Delhi student opens fire at schoolmate

In a shocking incident, a Class 9 student on Wednesday allegedly fired at his schoolmate with an air-pistol, leaving him injured during a clash between two groups in a south Delhi school.

The incident took place in Veer Chandra Garwhal Public School in Saket at approximately 9 am and the injured has been identified as Gaurav Yadav, a Class 8 student. The Class 9 student opened fire using the 0.22 bore air-pistol when two groups of students clashed in the playground over some issue, a senior police official said.

"The Class 9 student had brought the air-pistol to the school. During the fight, he allegedly opened fire, in which Gaurav suffered minor injuries on his shoulder," the official said. Gaurav was rushed to AIIMS trauma centre from where he was discharged after treatment, he said.

The student who allegedly opened fire has been taken into police custody. A case has been registered under relevant sections of the Juvenile Justice Act.

A student said, "We were playing cricket. He (the accused) threw stones at us and there was an argument. There was a fist fight between us and then suddenly he pulled out the gun from his bag and opened fire."

Another student said many students bring arms to the school. "There is a shortage of teachers. When it is prayer time, many students are there in the playground. Many students brings things like knives and surgical blades to the school," he said.

An air pistol fires projectiles by means of compressed air in contrast to a firearm which burns a propellant. Most air guns use metallic projectiles as ammunition. These are normally used for hunting, pest control, recreational shooting, and competitive sports, such as the Olympic air rifle and air pistol events.

The .22 bore pellets are the most common calibre for hunting as it delivers large amounts of energy on impact.