A 14-year-old student in Reynosa, Tamaulipas, who was set to graduate from secondary school was killed Monday while at school, the victim of a stray bullet.

The students were gathered outside during the late afternoon but when gunshots were heard nearby they ran for their classrooms. Jesús Antonio didn’t make it; he was struck in the back and died in his girlfriend’s arms.

Tamaulipas officials said the shooting occurred at about the same time that a state police patrol vehicle was attacked by gunmen aboard two SUVs. A chase ensued in the streets of the Cumbres neighborhood in which the attackers fired more shots before fleeing.

The federal Secretariat of Education (SEP) expressed its regret over the incident and offered to reinforce security measures at the school and provide medical and psychological counseling.

Roadblocks, car chases and gunfire are common in the city, where many reports describe the violence as unstoppable.

Education authorities have taken steps to prevent injury by organizing gunfire drills in many schools in the state. Many began doing so after five students were wounded in a direct attack on a school by armed civilians in Ciudad Victoria in April.

The students were gathered outside the main entrance to the preparatory school when the civilians opened fire.

Source: El Universal (sp)