Student shot in hip at SF high school

Students at Balboa High and nearby James Denman Middle School and Ulloa Elementary School were kept inside for more than an hour. Officials released some students to parents who were worried for their safety and waited outside. Classes resumed at 11 a.m.

"This was just an accidental occurrence in a safe school," said associate superintendent John Quinn.

The shooting happened after a student brought a gun to school. The gun fired when he was showing it off, police said during a news conference at the school, and it was believed to be an accident.

The 16-year-old sophomore boy who had the gun also received minor injuries. He told police what happened, and was detained at Youth Guidance Center, a juvenile detention facility.

"The kids were hysterical, so they didn't know what happened, said Isabel Crowell, a police spokeswoman.

The student who brought the gun to school faces felony charges of assault with a deadly weapon, assault with a firearm on a student on school grounds, possession of a firearm on school grounds and discharging a firearm.

Police have not released the names of either of the boys involved.

The school district's zero-tolerance policy on bringing weapons onto campus means the suspect with the gun could be expelled automatically.

About 1,200 students attend Balboa High School, which is plagued with high staff turnover, low student test scores and reported gang problems.

"This is most unfortunate and reflects the challenges we face in working with individuals who have easy access to weapons outside of school, as well as protecting all students on our campuses," said Superintendent Arlene Ackerman in a written statement.

Students will take home a letter explaining the incident.

Ackerman is asking staff to review safety policies, and the district said it would make recommendations on increased security for students at all schools.<