MELBOURNE, Fla. – Melbourne police said two adults were shot and wounded in a shooting near Stone Middle School and that the victims' vehicle ended up near Palm Bay Magnet High School on Monday.
Police blocked off University Boulevard, where multiple evidence markers were placed in the road near the shooting site, and asked motorists to avoid the area.
The two adults suffered non-life-threatening injuries, said Cmdr. Marc Claycomb, of the Melbourne Police Department. There were reports of one person being transported by ambulance with an injury to the forearm.
"It appears to be a shooting from car to car," Claycomb said.
Through an investigation, Melbourne police detectives determined the two shooting victims were driving on University Boulevard when a second vehicle pulled up alongside them. Then, a person known to the victims got out of his car and began shooting into the victims’ vehicle, striking both of them.
Police said the victims were able to drive away, attempting to escape the shooter, but when they could not, they pulled into Palm Bay Magnet High School in hopes of finding a place they could safely hide.
Police said the shooter did not attempt to follow the victims into the school.
Officers converged on both sides, with several patrol cars parked along University Boulevard, not far from the Stone Middle School campus. Yellow crime scene tape was seen lying in the roadway.
A description of the car involved was not available, but a countywide alert to other surrounding law enforcement agencies was issued within minutes.
The incident happened about 4 p.m., about 30 minutes after school students are released to go home.
Hensley said Stone Middle, located on East University Boulevard, dismissed students normally, but with increased law enforcement presence. Palm Bay High had already dismissed students around 3:30 p.m., but additional law enforcement officers were at the campus, Florida Today reported.
Police said no one involved in the shooting is a current student of either school.
A track meet was underway at Stone Middle when shots were fired, according to a parent who was at the school. No arrests have been made.