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5 children hit by BB gun pellets at Lowell playground

LOWELL, Mass. — Five children were shot with pellets from BB guns on Wednesday afternoon when three children riding bicycles drove by a playground and shot at the students, according to a release from Lowell Police.

Two of the injured students had to be transported to a local hospital for treatment and police say they've identified two children, aged 11 and 13, who may be responsible. Neither has been arrested.

The incident occurred around 1:34 p.m. on Wednesday afternoon at the Greenhalge Elementary School during an after school program.

Three children allegedly rode past the school's playground on their bikes and fired plastic pellets from BB guns. Two of them then entered the playground and shot more pellets at the students, Lowell Police said.

"I was at the playground, and there were these boys that my staff told them to go away," said Aaliyah Whitson, an 8-year-old who was one of the children hit by the pellets. "My staff told them to go away, and they got mad and got out of the park. They [shot] BB guns."

Whitson was shot near her eyes. She was playing tag with her friends when the students started shooting.

"I said, 'Go away, you're not allowed to be here,'" she said. "And that's when he hurt my nose.​​​​​​ I ran to my staff and I was crying."

The Community Teamwork Inc. (CTI) after school program reported all children at the playground were safely brought inside.

Parents of the children at the playground were contacted and informed of the incident.

The school is now taking measures to ensure the safety of students and staff, which includes a plan for a School Resource Officer (SRO) presence on the campus for the remainder of the week and availability of a district support team to address student, staff and family concerns.

Police initially described the suspects as "three Asian males."

Lowell Police's detectives are actively investigating the incident.

A source tells Boston 25 News that the students were hospitalized as a precaution and that they are doing okay.

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