Thread: Student, 13, fires AK-47 in Missouri school

Thankfully no one was hurt but this is getting scary. I have school age kids.

http://www.cnn.com/2006/US/10/09/missouri.school.ap/index.html

Student gunman talked out of violence in 'close call'

JOPLIN, Missouri (AP) -- A 13-year-old student fired an AK-47 inside his middle school Monday morning after confronting two others students and his principal, but no one was injured, authorities said.

The student was wearing a mask and pointed the assault rifle at Principal Steve Gilbreth, Assistant Superintendent Steve Doerr and two students, saying, "not to make me do this," Superintendent Jim Simpson said.

Simpson said the teen then fired a shot into the ceiling, breaking a water pipe, and said again, "Please don't make me do this."

"It was a very close call," Simpson said.

Doerr and Gilbreth persuaded the student to leave the building, where he was confronted by two police officers with weapons drawn. The student dropped the rifle and was taken into custody, Simpson said. The student's identity was not released.

Joplin police Officer Curt Farmer said officers found a note in the student's backpack indicating that he had placed an explosive in the school, which has about 700 students. Students in the school were moved to nearby Joplin Memorial Hall, and the school was closed while officers searched the building.

The student was wearing a mask and apparently had been planning an attack for a "long time," Simpson said. He didn't elaborate and said authorities did not know whether others were involved.

Joplin, which has about 40,900 residents, is in southwest Missouri, on the Kansas border about 140 miles south of Kansas City.

Schools across the country have been on alert after three deadly school shootings in three states in the span of a week, and several schools have been locked down or closed entirely during the past two weeks because of threats.

Insane.
The country should be shut down for a national day of prayer, four incidents in a few weeks.
The problems in our society run deep when children are surfacing all over the country doing crazy things like this.

The sad thing is the parenst will blame everyone but themselves.. I actually just heard some co-workers talking about it and they were blaming video games and music for the way kids are today

HOW DID HE GET AN AK-47 IN THE FIRST PLACE????

"Prophet" wrote:

Insane.
The country should be shut down for a national day of prayer, four incidents in a few weeks.
The problems in our society run deep when children are surfacing all over the country doing crazy things like this.

I don't care, I'm saying it.
Violent video games these kids gorge on every day.

Growing up watching Little House on the Prairie puts a whole different perspective on your day than slaughtering people and police by the dozens as "entertainment".

Good question, I was wondering the same thing ???

"Webby" wrote:

"Prophet" wrote:

Insane.
The country should be shut down for a national day of prayer, four incidents in a few weeks.
The problems in our society run deep when children are surfacing all over the country doing crazy things like this.

I don't care, I'm saying it.

Violent video games these kids gorge on every day.

Growing up watching Little House on the Prairie puts a whole different perspective on your day than slaughtering people and police by the dozens as "entertainment".

The simplest analogy is that you have a glass, what you fill it with is up to you.
Too bad so many children aren't given guidance.
Sad state of affairs.

"THEBIGDADDY" wrote:

The sad thing is the parenst will blame everyone but themselves.. I actually just heard some co-workers talking about it and they were blaming video games and music for the way kids are today

I hear ya there man.
Everyone is so quick to blame others and not look at themselves as the problem.
Your kid shoots up a school, it was the music, or games............
:

Rant on
No you idot(this was not directed at any comments on the board.....not calling anyone here names) , It was the fact that the parents either were not there, or did not see the "signs' of what their kid was going through, and reaching the breaking point.
kids don't know how to deal with stress, and the like.
As a parent you need to help them to learn how to do it in a constructive way.

Nothing irrks me more then people blaming violance on music, tv, or games.
I have played games since intellivision, listened to every kind of "bad" music out there and have a rather large selection of violant movies.
I never shot up a school......... /rant

My real question is, how the hell did a 13 year old get his hands on a AK??

Some adult needs to be held responciable for him getting his hands on that.
Either they gave it to him, or did a really bad job of locking stuff up.
trigger locks are not that hard to get, and if you own guns, a gun safe is a must IMHO.

Plain and simple its the parents. I play those video games listen to 2 Pac. NWA, ect but I have no desire to run and shoot up a school. Why, becaus emy parents taught nme the values that I use today. How does a child get a AK-47 ands his parents have no clue
that he has it? Parents want to blame everything on the media outlets, Movies, music, games ect. They need to look at themselves and get involved in their Kids life and then things will change

"Webby" wrote:

"Prophet" wrote:

Insane.
The country should be shut down for a national day of prayer, four incidents in a few weeks.
The problems in our society run deep when children are surfacing all over the country doing crazy things like this.

I don't care, I'm saying it.
Violent video games these kids gorge on every day.

Growing up watching Little House on the Prairie puts a whole different perspective on your day than slaughtering people and police by the dozens as "entertainment".

I'm sorry Webby, but IMO you can play all the violent video games you want and still turn out alright. The first violent game I played was Wolfenstein 3D when I was about 8 years old. That has blood and dead Nazis all over it, and since then I've played the GTA games, and every "shoot em up" out there. I would NEVER EVER EVER think of doing anything like this. Why? Two reasons: 1. My parents. They've taught me to respect life, respect guns and act like a responsible human being. Most of these kids have absentee parents, parents that just don't care, parents that don't teach their kids wrong from right or real from fake or parents that don't know how to discipline their kids. The second reason is my faith. I have respect for life because as a Christian I have been taught that life is a gift from God, and not only does the Bible say "Thou shalt not kill" but it also teaches forgiveness and passive resistance. Because of those two things, violence and violent video games have NEVER had an effect on me and they never will. Kids need better parents and prayer. That's why our schools are so dangerous today. Less parents and less God. Plain and simple.