Gunman Dead, Staffer Wounded in Virginia Elementary School Shooting

A gunman forced his way into Westwood Hills Elementary School in Waynesboro, Virginia, on Wednesday, wounding a staff member before turning the gun on himself, police said.

Staff alerted police to a "suspicious individual" on the school grounds at approximately 9:12 a.m., according to Waynesboro Police Chief David Shaw. The school, which was in session, immediately went into lockdown.

When officers arrived, they found the suspect, identified as 19-year-old Anthony Ignatiadis-Isabelle, dead in the school's library from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound. School officials said no students are believed to have been in the library at the time.

One staff member suffered a non-life-threatening gunshot wound and was treated and released, Shaw said.

Ignatiadis-Isabelle was not a student in Waynesboro Public Schools, Superintendent Jeffrey Cassell said. Authorities have not released any information about a possible motive, the weapon used, or whether the suspect had any connection to the victim. No further details about the victim were disclosed.

"Today is the day every school system hopes they never have to deal with," Cassell said at a press briefing, growing emotional. He praised the response of school staff, the Waynesboro Police Department, the Augusta County Sheriff's Office, Virginia State Police, and local, state and federal partners.

Cassell said the school's "safety and security protocols and procedures worked," noting that staff notified law enforcement immediately and executed lockdown procedures. "Every student and staff member is safe and returned home to their families," he said. "Please hug your children and your families this evening."

The shooting remains under investigation, police said.