Student Attempts Suicide at La. School

— A 13-year-old student shot himself in a suicide attempt at a private school in a New Orleans suburb Monday morning, officials said.

The shooting happened minutes before the start of classes, said J.T. Curtis, acting headmaster at John Curtis Christian School. The shooting occurred near the gym, minutes before the start of classes, he said.

"One of the young ladies heard a noise. She went back there and saw him sitting there," Curtis said.

The boy, Joseph Lynn, was placed on life support at a hospital after surgery, said Col. John Fortunato, a Jefferson Parish Sheriff's Office spokesman. The boy's name was released at the request of Lynn's mother, who said she wanted the public to pray for him.

No other students were in danger, said Bob Eutsler, spokesman for John Curtis Christian School in River Ridge.

There are no metal detectors at the school, which has 450 to 500 students and has had no other problems involving guns, Curtis said.

Classes continued, but an assembly was planned later in the day and members of the clergy went to classes to speak with students, Curtis said.