GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — During the middle of the school day on Tuesday, two students of Alger Middle School managed to leave the building and walk to Alger Park, which is extremely close to the school.
It was in the bathroom there, where 13-year-old Javeon Childrey's life would be forever changed.
Childrey was shot in the face.
“He said next thing you know it was like he was hit with a basketball, so he took off running,” Bianca Bridgeforth, Javeon's mother, said.
Right now, he's in a lot of pain, at Helen DeVos Children's Hospital.
“He has bullet fragments around his eye. He also has bleeding. We hope the bleeding stops that’s going towards his brain,” Bridgeforth said.
Javeon was in the bathroom with his friend when the shooting happened.
“He went to the bathroom outside of Alger Middle,” Bridgeforth said. “He said him and a guy with a jersey on and his friend...was in there, the only three,” Bridgeforth said.
It's unclear how the gun got into the hands of children. Investigators are still looking into that.
“I know the young man, he’s sorry. I know he is,” Bridgeforth said.
Bridgeforth says she doesn't understand how students managed to leave the school building unnoticed.
“It should have been no reason why those two young men was outside in that bathroom anyways,” Bridgeforth said.
Bianca describes herself as an active parent at Alger Middle, saying she has volunteered in the building regularly over the last two years.
“Alger is something different. If I could talk all day, I could tell you about Alger. It’s not a place to send your kids. It’s not a safe environment at all,” Bridgeforth said.
Right now, Bianca is leaning on her faith to get her through this.
“For the most part, we’re fighting. We’re prayed up for real. That’s the only thing we do. I got faith. I just hope my baby has a speedy recovery,” Bridgeforth said.
Below is the full interview with Bianca Bridgeforth. FOX 17 has edited out the names of other children in the video.
Grand Rapids Public Schools released an update Wednesday saying they will improve safety at the school by installing metal detectors at Alger Middle School's entryways for the rest of the school year. Additional security staff will also be posted at the school.
We're told students will need to enter the school through Door F if arriving by bus. All others will go through Door A.
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