Teenager hospitalized in shooting near Los Angeles middle school

One person was rushed to the hospital after a shooting near a school in the San Fernando Valley.

The Los Angeles School Police Department said the shooting happened off campus, adjacent to Sepulveda Middle School in the North Hills neighborhood.  An LA Unified School District spokesperson said staff placed the campus on lockdown because of the shooting. 

Eighth-grade student Santo Jimenez said two kids were fighting before the shooting happened.

"One shot like super loud and everybody started running," he said. "I felt really bad for the student who got shot."

Firefighters took one person to the hospital in an unknown condition, according to the Los Angeles Fire Department.

Authorities did not immediately provide a description of the victim. The LAUSD spokesperson said the victim was not a student at the school. 

The family said the victim was a 15-year-old boy. He's expected to survive. Relatives said the suspect has been harassing the victim, trying to pick a fight in the days before the shooting. 

LAUSD said officers did not arrest a suspect, but believe he is a juvenile. The spokesperson said school police will conduct extra patrols out of an abundance of caution.

"We take the safety of our students very seriously. In an abundance of caution, the Los Angeles School Police Department will have extra police officer patrols on our campus," LAUSD wrote in a statement.

School officials urged anyone who witnesses any safety concerns to contact staff or police. They can contact the LA Schol Police Department at (213) 625-6631 and 911 during emergencies. 

Anonymous tips can be sent to the Los Angeles Schools Anonymous Reporting (LASAR) mobile app, which is available for free in the Apple and Android App Stores.