suffered injuries along with an assistant principal. The suspect, who is a student, was shot in the abdomen, according to radio traffic from the officer, captured by Broadcastify.com. The Olathe Police Department said the shooting occurred in an office area, and a suspect was in custody.
Several community members called Clark a hero. And many felt the outcome of the shooting could have been far worse without his response.
Clark is an officer with more than 15 years of service, including seven as a school resource officer, according to Olathe police, in a tweet from the start of this school year.
Overland Park church to hold prayer event Friday
Updated 6:13 p.m.: OP Church: A Church of Christ announced it would open its doors Friday evening for Olathe youth, school faculty and families after the shooting at Olathe East High School.
In a message posted to Facebook, the church said a prayer event would begin at 6:30 p.m. The church is located at 13400 W. 119th St. in Overaland Park.
“In light of the tragic situation transpiring at OEHS, staff and missional partners of the OP Church will be gathering this evening for prayer, discussion/reflection and to just be together,” the message said.
“Open and refuge to all. You’re Invited.”
Olathe East student describes hearing gunshots, hiding
Update: 5:05 p.m.: A 16-year-old Olathe East sophomore told The Star she close enough to hear what sounded like six gunshots coming inside the school late Friday morning.
Lexi Smith and others with her immediately ducked beneath the conference room table. The shooting unfolded as she was in a video meeting with other students from her school club. The people on the other end of the video chat, she said, would have seen the shock on their faces.
“Everybody was freaking out. My life flashed before my eyes,” Smith said, adding that she worried she would be shot.
Suspected shooter remains hospitalized in critical condition: source
Updated 4:44 p.m. A third person remains in critical condition, according to Christine Hamele, a spokeswoman with Overland Park Regional Medical Center.
The patient who was still hospitalized was the suspected shooter, a source said. The student has been identified as an adult male by the hospital.
The hospital said earlier that the other two patients involved in the shooting had been discharged.
Olathe school district offers counseling services for students, staff
Updated 3:46 p.m.: Olathe Public schools posted a message to Twitter thanking local families for their support and offering counseling services for students and staff.
Counseling services will be available at California Trail and Pioneer Trail middle schools until 7 p.m. Friday, according to the district.
“Thank you for your support, understanding, & patience today,” the message said. “To our community & beyond – thank you for the messages of support & love.”
Two released from Overland Park hospital after shooting
Updated 3:37 p.m.: Hospital officials at Overland Park Regional Medical Center, where three men were being treated after the shooting, said two of the patients have been discharged from the hospital.
One victim remained at the hospital in critical condition, hospital officials said in a written statement.
Earlier Friday afternoon, the hospital had reported that one of the patients was in critical condition, another was in critical but stable condition, and a third was in stable condition.
The hospital did not identify the patients.
Olathe mayor thanks police, school leaders
Updated 3:30 p.m.: Olathe Mayor John Bacon posted a message on Twitter Friday afternoon, thanking police and school leaders for their courage.
Pastor Adam Hamilton invites parents and students to church
Updated 3:15 p.m.: The Rev. Adam Hamilton, pastor at the Church of the Resurrection in Leawood, posted on Facebook inviting Olathe East parents or students to two of the church’s locations.
Hamilton said many students, teachers and staff at the high school are members of the congregation, including children and pastors of Resurrection staff. Hamilton’s nephew is a senior at Olathe East, he wrote.
Parents and students from Olathe East were invited to visit either the Leawood location at 13720 Roe Ave. or the Olathe location at 24000 W. Valley Parkway.
“We are praying for the students, teachers and families impacted by the tragic events that unfolded today at Olathe East High School,” Hamilton’s post said.
Students released to parents at California Trail Middle School
Updated 2:54 p.m.: At California Trail Middle School, a reunification point for parents and students from Olathe East, parents were being allowed inside the building 5-10 at a time to get their children.
At its height, the crowd of parents reached 300.
Administrators were checking Olathe East students in, then releasing them to parents from the middle school’s gym.
Shooting comes after a rise in threats at KC- area schools
Updated 2:43 p.m.: Friday’s shooting came after a rise in threats made against Kansas City area schools in the past year.
Earlier in the day, some parents in the Odessa school district, on the Missouri side of the metro, said on social media that they were keeping their middle schoolers home after hearing rumors that there was a shooting threat at their school.
