Officials: Teen gunman wounds classmate in upstate NY police station, then shoots self

Teen shot by classmate in NY police station

COOPERSTOWN, N.Y. — Authorities in upstate New York are investigating whether a 16-year-old gunman was motivated by racial hatred when he allegedly shot a classmate in the foyer of a police station near the National Baseball Hall of Fame.

Officials say the white high school student chased a black classmate into the Cooperstown police department headquarters Friday, wounded him, then shot himself in the chin when the lone officer on duty ordered him to drop his weapon.

The gunman was hospitalized with a serious wound. The other teen, also 16, was hit in the arm. He was treated and released.

Cooperstown Police Chief Diana Nicols says investigators may file a hate crime charge.

She declined to say why authorities suspect that race was a factor.

Police not released the name of either teen.