Student shot outside Jack Britt High School

The student suffered a minor, non-life-threatening injury, and doctors said a projectile grazed but did not penetrate her skin, said Debbie Tanna, a spokeswoman for the sheriff's office.

The student said that she was waiting outside after drama practice when she heard a snapping sound and felt pain in her upper thigh, Tanna said. Her mother picked her up, and EMS workers were called to their home in the Hunters Crossing subdivision later that evening. The victim's mother drove her to Cape Fear Valley Medical Center.

Detectives said it is unlikely this was a drive-by shooting. Investigators believe it is possible that someone might have fired a handgun in the air, and the projectile came down where the student was, Tanna said. A .22-caliber bullet can travel up to 2 miles after it is shot.

The victim and her mother asked that the incident not be investigated further, Tanna said.

The sheriff's office sought to reassure parents concerned for their children's safety.

"At this time, there is no indication that anyone's life is threatened by the incident," Tanna said in a release Thursday.