Suspects in shooting of six young people at school bus stop in Las Vegas wanted

The six were shot Tuesday shortly after a group of Mojave High School students got off a school bus in a working-class neighborhood of the famed gambling resort city. The suspects were believed to have fled on foot.

Photo: Suspects in shooting of six young people at school bus stop in Las Vegas wanted

Alejandro Rios, 18, who was shot in the torso, was upgraded from critical to serious condition early Wednesday, a hospital spokeswoman said. A 17-year-old male, also hospitalized, had been listed in serious condition late Tuesday, but an update was not available because he chose to keep his information private, according to the spokeswoman.

Four people, including at least two boys and a girl who are under 18, were treated for gunshot wounds to their arms and legs and were released, she said. All four are students at Mojave High School who had just stepped off the bus, which was coming from the school, police said.

Authorities would not release any other information about the two hospitalized victims, including whether they were students or had been on the bus.

Police said they believed the shooting was linked to a fight at school earlier in the day. The brawl had been contained by school police, who arrested three male students, officials said.

Sheriff Doug Gillespie did not describe how he believed the incidents were connected. The fight at the school did not appear to be gang or race-related, he said.

"At this point, the indicators that we have found ... it's a dispute over a girlfriend," Gillespie told reporters.

Police believe the suspects were waiting at the bus stop for the bus to arrive. Gillespie said the shooting did not appear to be random.

Investigators said they found 9 mm and .45-caliber shell casings at the scene. As officers arrived, several witnesses ran from the bus stop, police said.

Those arrested after the school fight are about 16, school district police Lt. Ken Young said.

Officials said the district activated a crisis-response plan at all country schools and additional security greeted students at Mojave on Wednesday. Counselors were also available for students.

Mojave had some 2,300 students last year, about evenly divided among blacks, whites and Hispanics, according to district materials.

The shooting occurred just before 2 p.m., a couple of blocks from two elementary schools. Both were locked down temporarily but reopened in about an hour, district spokesman Michael Rodriguez said.