Throughout this school year, Kansas City area districts have responded to shooting threats, a bomb threat and more — echoing a national rising trend in school violence and threats. Some educators have said they’ve witnessed an uptick in student misbehavior, including threats, fights and other issues, during this third school year affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.
The Star has counted at least 20 school threats made in Kansas City area districts this school year.
- Sarah Ritter, sritter@kcstar.com
Police say person in video entering school was an officer
Updated 2:36 p.m.: Olathe police posted on Twitter to address a video circulating on social media after the shooting.
The person shown in the video holding a rifle and gaining access to the school was a responding police officer, the message said.
‘I’m not leaving until I see him get in his car’
Updated 2:25 p.m.: Dustey and Kyle Peterson waited outside Olathe East High School for their son to be released. After arriving at the school, they were stuck in gridlock among school buses.
Dustey Peterson had received a call about the shooting about 10:52 a.m. while cutting a customer’s hair. She and Kyle drove to the school as fast as they could while gathering information from school texts and other reports.
While stuck at the school, they waited for their son, a senior, to be allowed to leave.
“I’m not leaving until I see him get in his car,” Dustey Peterson said.
Kansas Senator is parent of Olathe East student
Updated 2:10 p.m.: Kansas Sen. Cindy Holscher, a Democrat from Overland Park, was at California Trail Middle School to find her own child, an Olathe East student.
“I’ll never be the same after this,” she said. “You see the reports. You hear the things that go on in other places, but until you’re there standing on that sidewalk looking at that school waiting to hear from your child.”
“I mean, it’s the worst feeling ever. You know, we’ve been trying to make changes. I’m not talking about radical changes. I’m just talking about simple things to help people be a little bit safer,” she said.
“Just this past week, we had a hearing for red flag bills, and you know those are the bills that if there’s an identifiable threat, the guns are removed for a time to hopefully prevent a shooting during a domestic violence situation or a shooting of law enforcement, and one of the opponents actually said, ‘we can’t do this because gun owners will be upset if their guns got scratched when they were confiscated.’”
“If that’s where our focus is going to be, worried about a gun getting scratched, we’re going to keep seeing this.”
Hospital says two patients in critical condition, one stable
Updated 1:57 p.m.: Overland Park Regional Medical Center was treating three patients from the Olathe shooting, hospital spokeswoman Christine Hamele said in a statement.
One of the patients was in critical condition, she said. Another was in critical but stable condition and a third was in stable condition. Hospital officials did not identify the patients.
The hospital expected to release more information by 5 p.m.
Parents wait to reunite with students
Updated 1:42 p.m.: Amanda Chitty, an educator at California Trail Middle School, where Olathe East parents were waiting to reunite with their children, said she too was waiting on her son.
Her son is a student at Olathe East and was on a bus heading to California Trail, she said.
“I heard from my son. He’s a 9th grader,” she said. “I called him and asked if he was OK and he said ‘Yeah, I’m just in advisory (home room) right now.”
“I said, OK, they just locked the doors? He said ‘Yeah, there are seven officers out with guns in the halls.
“He didn’t really know anything. I just heard from him again, and he said he’s on a bus.”
Administrator, officer expected to survive
Updated 1:23 p.m.: Both the injured school administrator and the school resource officer are expected to survive, Olathe police spokesman Sgt. Joel Yeldell said in a briefing Friday.
The officer was doing “fine” and was talking with people at the hospital, Yeldell said.
The administrator was in stable condition.
‘If I get shot, I love you’
Updated 1:10 p.m.: Frightened parents anxiously awaited word from their children at Olathe East High School in an emotional and frantic scene after the shooting on campus..
Cory Stone, whose son is a 14-year-old freshman, said he received a flood of calls from his ex-wife about the incident. Then his son texted: “If I get shot, I love you.”
“Those kids are scared to death,” Stone said.
Vesta Morgan hosts an exchange student from Kazakhstan who is a junior. She called at 11 a.m. and said they were locked in the library.
“Basically she was upset, she didn’t know what was going on,” Morgan said outside Family Video.
“There’s a little bit of panic,” Morgan said. “It’s a child I’m trying to protect. … You know it happens, but you don’t ever think it’s going to be your child or your school.”
Officer reports 3 shot, including student suspect
Updated 12:53 p.m.: The injured school resource officer reported that three people had been shot and injured: himself, an assistant school principal and the suspect, who is a student and was shot in the abdomen, according to radio traffic captured by Broadcastify.com.
