Student shot on school grounds in North Carolina

(CNN) — A high school student in North Carolina was shot in the neck Monday outside her school, a spokeswoman for the Cumberland County Sheriff’s Office said.

The incident occurred about 1:30 p.m. on the grounds of Cape Fear High School, school officials and sheriff’s spokeswoman Debbie Tanna said. In addition to the high school, a nearby middle school, Mac Williams, was also put on lockdown after the shooting.

"We are unsure of the scenario," Tanna said. "This is a highly wooded area where people hunt, and that is a possibility, however, it was an awfully good shot."

The victim is believed to be 15 years old, Tanna said. She was in stable condition at a hospital, Cumberland County Schools spokeswoman Theresa Perry said.

"She walked out of the school cafeteria, and there was a loud pop, and she fell to the ground. That was it," said Tanna, who described the wound as "very serious."

More than an hour after the shooting, students were still being escorted out of one school by police. They walked in a single file line with their hands up as distraught parents and other students stood by and watched.

The school district was calling parents to notify them of the incident.

"We just want parents to know that their children are safe," Tanna said.