SWAT Team Shoots 8th Grade Boy in School
SWAT Team Shoots Armed Fla. 8th-Grader By KELLI KENNEDY, Associated Press Writer
A suicidal eighth grader who pulled a handgun in class and forced another child into a closet was shot by a sheriff's SWAT team member Friday when he later threatened deputies, Seminole County officials said.
Sheriff Don Eslinger said the 15-year-old boy brought the gun to Milwee Middle School in his backpack. Eslinger said two students saw it and one persuaded the other to report it, causing a scuffle.
The alleged gunman told one of the students to go into a closet, ran from the classroom and "traveled with this firearm throughout the campus," Eslinger said. Deputies eventually isolated him in a restroom, and the school was evacuated.
"At one time he held the gun to his neck. As the deputies attempted to establish dialogue, he raised the firearm and lethal force was used by the sheriff's office," Eslinger said.
The boy was taken to the hospital. His condition was unknown.
"He was suicidal," Eslinger said. "During this standoff, and during the chase, the student said he was going to kill himself or die."
No one else was injured. Officials with the sheriff's office said they had not confirmed whether the gun the boy had was real or a toy.
Classes were canceled for the rest of the day, and frantic parents arrived to pick up their children.
"When I saw the news, I just couldn't believe this was my daughter's school. I came right away," said Anil Santos, whose daughter, Aleister, is in eighth grade.
Sarah Tivy, 12, said some students were frightened, but she appeared calm.
"I just figured that if someone is going to bring a gun to school, then they need to be taken out of school," she said.
Copyright © 2006 The Associated Press.
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[But you'd think regular police officers -- as opposed to a SWAT Team -- might have been able to resolve this peacefully, instead of shooting the kid. at least, you would think so. PAT]
A suicidal eighth grader who pulled a handgun in class and forced another child into a closet was shot by a sheriff's SWAT team member Friday when he later threatened deputies, Seminole County officials said.
Sheriff Don Eslinger said the 15-year-old boy brought the gun to Milwee Middle School in his backpack. Eslinger said two students saw it and one persuaded the other to report it, causing a scuffle.
The alleged gunman told one of the students to go into a closet, ran from the classroom and "traveled with this firearm throughout the campus," Eslinger said. Deputies eventually isolated him in a restroom, and the school was evacuated.
"At one time he held the gun to his neck. As the deputies attempted to establish dialogue, he raised the firearm and lethal force was used by the sheriff's office," Eslinger said.
The boy was taken to the hospital. His condition was unknown.
"He was suicidal," Eslinger said. "During this standoff, and during the chase, the student said he was going to kill himself or die."
No one else was injured. Officials with the sheriff's office said they had not confirmed whether the gun the boy had was real or a toy.
Classes were canceled for the rest of the day, and frantic parents arrived to pick up their children.
"When I saw the news, I just couldn't believe this was my daughter's school. I came right away," said Anil Santos, whose daughter, Aleister, is in eighth grade.
Sarah Tivy, 12, said some students were frightened, but she appeared calm.
"I just figured that if someone is going to bring a gun to school, then they need to be taken out of school," she said.
Copyright © 2006 The Associated Press.
*** FAIR USE NOTICE. This message contains copyrighted material the
use of which has not been specifically authorized by the copyright
owner. This Internet discussion group is making it available without
profit to group members who have expressed a prior interest in
receiving the included information in their efforts to advance the
understanding of literary, educational, political, and economic
issues, for non-profit research and educational purposes only. I
believe that this constitutes a 'fair use' of the copyrighted material
as provided for in section 107 of the U.S. Copyright Law. If you wish
to use this copyrighted material for purposes of your own that go
beyond 'fair use,' you must obtain permission from the copyright
owner, in this instance, Associated Press.
For more information go to:
http://www.law.cornell.edu/uscode/17/107.shtml
[But you'd think regular police officers -- as opposed to a SWAT Team -- might have been able to resolve this peacefully, instead of shooting the kid. at least, you would think so. PAT]
posted by Patrick Townson at 2:03 PM
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