Staffer injured, gunman dead in shooting at Virginia elementary school: Police

A gunman forced his way into a Virginia elementary school on Wednesday, leaving a staffer wounded before turning the gun on himself, authorities said Wednesday.

The 19-year-old suspect, Anthony Ignatiadis-Isabelle, was found dead in the school’s library from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound, police in Waynesboro, about 30 miles from Charlottesville, said.

Staff at Westwood Hills Elementary School alerted police to a “suspicious individual” on the grounds at approximately 9:12 a.m. Wednesday, police said.

The school, which was in session, implemented lockdown procedures, according to Waynesboro Police Chief David Shaw. 

When police arrived, they found the suspect in the library, “dead from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound,” Shaw said at a press briefing on Wednesday. No students are believed to have been in the library at the time, school officials said.

One staff member suffered a non-life-threatening gunshot wound and has been treated and released, according to Shaw.

Ignatiadis-Isabelle was not a student of Waynesboro Public Schools, according to Superintendent Jeffrey Cassell.

Authorities did not share any details on an alleged motive. Shaw said he did not have any information to share regarding the weapon and whether the suspect had any connection with the victim. No additional details on the victim were released.

The shooting remains under investigation, police said.

“Today is the day every school system hopes they never have to deal with,” Cassell said during Wednesday’s press briefing, getting emotional. “I need to praise the response of our staff and the Waynesboro Police Department, the Augusta County Sheriff’s Office, the Virginia State Police, and our local, state and federal partners.”

Cassell said that the school’s “safety and security protocols and procedures worked.”

“Staff notified law enforcement immediately, and our school executed lockdown procedures,” he said. “Every student and staff member is safe and returned home to their families. Please hug your children and your families this evening.”