The nearby Lenexa Police Department said it was grateful the school administrator and resource officer “did not suffer life-threatening injuries.” Their officers responded as soon as they got word of they shooting, the department said.
Official reunification plan
Updated 12:45 p.m.: Olathe Public Schools said the official reunification plan was for parent pick-up and walkers to be taken to California Trail Middle School at 13775 W. 133rd St.
“Please reunify with your student there,” the district wrote on Twitter.
Bus riders will be taken home on buses from Pioneer Trail Middle School, located at 15100 W 127th St.
“Student drivers will be released in a staggered fashion and escorted to their vehicles,” the district wrote. “Special Education bus riders will come home on buses from Olathe East as normal.”
The district additionally said counseling services for students and staff would be available at California Trail Middle School and Pioneer Trail Middle School until 7 p.m. Friday.
Federal officers on scene
Updated 12:40 p.m.: Republican Sen. Jerry Moran of Kansas said he spoke with FBI leaders about the shooting Friday afternoon.
Federal officers were on scene and providing assistance to local officers, he said.
In a tweet, Kansas Sen. Roger Marshall said he and his wife, Laina, joined “all Kansans in lifting up and praying for” everyone in the school district’s family.
“Thank God for our heroic officers and school officials who acted swiftly and no doubt bravely to protect students,” he said.
Pickup locations
Updated 12:30 p.m.: Police are now asking parents to pick up their students at Pioneer Trail Middle School at West 127th Street and South Black Bob Road.
Buses are taking the students there, Olathe Police Maj. Johnny Roland told parents as he walked the crowd.
Students who drove will be allowed to drive home.
A secondary, overflow spot that they will take kids is California Trail.
Nicole Maniscalco was among the parents eager to pick up her two students after a shooting.
“I’ll freak out later,” she said. “They need to see how mom’s got this.”
Reunification plans
Updated 12:15 p.m.: Olathe Public Schools said it was working with the police department to finalize reunification plans.
“To clarify, if your loved one was injured, you would have already been contacted by the police department,” the district wrote on social media. “We will provide additional updates as soon as they are available. Thank you for your patience.”
Kansas governor ‘closely monitoring’ situation
Updated 12:15 p.m.: Reaction to the shooting poured immediately, with Kansas and regional officials offering their condolences.
Gov. Laura Kelly said her thoughts were with the entire Olathe East High School community.
“We are closely monitoring the situation on the ground & are in communication with law enforcement,” she tweeted. “Parents & teachers: reunification site is 12708 S Black Bob.”
Kansas Rep. Jo Ella Hoye, a Lenexa Democrat who has sought gun control, wrote on Twitter: “I’m so sorry” shortly after the news broke. She added a heart emoji and “#ENOUGH.”
Democratic state Rep. Christina Haswood, of Lawrence, said her heart broke.
“Please stay safe and I’m so sorry this is happening,” she tweeted.
“Prayers for everyone involved,” Kansas City Mayor Quinton Lucas tweeted.
Olathe voters OK’d safety spending
Updated 12 p.m.: Days before the shooting, Johnson County voters approved a $298.3 million bond initiative to help improve safety across the district.
Voters passed the bond measure Tuesday to replace a middle school building and fund several facility, technology and safety improvements.
More than $8.2 million is expected to go toward safety, including installing cameras in several buildings and upgrading district radio systems.
Parents advised to reunite with Olathe East students at Family Video
Updated 11:31 a.m.: Parents of Olathe East students were advised by police to reunite with their children at Family Video, 12708 South Black Bob Road.
Olathe Superintendent Brent Yeager sent a message to families of Olathe East that said:
“I want to make you aware of a situation that is currently happening. Olathe East is currently under lock down due to an active shooting situation on campus. Please know that law enforcement is on site and the building is secured. Olathe East and surrounding school buildings have been secured.”
The Kansas City Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives said agents responded to the shooting and were assisting in the investigation.
School administrator and resource officer shot
Updated 11:20 a.m.: A school administrator and resource officer were injured in a shooting Friday at Olathe East High School, according to police.
Police said the shooting occurred in an office area and a suspect was in custody. The Olathe Police Department notified the public of the shooting in a Twitter post shortly before 11 a.m.
No students were reported to be injured.
The high school, located at 14545 W 127th St., is one of five high schools in the Olathe School District.
This story was originally published March 4, 2022 at 11:24 AM.
