Colorado School Shooting (Updated)
[Guest post by DRJ]
The Denver Post reports on a shooting outside a Deer Creek, Colorado, school that wounded two middle school students:
“Luke Myrant, 14, says an older guy came in the front door and fired one shot into the air and then reloaded.
“He didn’t look happy at all,” Luke said.
The kids scattered.
“I was scared to death for my life,” Luke said. “My body was shaking and my lip was quivering like I was cold.”
“I’ve never been so scared in my life.”
Teachers were telling kids to get down and not make any noise. The kids were scattered and began texting one another.
Techmeyer said the gun used was a high-powered rifle.
Techmeyer said the man launched his attack as the kids were leaving school and boarding school buses.”
At least one and possibly three teachers tackled the shooter and prevented more injuries.
— DRJ
UPDATE 2/24/2010: Compelling video of the teachers’ press conference followed by interviews with some of the students.
How long before someone blames this on the Tea Party movement?
Steven Den Beste (99cfa1) — 2/23/2010 @ 5:09 pmMy daughter had an intruder crisis drill at her school and told me about it. It seems that the policy in our district, and statewide, is lockdown as opposed to escape. I got into an email exchange about it with the principal. Now he doesn’t like me anymore.
nk (db4a41) — 2/23/2010 @ 5:14 pmThe kids were scattered and began texting one another
Not the first thing that would have occured to me, I must say. But a lot of kids now seem to text as naturally as they breath.
Subotai (7236b0) — 2/23/2010 @ 5:22 pmnk, the illusion of control is more important to the school bureaucrats than effective tactics.
We’ve put the education of our children in the hands of those most incompetent to handle it.
SPQR (26be8b) — 2/23/2010 @ 5:32 pmA pack, not a herd. A pack of teachers, or a heroic teacher. Well done.
htom (412a17) — 2/23/2010 @ 5:39 pmI just happened to be driving south on Wadsworth and then east on Ken Caryl (I guess within a mile of the school) at around 3:30p today.
Saw three police cars all headed south at high speed. I was listening to satellite radio so I had no clue what was going down.
Glad to here everyone is going to be OK.
harkin (f92f52) — 2/23/2010 @ 5:41 pmI have to add that this isn’t very far from Columbine, where the authorities sat outside while Klebold and Harris continued their murder spree.
Sounds like at Deer Creek the folks on the scene said ‘enough’ and acted. Way to go!
harkin (f92f52) — 2/23/2010 @ 5:44 pmThe principal’s first response was that the local policy had been approved by the two local police departments. I asked him 1) What is their response time; and 2) Is their protocol to rush the shooter or just surround the school hiding behind their cars, as happened at Virginia Tech, until they were sure he had run out of ammunition? Questions he had never thought of. People do not like having their ignorance pointed out.
nk (db4a41) — 2/23/2010 @ 5:47 pmI did not tell him that if anything happened to my daughter as a result of the policy, the same thing would happen to him.
nk (db4a41) — 2/23/2010 @ 5:51 pmHarkin,
I thought it might be close to Columbine because the school’s address is on Columbine and the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Department were the first responders.
DRJ (6a8003) — 2/23/2010 @ 5:52 pmThe article says the first teacher to respond — a real hero — was math teacher David Benke, who “charged and tackled the gunman as he got off a second shot.”
DRJ (6a8003) — 2/23/2010 @ 5:52 pmnk,
School officials should be willing to discuss their policies and I agree the principal should have better answers than that.
DRJ (6a8003) — 2/23/2010 @ 5:56 pmKudos for the teachers – they placed the welfare of the kids and others ahead of their own.
Compare with the U of Alabama teachers who shuffled Amy Bishop out of the room they were in and locked the door. Thus freeing their armed and dangerous assailant on the rest of the campus.
Robert N. (b4f76a) — 2/23/2010 @ 6:22 pmThe Spirit of ’93!
We won’t go silently into that good night.
AD - RtR/OS! (af3002) — 2/23/2010 @ 7:18 pmHow’s that gun-free school zone law working out?
Socratease (19a6f5) — 2/23/2010 @ 7:48 pmWe’ll let you know after we finish counting up the bodies.
AD - RtR/OS! (af3002) — 2/23/2010 @ 7:54 pm@15 – Really? You’re gonna use the occasion of a school shooting to advance the argument of more guns at school?
Kudos to the teachers who put the safety of their students ahead of their own. Real heroes indeed.
