Posted on 01/13/2006 10:29:08 AM PST by devane617
LONGWOOD, Fla. — A suicidal eighth grader who pulled a handgun in class and briefly took another child hostage 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 and briefly took a fellow student hostage during a classroom scuffle. The sheriff's office said they have not confirmed if the gun is real or a toy. The student then ran from the classroom, Eslinger said, and was pursued by deputies into a restroom and isolated there. The school was evacuated and no one else was injured. "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." Classes were canceled for the rest of the day, and frantic parents arrived to pick up their children.
(Excerpt) Read more at foxnews.com ...
The kid was pursued into a bathroom as best I can tell. I don't know that the SWAT guys are that good, that fast from that far.
According to the radio the condition of the boy is unknown.
He had brought a gun to school where two students saw it. One persuaded the other to report it to the teacher. The kid with the gun then got into a scuffle where the kid with a gun forced the child into a closet.
He then ran from the classroom. Chased by police he ran into a restroom were cops tried to talk him out of whatever he was doing. At one point he had put the gun to his neck and then lowered it.
Finally he raised the firearm again and that's when cops shot him.
I honestly think the cops showed remarkable restraint after all the kid had done. After Comlumbine I would think any situation at a school involving firearms would result in shoot first and ask questions later.
I hate that suicide by cop line.
It's proper application of lethal force by authorities.
Yeah yeah, evil police. Such bastards they are. I mean this kid had absolutely nothing to do with what happened, nope, the evil police just whacked him for the shear joy of it.
Nor do I.
I do know they have more options than drawing a handgun.
He said he was going to kill himself or die.
I guess he won't be failing any more english classes.
I would hope they didn't confront the guy empty-handed when he had a pistol.
"Why not? Because how do you justify your SWAT team funding if you don'tgo use them once in a while.
Just unfortunate this kid had to be the object lesson.
Without incidents like this, though, how will you train the next Lon Horiuchi?"
Your smarmy, condescending attitude indicates you have the perfect solution. What is it?
How does it feel to have been adjudicated an asshole by your peers?
Caught the same thing. Fox said he was killed. Nobody else is saying he is.
Caught the same thing. Fox said he was killed. Nobody else is saying he is.
If only they had a Taser.
My thoughts as well. Must be a public school.
Look who is talking. Since when and where has it been established that this kid had a physical mental illness? As far as I know he was an underachieving 15 year old who still had not progressed on to junior high from the 8th grade. I am making some assumptions here but the fact is that this could could have been helped if his parent(s) were paying attention. Review the Littleton Colorado report. Those kids were left to their own devices by their parents and consequently wandered into a world of fantasy and false bravado. I have had it with these parents that think their responsibility for guiding their children stops at the school they drop them off at!
You are making assumptions. I will wait for the facts.
Fox headline has been changed to "shot" and story says his condition is unknown.
I saw that. Fox was the only news reporting "killed".
"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.
No, but statistically speaking, most kids who do things like this come from families that can reasonably be assumed to be the cause of the kid's head problems. This particular kid may or may not be an exception.
What a very, very sad story. My heart goes out to his family and the families of others with children with mental illness. And the officers involved. I'm sure they didn't want to kill a 15 year old child.
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