SWAT teams shoot pupil who appeared to have gun

Thomas Crosbie Media ^ | 13/01/2006 - 18:13:40

[Calpernia]

A SWAT team member shot and wounded a pupil who appeared to be carrying a handgun at his middle school in an Orlando, Florida, suburb.

The report of an armed student led to an evacuation of students, teachers and school staff.

The student was taken to the hospital. His condition was not immediately known.

Details of the shooting were sketchy, but Seminole County Sheriff’s officials said no other students, teachers or school staff members at Milwee Middle School were injured.

Sheriff’s officials had originally said the wounded boy had barricaded himself in a restroom.

[Calpernia]

Anything on the news by you?

[Calpernia]

http://www.forbes.com/technology/ebusiness/feeds/ap/2006/01/13/ap2448994.html

(excerpt)

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.

He then ran from the classroom and "traveled with this firearm throughout the campus," Eslinger said. He was pursued by deputies into a restroom, and the school was evacuated.

Eslinger said the boy was suicidal.

"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 not immediately known.

[beltfed308]

Posted here http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1557571/posts

[LurkedLongEnough]

Deputy Shoots Florida Student in Standoff

An ambulance waits to transport the student who shot himself.

WESH TV

A Seminole County middle school was put on lockdown Friday because of a student with a gun on campus.

A 15-year-old student brought a gun to Milwee Middle School and apparently got into a scuffle with another student in a classroom, officials said. Deputies were notified and they eventually chased the student with the gun into a bathroom.

Seminole County Sheriff Don Eslinger said the student was shot by a member of the sheriff's office after the student indicated that he was going to die one way or the other. At one point, the student held the gun to his own neck, Eslinger said. The sheriff said deputies were in negotiations with the student after containing him in the bathroom. He said negotiations lasted "minutes" before officers had to use "lethal force."

The student has been taken to Orlando Regional Medical Center and his condition is not known at this time.

Officials said the only violence that occurred inside the school involved one student and deputy sheriffs. Two other students were taken to waiting ambulances, but officials said they were taken for emotional distress and perhaps a breathing problem.

The school district has arranged early pick-up for the school's 1,100 students and students are now leaving campus. School officials said students can be picked up at the Progrees Energy facility that is across the street from the school.

Images from Chopper 2 show relieved parents hugging their kids at they pick them up at the school.

There were no students, faculty or staff in the area when this happened, Olson said.

The school is located at 1341 South Ronald Reagan Blvd. near Longwood.

[Calpernia]

Thanks for the link.

[beltfed308]

Posted here http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1557571/posts

[Calpernia]

Ahhh, thanks again for the link.

[TASMANIANRED]

Lethal force to prevent suicide?

[RayBob]

He's 15 and in 8th grade? Isn't that, like, two years behind where he should be? Is he SPED?

[Calpernia]

Yes, he is older than he should be.

What is SPED?

[beltfed308]

Sorry. My error :>)

[tsmith130]

What is SPED?,

I think they mean Special Education.

[Calpernia]

I appreciate the cross linking :)

[Calpernia]

I think you are right.

[packrat35]

I wondered that also. When I was 15, I started the 12th grade but I skipped a year.

[LurkedLongEnough]

Or, perhaps, as usually known, "suicide by cop".

[Calpernia]

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,181581,00.html

Student With Pellet Gun Shot by SWAT Team in Fla. Middle School
Friday, January 13, 2006


LONGWOOD, Fla. — A suicidal eighth-grader who pulled out an authentic-looking pellet gun 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 a modified pellet gun to Milwee Middle School in his backpack. Eslinger said two students saw what appeared to be a real gun and one persuaded the other to report it, causing a scuffle. The eighth-grader 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 pursued the student into a restroom and isolated him 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. He was on "advanced life support" on Friday, Eslinger said.

The sheriff's office said they confirmed after the shooting that it was a pellet gun fashioned to look like a 9mm handgun.

(excerpted)

[xjcsa]

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 not immediately known.

Hmmm...I guess what's lethal to some is less lethal to others?

[Calpernia]

We (all my friends) had pellet and BBguns when I was a kid.

At what point did a problem start occuring in knowing the difference between a deadly weapon and a pellet gun?

I've never heard of someone being shot by police for having one until P.C. recent years.