1 student dead, another critically wounded in shooting outside Richfield school; 2 arrested

https://www.kare11.com/article/news/local/1-student-killed-another-
injured-shooting-outside-richfield-school/89-3e77b3ca-ed16-4ae7-8661-
751be3ab661d

RICHFIELD, Minn. — One student is dead and another is in critical 
condition after a shooting outside a school in Richfield Tuesday.

At a news conference Tuesday afternoon, Richfield Police Chief Jay 
Henthorne told reporters the two victims were shot on a sidewalk outside 
the District 287 South Education Center around 12:07 p.m., and the suspect 
or suspects fled in a vehicle immediately afterwards.  

The two students were rushed to Hennepin County Medical Center, where one 
was pronounced dead and the other is reportedly in critical condition. 

Richfield police said Tuesday evening that two suspects were arrested in 
connection to the shooting. Officials said a gun was also recovered, 
however it's unclear if it's the gun that was used in Tuesday's shooting. 
Police say they're not currently looking for any other suspects.

Law enforcement has not identified the victims; however, Richfield High 
School football coach Kris Pulford confirmed the teen killed was 16-year-
old Jahmari Rice, son of local activist Cortez Rice. Pulford said Rice was 
a former player for his team, and had just transferred schools two days 
earlier.

The victims will not be identified by officials until family and friends 
are notified, however, multiple sources have told KARE 11 that the student 
killed was local activist Cortez Rice's 16-year-old son. Richfield High 
School head football coach Kris Pulford confirmed the student's name is 
Jahmari Rice.

"This is a tragic day in the city of Richfield," Henthorne said. "Our 
community, our hearts, our prayers, our thoughts go out to District 287, 
their students, their families and our community." 

The chief asked anyone who has information on the shooting or those 
responsible to call 888-ATF-TIPS or 800-CALL-FBI.

District 287 Superintendent Sandra Lewandowski said staff members and 
police responded immediately after the shooting, and implemented lockdown 
procedures. 

"We express our deepest condolences to the family and friends of the 
victims. To us there are students who come through the doors every day, we 
care for them, and this is a terrible tragedy and loss," Lewandowski said, 
her voice breaking. "We are deeply saddened by this incident, and will do 
everything we can to work to support the families, classmates and staff in 
whatever way possible." 

Multiple squads were dispatched shortly after noon to the South Education 
Center in the 7000 block of Penn Ave. South. Images from the scene 
reflected a strong police presence that included special agents from the 
FBI and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms (ATF). 


Shortly after 1:30 p.m. District 287 sent a message to parents and 
stakeholders. "We have just become aware of a police situation at South 
Education Center. We are still gathering information at this time, the 
site is on a hard lockdown as of this email. We will be communicating 
updates with families as soon as we have more information."

That lockdown was lifted shortly before 2:30 p.m. when it was determined 
there was no remaining danger. 

On Tuesday evening, officials canceled school on Wednesday and Thursday.


One parent on scene at South Education Center waiting for her child shared 
a text she received as the incident unfolded. "Mom, there is a shooter in 
the school I love you," the message read.

Police and school officials established a pickup area at nearby Donaldson 
Park where students could safely be reunited with their parents. 


Community members gathered later Tuesday night to remember Jahmari, 
including his former football teammates and coach. His former coach, Kris 
Pulford, said he talked to him just last week.

"If I knew that was the last time, I probably would have said a little bit 
more," Pulford said.

Pulford called him a "good kid," and his sudden death has many people left 
grappling with what happened.

Richfield City Council released the following statement in response:

Like everyone in Richfield and the region, we are still processing the 
tragic school shooting that took place just after noon today at the South 
Education Center. These headlines appear far too often, and our hearts 
sink that such a tragedy has landed in our community. We join our partners 
at Intermediate School District 287, South Education Center, all Richfield 
families and students who are grieving.

We were heartbroken to learn that one of the students was killed in the 
incident, and another is in critical condition. We offer our condolences 
to the family of the victim who was killed and our compassion to the 
victim in critical condition and to those directly impacted by the 
shooting.  We thank the brave school staff, teachers, police officers, 
firefighters and all cooperating jurisdictions for their assistance in 
responding to this incident.

Richfield has long been a close-knit, safe and welcoming community. 
Everyone in our community deserves to feel safe in their schools and in 
their community, and today this safety was threatened. Please check-in on 
your neighbors, hug your children and be there for your friends and 
family.

As more information develops on the situation, we will be updating the 
community.

Veteran KARE 11 photojournalist Craig Norkus lives across from the school. 
He said  he was preparing for work when he heard the siren of one squad, 
and then they were "non-stop." Norkus called the response "overwhelming," 
saying he counted between 30 and 40 squads from various agencies, and a 
minimum of five ambulances.  

Superintendent Lewandowski told reporters that the South Education Center 
is part of District 287, a partnership of 11 metro-area school districts. 
The campus in Richfield serves about 200 students pre-K through Transition 
with unique needs in a variety of programs.

Superintendent Lewandowski released a statement Tuesday evening:

With a heavy heart we report that on Tuesday, Feb. 1, there were shots 
fired outside at South Education Center near the front entrance. Two 
students were injured in the incident.

Our staff members and police responded immediately to the situation and 
followed our security procedures. The two injured students are receiving 
medical care for their injuries. As of now, one has passed away, one is in 
critical condition (HCMC)

There are no words to describe the bravery exhibited by our staff at SEC 
and local authorities today. No one should ever have to respond to a 
tragedy like this and we commit to supporting staff, students, and 
families’ well-being as they recover from this incident.

We remain in constant contact with the police department as they continue 
their investigation. We are unable to confirm any reports due to the 
ongoing police investigation. Please refer questions about the 
investigation to the Richfield Police Department.

We express our deepest condolences to the family and friends of the 
victims. We are deeply saddened by this incident and will work to support 
the family, classmates, and staff as much as we can.

There are no words to describe the bravery exhibited by our staff at SEC 
and local authorities today. No one should ever have to respond to a 
tragedy like this and we commit to supporting staff, students, and 
families’ well-being as they recover from this incident.

The safety of our students and staff is a top priority. We will continue 
to update you as we learn more details.

It is always difficult to understand an incident like this and it is an 
especially important time to reach out for support. District 287 stands 
ready to support our students and staff as needed as we recover from this 
tragedy.

According to a statement from Richfield Middle School, which is located 
near the South Education Center, but part of a separate district, 
emergency personnel responded to the school "accidentally," saying that at 
no time were students at RMS in any danger. In their statement, school 
officials say officers had weapons drawn and were wearing bulletproof 
vests, however, they don't believe many students witnessed it since it 
occurred while they were in class.

"It is important that you are aware of the incident in the event that your 
child hears about it, as some children may be deeply impacted by this type 
of news," the statement reads in part.

Police were previously called to the campus in September of 2021 on 
reports of a student with a handgun. South Education Center was locked 
down, and officers took a student into custody near the school entrance. 
They found a loaded handgun in that student's possession. 

This is a developing story. KARE 11 will continue to update this story as 
more information becomes available.



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