School shooting in Ohio

[Nancy]

There was a shooting in a school this morning about 40 miles from me. Five students where shot at close range and one student has died. This is in a very rural community, the snow belt of our area where the most newsworthy thing that happens is a bad snow storm. It's a very well off and close knit community.

Rumor is that the students shot were targeted because they sold fake drugs to the shooter. They were all friends (???).

Very sad.

Nancy

 

[buddy]

those incidents have such far reaching implications for kids anywhere around that town. i am so sorry for their families and all of the students in the school. How totally terrifying.

 

[Star*]

How awful. Prayers going out.

 

[HaoZi]

That's at least a reason that makes sense to me, though. Not sense sense, but in a criminal pattern way sense (as opposed to the "senseless shootings" we hear about at schools/colleges/malls/wherever). Tragic on so many levels for so many people.

 

[InsaneCdn]

HaoZi... I'm guessing you mean "at least there is some sort of logic to it"... the opposite of "random"...
Not that it isn't still sad.
But somehow, "random" is just too hard to wrap our brains around.

 

[HaoZi]

When it comes to crime, I often think "random" just means "haven't figured it out yet, might never figure it out." Often there are major difficult children involved, which to me takes a lot of the "randomness" out of things and makes me want to kick people in the behind for not funding programs that could have prevented it.

 

[Nancy]

It was not random. The student who shot the others actually was a transition student who was waiting for a bus that took him to an alternative school for counseling and help. Evidently he was troubled and they were trying to transition him back into the mainstream school.

The five students shot were all career center students waiting for their bus to the career center. They all knew each other but we're targeted by the shooter.

 

[Hound dog]

So very sad. I saw it this morning.

 

[Nancy]

Two of the students are critical, one is serious and one stable.

 

[InsaneCdn]

There's two sides to random. The first side... never is. There is always a cause, always a reason for the action taken. Even if we don't know what that is. But... the victim(s) can be random, or deliberate (or "innocent bystanders"... which is different again). In this case, the shooter had specific targets in mind - either the person, or the uniform, Sometimes... there is no link between the shooter and the victim... a "random" victim, but never a "random" incident.

 

[StressedM0mma]

This is about 30 miles from my house. It is all that has been on the TV. I have heard so many different stories about what happened already. I am so sad for the children and families. This is just so sad. Prayers for all involved.

 

[Nancy]

Stressed I have been watching it. It got me out of my pity party mood and sadness over my difficult child. I went over to my easy child's apartment to laminate and cut out some of her classroom materials and watched it all day.

You must live close by me. If you want to pm me we can share locations and maybe meet sometime for coffee.

Nancy

 

[StressedM0mma]

It was on all day at my house as well. I am starting to wonder if that is what put me on edge today. My difficult child is not outwardly violent, she is just intent on hurting herself. Nancy, we must be very close. I will PM you to tell you where I am.

 

[TerryJ2]

Oh, how awful.
I would be glued to the TV, too. As it is, I've seen enough on FB to have to get it out of my head now.
I'm sure the whole story will come out eventually.
Just sickening.

 

[TerryJ2]

Here's one clue: FBI officials would not comment on a motive. But 15-year-old Danny Komertz, who witnessed the shooting, said the gunman was known as an outcast who had apparently been bullied.

Doesn't mean he still didn't try to buy drugs, though. We'll just have to wait and see.

Meanwhile, I cannot imagine trying to duck under a table to avoid being shot, and then actually being shot ... how awful.

 

[Nancy]

Another student died.

I dont think bullying had anything to do with this. He went to a school for behavioral problem kids. I hate to say this but we can't blame every shooting on bullying. Sometimes it happens because the person is mentally unstable and sometimes just because the person is acting in a criminal manner.

 

[buddy]

I heard the peers say he was bullied too... kids who are in Special Education are often bullied. Likely there is no one answer and bullying is not an excuse anyway, just part of an explanation in my humble opinion. Something we need to look at to try to prevent such tragedies. This kid was probably the perfect storm of mental health issues, and/or developmental issues along with not being accepted by peers. If drugs were added, then there is fuel to the fire I guess...

I was watching it on national news, even made our local news... really really sad.

 

[Nancy]

I think we won't know what the story is for quite a while because of the investigation and pending chrages and trial. But this is not a bullying school, most everyone talked to says he was a quiet boy but was not bullied and other kids were friendly to him. He became involved int he gothic culture around 8th grade but the other students say he was friendly and no one had anythign negative to say about him. He came from a violent home where both his parents. were arrested for domestic violence and his father was charges with attempted murder and kidnapping and service time in jail. He has a history of violence against women.

He lived most of the time with his grandparents who everyone admits are wonderful people. His fb postings had violent writings on it and he has had problems in the juvenile justice system. Obviously he has problems because he was attending a school for student who have behavioral problems and addiction issues.

I'm not sure having those students go to the local high schools for transportation to alternative schools is the answer or best way to do things. FWIW one of the students who died either was currently dating or had dated his ex girlfriend. From his fb postings it appears at though he had a dark side that he hid from everyone because the students all say they are shocked.

I hate bullying but recently it seems as though many of these violent acts are blamed on that and almost no one is suggestign that in this case. It's more likely that he was a very troubled boy who was paranoid and believed people were against him when they really were just going about their own lives.

In any case this is tragic and for it to happen in that community just proves it can happen anywhere and is more a reflection on our lack of services or ability to help those seriously troubled than it is on others behavior towards him.

Nancy

 

[TerryJ2]

Good digging, Nancy.

He came from a violent home where both his parents. were arrested for domestic violence and his father was charges with attempted murder and kidnapping and service time in jail. He has a history of violence against women.

He lived most of the time with his grandparents who everyone admits are wonderful people. His fb postings had violent writings on it and he has had problems in the juvenile justice system. Obviously he has problems because he was attending a school for student who have behavioral problems and addiction issues.

So, so very sad and tragic.

 

[Kathy813]

Thanks for the information, Nancy. I think people often jump to conclusions when tragedies like this occur.

I'm not sure having those students go to the local high schools for transportation to alternative schools is the answer or best way to do things.

Are you saying that the school where the shooting happened was not the alternative school that the boy attended? That he was just waiting there for transportation?

~Kathy