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Police kill armed eighth-grader in Texas school

I read somewhere that a student said they heard him say "I'm going to kill everyone." What were they supposed to think?
 
Without knowing the exact circumstances, it's impossible to say whether the police acted rightly in shooting him or not. I'm willing to give them the benefit of the doubt though unless evidence to the contrary comes out. It's sad that it happened though definitely. I wonder what the kid's motivation was?
 
Something I think may be just as disturbing, suppose the altercation with the other student lead to him contemplating suicide. And since most children from these days and times know police shoot to kill, all he would have to do is point something at them. (something dark colored it doesn't even have to be a gun!?!)
 
amph said:
Something I think may be just as disturbing, suppose the altercation with the other student lead to him contemplating suicide. And since most children from these days and times know police shoot to kill, all he would have to do is point something at them. (something dark colored it doesn't even have to be a gun!?!)
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Yep sadly this could be true but I still wouldnt change my judgement of the cops or change the rules for cops in this situation.
 
Frolicking Dinosaurs said:
Why is it so important to you that this person be deemed a man? Does his being a man mean something in this situation?
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Yeah. It means people shouldn't be crying and wringing their hands about the cops killing a child.
 
Well, I for one feel terrible for the boy's family and for the cops involved. I can't imagine having to live with knowing that a teenager was killed brandishing what turned out to be a pellet gun.

It was not the fault of the police. They did was they were trained to do, what they had to do. Nonetheless, this is still going to traumatize the crap out of them, and all the kids in that school who heard/saw it happen.

A tragedy caused by the utter stupidity and volitility of a childish teenaged brain. Damn. :(
 
Just like Michael Moore. Turning a sad issue that isn't about GUNS into a political platform. The fact is this wasn't a GUN issue. It was the issue of crappy and irresponsible parenting, of poor school management in not paying attention to a child in distress, and 100 other sad issues (and perhaps one of SAFE ownership before it is ever an issue of guns).

I feel horrible for the officers who now have to question themselves for the rest of their lives about this. The fact is that they did have to defend their life, and I cannot fault them for that. It is easy to judge a situation like this from the outside, especially when you cannot access the emotion of the situation when it happens to you as a person.
 
DiAnna said:
Well, I for one feel terrible for the boy's family and for the cops involved. I can't imagine having to live with knowing that a teenager was killed brandishing what turned out to be a pellet gun.

It was not the fault of the police. They did was they were trained to do, what they had to do. Nonetheless, this is still going to traumatize the crap out of them, and all the kids in that school who heard/saw it happen.

A tragedy caused by the utter stupidity and volitility of a childish teenaged brain. Damn. :(
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I don't know though, if he had a BB gun, there are still age restrictions on those (I believe it is 16 in my state). That still falls on the responsibility of the parents to not just give them a BB gun and tell the kid to go to town with it. Oh well, I guess our society can't exist without people who have total ignorance of how to raise a child. Although, I could be speaking to soon, but I bet there was a irresponsible parent to blame for him having that gun at school.
 
And at 15 he is absolutely a child. ANYONE over the age of 15 knows you think differently at that age. Hell I think differently now than I did when I was 18 and that is when I was deemed an "adult." He may be able to make some decisions, but he still isn't a "man." I knew firearms safety at that age, and I could handle weapons too. Everyone in my area could. I knew kids that kept guns in their trucks because they went hunting after school. It was common. It also was common for teachers to look out for their students well being, and then common for parents to pay attention to their kids. Sigh..
 
stonewall50 said:
Just like Michael Moore. Turning a sad issue that isn't about GUNS into a political platform. The fact is this wasn't a GUN issue. It was the issue of crappy and irresponsible parenting, of poor school management in not paying attention to a child in distress, and 100 other sad issues (and perhaps one of SAFE ownership before it is ever an issue of guns).

I feel horrible for the officers who now have to question themselves for the rest of their lives about this. The fact is that they did have to defend their life, and I cannot fault them for that. It is easy to judge a situation like this from the outside, especially when you cannot access the emotion of the situation when it happens to you as a person.
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I'm not saying you're wrong, but these are all interrelated. It's not just about guns or just about parenting or just about access or just about a disturbed child. It's about all of them.
 
Hatuey said:
That. Violence in US schools has been on a steady decline since the early 90s. However you can't pretend to be tough on crime unless you blow every incident out of proportion. Also, how are people going to complain and moan about the fatherless welfare class if they don't make them out to be little monsters ready to shoot the good hearted children of conservatives parents?

Youth Violence Project - National Statistics

natlstatvict.gif
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Thanks for posting that.

I dropped out of highschool in 1998 - I don't remember being terrified or immersed in violence. Lots of sex activity on campus - but not violence in any of the schools I went to during the 90's. In fact: the day I took my GED test is the day Columbine happened.

All the violence "seemed" to have happend after I dropped out - so where was all of this happening and why wasn't I aware of any of it while I was in school during that period?

