Not Again...And in my backyard...

joannadandy

This is just a small town about 10 minutes north of where I live and go to school...a very sad day indeed around here...

SanFranciscoJim

Students tell KARE 11's Brad Woodard that the shooter had been the subject of teasing recently.

Until schools learn to control bullying by fellow students, this is going to continue to happen.

The kid who died certainly did not deserve to be shot. He may have been one of the bullies, or an innocent bystander. The shooter will most certainly pay for what he did.

I still think that the bullies who brutally instigate these incidents should also be tried and brought to justice, and be charged as co-conspirators.

Xandria

We have to find a way to help these kids find a different outlet other then violence. Yes, there are pressures growing up. An sometimes school doesn't help allowing bullies and so on.

I am sad to see this.

X.

Hey, I had the shit bullied out of me at school, and I never shot anyone. I never got properly beat-up either, although I have a few scars from where one bully's nails gouged flesh out of the back of my hand as he bent it back to try and hurt me (rather unsuccesfully as I have double-jointed fingers). I did develop verbal evasion though...

A kid using a gun on a kid is not indicative of a desperate response to bullying. It is indicative of a disregard of human life.

Of course, this pops the lid on the availability conumdrum - it can be both argued and proved that availability of firearms is not linked to their use on humans, as there are countries with the USAs level of ownership with higher and lower gon death figures.

But it would take someone with a pretty slack jaw to imagine that 'uses of desperation' (suicide, crimes of passion, straw-that-broke-the-camel's-back incidents) don't go WAY up if you have guns available.

Easy equation; you come home and find your girl riding the postman; if there is no gun around, it is rather unlikely you will actually have the gumption to off them both with a 6-iron, whereas with a gun it might be all over by the time you are thinking straight. If you're scared of intimidation or violence, and there's no gun readily available, you're less likely to just have one with you 'in case'.

Of course, if you wheel 7 and 8 year old kids round ER departments as part of their social education, then gun and gun violence might be viewed in a different light by them as they grow up.

Traumatic and disturbing maybe, but I;d rather give a kid nightmare for a few weeks when they are 8 than say goodbye to them when they are 14.

Simon

Hey,we have bullying in the UK but kids don't generally shoot each other.

Have you considered not having guns so easily available!?!?

Wolfgirl

Sorry to see this again.

I was tormented mercilessly for most of my school years. If I shot everyone who bullied and teased me, I'd be the world's worst mass murderer. Bullying has been around for ages; it may be a factor, but it sure isn't the CAUSE. It's another case of shifting the blame....i.e., I was abused; that doesn't give me a good excuse to abuse others.

xjw_b12

The availability of the gun, is the problem.

How many other kids, who have been tormented, and bullied, both verbally and physically, have fantasized, about "settling the score"? I know I used to.

A gun is so simple. No hand to hand combat, much easier and cleaner than using a knife. Just point and shoot.

Now all of their lives have been changed for the worst. So sad.

jgnat

Sorry to hear this has happened again. We had a copycat shooting I am sure, shortly after Columbine, here in Alberta. That young fella is due for parole soon.

My revenge fantasies revolved around World Domination. I would show them, show them all.

shera

I agree with the gun laws,but the school system has to seriously step in between bullies and constant teasing.

A school is a place to learn and it should be a place to feel safe in all areas.

Rules should be made and these rules should be inforced and let the children acknowledge these from day one.If violence results from this,the law should intervene and these kids that keep it up should be charged for harressement and assult.Its a serious issue when teens and younger children resort to killing them to make them stop.

Aztec

Damn! This happened near me too. It was a little 6 year old (I think) girl that time. We really need to do a lot of thinking about why our children are reacting so violently towards eachother. When I was in school people just duked it out with their fists or their words. Something is really awry with the schools these days. I worry because my son is in school and I want him safe.

~Aztec