Tom (98c376) — 2/23/2010 @ 8:44 pmYes Tom, because having a gun yourself is the only way to be safe from the person who intends murder. (As he intends murder he will probably not be detered by the fact that his possesion of a firearm is a crime.)
What type of rifle was this person carrying? If he was reloading after one shot it sounds like a single shot rifle. Or posibly a bolt action and someone (either witness or the press) is confused.
Have Blue (854a6e) — 2/23/2010 @ 9:23 pmAnti-gun laws are stoopit. They only prevent the law-abiding from being armed, nothing else. Heck, I bet half the patrons of a TX bank are packing. Imagine walking into a bank or store, pulling out your .38, yelling “This is a hold-up!” only to see 50 people pointing their .44s at you. Go ahead, punk, make my day.
I actually like this story. I feel for those who got wounded and I hope they all recover (I heard none were critical). I also feel for everyone who was traumatized. But, I like this story.
After Columbine and VA Tech and after 9-11, people have changed. You go somewhere, brandishing and firing, regular people will take you down at serious risk to themselves. You go somewhere and try to hijack, regular people will take you down at serious risk to themselves. The slumbering giant that is freedom-loving America is waking up.
And that’s why I like this story.
John Hitchcock (0f657a) — 2/23/2010 @ 9:47 pmBut if I have a choice between “One shot, one kill, sir” and a head-long rush to tackle someone intent on killing and spreading mayhem, I know which one I’d choose.
John Hitchcock (0f657a) — 2/23/2010 @ 9:50 pm@17 – No, I’d never advocate more guns at school. It would obviously make the schools more dangerous. More guns in one place always leads to more shootings, that’s why you read about so many mass-shootings at rifle ranges and gun shows.
Socratease (19a6f5) — 2/23/2010 @ 11:12 pmSocratease, I was about to lay the hammer down on you but I dropped my hammer because I was too busy laughing by the time I finished reading what you wrote. Those closing tags sneak up on you, ya know?
John Hitchcock (0f657a) — 2/23/2010 @ 11:45 pm@21 – I’m not saying guns should be illegal everywhere – we’re not a Christian theocracy after all – but we don’t need more of them in schools. There are substantial differences between a school and a gun show, an obvious one being the percentage of people present who know how to handle guns safely. If a school is really under threat, there are perfectly effective ways of increasing security than armed teachers.
Tom (98c376) — 2/23/2010 @ 11:53 pm“If a school is really under threat, there are perfectly effective ways of increasing security than armed teachers”
Such as? How many of those security measures where in place already? The shooter was OUTSIDE the school, Tom. First responders, in this case, were the teachers, not police, not a security guard. Since they weren’t armed, they had to resort to tackling the armed assailant.
This guy was an idiot. If you’re going to shoot up a school, you don’t use a squirrel gun. What if he’d better armed, something with a magazine in it? How close would those teacher have gotten to him?
Pilots on aircraft can carry guns if they’ve received the proper training. These days I think schools are more dangerous than cockpits. I think teachers should have the same option.
Steve B (5eacf6) — 2/24/2010 @ 12:38 amI’m glad I don’t have to rely on Tom for my security.
AD - RtR/OS! (af3002) — 2/24/2010 @ 1:19 amYeah, I have a magnum-grade rifle and a pistol for my defense. My daughter has a high-caliber pistol for hers. And we are both military-trained in the use of firearms. Tom can depend on the 50-yard-dash-and-tackle if he wants. I’ll depend on ching-ching-pow for my defense and the defense of those around me.
John Hitchcock (0f657a) — 2/24/2010 @ 1:24 amI wish we could have this same gun owning rights in our country. Here, you are caught with a gun without licence you go to jail for 21 years! The best way to prevent crime is to arm the defenceless. This is a great story of courage under fire. Those teachers deserve a medal.
[note: released from moderation. –Stashiu]
Nigerian Observer (037483) — 2/24/2010 @ 3:25 amI would imagine the kids were texting each other to give warnings. Those teacher(s) should get a medal.
JEA (dffa7e) — 2/24/2010 @ 8:42 amSocratease @ 21: Well played.
Old Coot (ddf8be) — 2/24/2010 @ 9:32 amAs the 84-year old retired Navy Chief that I go shooting with says, in response to why he doesn’t fire and move in a tactical exercise:
AD - RtR/OS! (955a97) — 2/24/2010 @ 1:02 pmBullets are faster than feet.
And, he outscores all of the young guys too.
I updated the post with a link to the teachers’ press conference.
DRJ (6a8003) — 2/24/2010 @ 7:18 pm