And I was a student who brought a bowie-knife to school and my teacher saw me showing it off and just told me to put it away. :shrug: That was in 1995. . . total lack of concern where I lived I guess.
 
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I have no idea if these look realistic to someone who knows firearms...but these are all "realistic blowback airpistols." Maybe that's the problem. How is anyone, in split second decision-making timeframes, supposed to know the difference?
 
MaggieD said:
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I have no idea if these look realistic to someone who knows firearms...but these are all "realistic blowback airpistols." Maybe that's the problem. How is anyone, in split second decision-making timeframes, supposed to know the difference?
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Whatever happened ot the ruling that required all toy firearms to be brightly colored? Why aren't airsoft and so on following those guidelines?
 
Aunt Spiker said:
Whatever happened ot the ruling that required all toy firearms to be brightly colored? Why aren't airsoft and so on following those guidelines?
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I didnt know this was a ruling?

and this has nothing to do with you im just going to throw a little rant out there

If this is a ruling its stupid because it doesnt really solve much, because whether a gun looks real or not you dont point it at people and especially not a cop. Secondly what happens if this ruling catches on so criminals just start painting or modding their guns to buy time and get the drop on people/cops?

Just saying toy/air/real the answer is proper education of ALL (person with gun and law enforcement)

now literal toy guns can be painted any color I guess but air guns and such no need, just my opinion
 
MaggieD said:
View attachment 67120729View attachment 67120730View attachment 67120731View attachment 67120732

I have no idea if these look realistic to someone who knows firearms...but these are all "realistic blowback airpistols." Maybe that's the problem. How is anyone, in split second decision-making timeframes, supposed to know the difference?
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I don't know if these exist in every state, but there are laws that say that airsoft weapons must have a brightly colored tip (usually orange or neon yellow). There have been examples of kids using un-tipped airsoft weapons to commit suicide by cop.
 
iguanaman said:
Right you are...an 8 year old is shot dead. 3 cheers for Texas, the most gun happy State in the Union. Can you imagine if that boy had lived...the horror.
THe NRA should give that kids Dad a medal for teaching his youngsters about guns at an early age.
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You have an ugly soul. I begin to feel sorry for you.
 
Aunt Spiker said:
Good god you guys - who knows! Maybe he found it and thought it was cool, maybe he was being bullied and thought he was going to defend himself . . . we have no clue and I think it serve no purpose right now to assume we know anything.
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Or more likely suicide by cop.
 
Aunt Spiker said:
Wow - all I feel is sad. I have no strong opinion. Just sad.

Sad a child can get ahold of a weapon so easily.
Sad no one knew he had it.
Sad he took it to school - sad he did anything.
Sad no one stopped it before it ended in a tragic death.
Sad that everyone was so terrified - no doubt imagining Columbine and other tragedies while they waited without knowing
Sad that they didn't just shoot to disarm or maim - but to kill.
Sad that this type of situation is becoming more common place and the killing of armed children is actually occurring more frequent in our world.

We're there warning signs - notions - thoughts - threats? Anything before this happened?
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Shoot to maim?
Shoot to disarm?
What planet do you live on?

Shoot at the central mass, there is no other option!

Or do you believe the Hollywood crap about shooting in the arm or leg being a realistic consideration?
Have you ever fired a weapon?
Do you realise that the pulse in your finger can throw a shot out by a foot in any direction at 25 yards?
 
DiAnna said:
Well, I for one feel terrible for the boy's family and for the cops involved. I can't imagine having to live with knowing that a teenager was killed brandishing what turned out to be a pellet gun.

It was not the fault of the police. They did was they were trained to do, what they had to do. Nonetheless, this is still going to traumatize the crap out of them, and all the kids in that school who heard/saw it happen.

A tragedy caused by the utter stupidity and volitility of a childish teenaged brain. Damn. :(
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Yea. The police did what was reasonable. Suicide by cop is always traumatic for the cop and for the family. I am sorry he is dead. Sometimes we cause bad things to happen to us.
 
I feel for the cops and the parents who are both in auguish over what they could have possiblably done to avert this tradegy.

Since we now know that the boy had just assualted another student prior to being in the cafeteria area at that school saying he was going to shoot everyone, I believe it is safe to say that he was not in his right mind. We may never know what the stressor(s) was that lead this child to take these actions. The behavior described sounds like something sent him in a blind rage - and a 15 yo boy in that state is going to be irrational.

I'm not questioning the police actions. They did what they had to do to protect the other children in that building and themselves from what appeared to be a real weapon.
 
One thought is that this could have been a lot, lot worst.

If he had managed to get a higher caliber gun he could have and most likely would have caused more injuries and possible death of an innocent child.
I don't really think you could kill someone with a pellet gun but I have a friend who lost an eye to one.

I know you shouldn't categorize people but I believe this young man was headed down a dark path and the violence from him was going to escalate. It is akin to youth who torture animals and the dark path they usually follow. It is a shame and unfortunately we have seen these acts before and will see them again.
 
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