A juvenile suspect was reportedly arrested Saturday afternoon following a manhunt connected to the fatal shooting of a Virginia middle school student.
Lucia Bremer was shot multiple times on Friday, forcing a nearby high school in Henrico County, Va., to be placed on a temporary lockdown.
The eighth-grader was taken to a hospital where she died of her wounds, the Richmond Times-Dispatch reported. The suspect was reportedly last seen fleeing the shooting before the manhunt began.
The suspect, who has not been identified because of his age, was taken into custody at a home about a half-mile from where the shooting happened, according to the Henrico Citizen.
The suspect has been charged with second-degree murder, reports said.
VIRGINIA TEEN GIRL DEAD AFTER SHOT MULTIPLE TIMES NEAR HIGH SCHOOL; SUSPECT AT LARGE, REPORTS SAY
“Detectives worked tirelessly throughout the night to follow up on leads provided by our community partners,” Henrico police said while announcing the arrest Saturday.
Bremer’s family confirmed her death in a statement posted to Facebook on Saturday, writing they were “saddened to report that our beloved daughter and joyful farmer, Lucia Whalen Bremer, was killed in a senseless act of gun violence on March 26,” the Times-Dispatch reported. “Thank you for keeping our family in your thoughts as we navigate the next few weeks.”
Melanie Phipps, principal of Bremer’s Quioccasin Middle School in Richmond, described Lucia as “funny” and ‘wise,” adding that she was “heartbroken and devastated” over her killing.
She said students and staff were planning a virtual gathering for Sunday to grieve Bremer’s loss and the school plans to have an increased police presence Monday so everyone feels safe on a “most difficult day,” according to the Citizen.
David Whitehouse, Bremer’s English teacher said, “In a year of difficult days and weeks, this will be the most difficult of my entire career.”
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Police have called the shooting victim a teenager but have not disclosed her name or age – despite the girl being identified on social media by her family – because she was a minor.