Category: School Violence

School’s weapons incident reviewed:

Hey kids. Uncle Trench here.

A long, long time ago, even before your Uncle Trench was born, newspapers used to actually report the news instead of trying to manufacture it.

For example, take this quote from the august and esteemed Atlanta Journal-Constitution about Robin Kittrell, the 17-year-old who was arrested for bringing an arsenal to school allegedly to prevent a Columbine-like situation…

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution has found some discrepancies in administrators’ accounts of what occurred the day Fayette County sheriff’s deputies carted away Robin Kittrell, who remains in jail on nine weapons violations, including six felonies.

When asked about the tip the day after the arrest, for example, Whitewater principal Greg Stillions said he was notified by a central office administrator that the 17-year-old senior might have “knives and guns.”

Later, that administrator, through a spokeswoman, said the tipster mentioned two students as possibly having knives, but not guns. Both were questioned and searched on the first day of school, she said, and one was cleared.

Also, when asked why Kittrell was allowed to enter the school building when he knew the student might have a weapon, Stillions said Kittrell had no record of disciplinary offenses and noted how difficult it would have been to locate him among 1,700 other teenagers.

Do you see the AJC trying to make a story where one doesn’t exist?

Does any of that really matter? What matters to me is that they caught Robin Kittrell and no one was hurt. Some of the parents agree…

Few parents seem to be concerned about how the incident was handled. County Board of Education chairwoman Terri Smith, whose daughter attends Whitewater, said she hasn’t received a single call.

“I don’t want to armchair quarterback,” she said. “But from what I hear, they handled it correctly.”

So why is the AJC making a mountain out of this molehill?

Questions linger in student’s weapons bust:

Just some more insight into the motives of Robin Kittrell, the 17-year-old who brought an arsenal of guns to his Georgia high school to help prevent a Columbine-like situation. According to the last few paragraphs in the article, there was a rumor going around that another student was going to bomb Whitewater High School.

But questions remain about exactly what Kittrell, whom school officials said had no record of disciplinary problems, might have intended to do with the weapons and black, ninja-like outfit — complete with mask, gloves and sword — that police confiscated.

It sounds like Kittrell had some kind of grandiose plans of being some kind of vigilante or pictured himself as some kind of superhero. If that’s the case, then he should have gone the Spider-Man route and not used any weapons but himself.

Fayette senior denied bond on weapons charges:

Robin Kittrell, the 17-year-old Georgia student who brought an arsenal to school, has been denied bond. If you remember, he claims he was trying to prevent a Columbine rather than starting one.

“I can’t say for certain what he might have done,” said District Attorney Scott Ballard. “But he couldn’t have had good intentions.”

Ballard said he was not familiar with Kittrell’s past but said officials told him the teenager dressed in black clothing and seemed “strange.”

Dressing in black does not necessarily make someone “strange”. Carrying an arsenal of weapons with you everywhere does.

Friends come to defense of WHS student online

As expected in these cases, the friends of Robin Kittrell, the Georgia teen who brought an arsenal to the first day of school, are coming to his defense…

Meanwhile, an online poster at The Citizen.com claiming to be one of Kittrell’s friends joined several other Whitewater students in defending his character but not the action he took.

One poster, whose online handle is Matted, said that Kittrell had the guns in his car “for some months, maybe more, in school and out, school and summer.”

“Were he going to use them to kill, he had PLENTY of opportunities,” the post continued. “And yes, he is paranoid, and he has a hero complex, but he planned nothing.”

One Web poster defending Kittrell griped about all the mudslinging against the student.

“Robin is a close friend and is one of if not the nicest and most chivalrous people I know,” user johnnycakes wrote. “He would never hurt anyone unless he or others were being endangered by a malicious force. Robin has never and would never display violent behaviors.”

Web user sthrngrl wrote: “I saw him as the guy who always opened the door for me, lent me extra change when I didn’t have enough for a coke, always gave me gum before class, every day, and when he was not there he left some the day before for us. If he ever saw anyone being picked on, especially girls, he would politely ask the person to stop. He watched out for people, and he was a polite gentleman for a change.”

If he is as paranoid as they say, then how long would it have been before he reacted against a perceived threat, even if it really wasn’t one?

Teen With Arsenal Goes to Court:

Instead of attending his second day of school, a Fayette County high school senior was in court on Tuesday, after being arrested for bringing an arsenal of weapons to school.

The arrest happened on Monday at Whitewater High School in Fayetteville.

Authorities say 17-year-old Robin Kittrell drove to school with at least six weapons in his car.

Kittrell says he didn’t intend to start a Columbine-like disaster, he had the weapons in case there was one. But law enforcement and school officials say they don’t buy that. He is facing nine felony charges and the immediate future in jail.

“It had the potential to be incredibly disasterous – thank goodness the tip was received was acted on. Hats off to the tipster,” said Fayette County Police Captain Dwayne Prosser.

Over the summer, a student told school officials that Kittrell had been seen with weapons at Whitewater High School the previous school year. On Monday, the first day of school this year, a school resource officer searched the high school senior, and found a switchblade knife.

The officer then searched the trunk of Kittrell’s car and found more – handguns, a rifle, and a sword. While the guns were unloaded, the officer also found ammunition in the trunk.

“I can think of no good reason to bring these weapons to school. We have to take it seriously,” said Fayette District Attorney Scott Ballard.

Kittrell told authorities the weapons weren’t to cause violence, but to help prevent it.

“He believed should a Columbine-style incident take place, that he could assist authorities until they arrived,” said Ballard.

Um…yeah. Even if he honestly believed that, he’s delusional at best.

After his arrest, investigators searched Kittrell’s home, and found a closet full of black clothes — trench coats, shirts, boots, and shoes. They also found video games investigators consider violent.

Aw shit, not this again. It won’t be long before we’ll be hearing from Jack Thompson.

As usual, the defense attorney provides some humor…

The teenager’s lawyer says the courts will have to consider Kittrell’s spotless past and excellent record as a student.

“We really think everything alleged against him now will fall by the wayside,” said defense attorney Brian Petterson.

Petterson tried to convince a magistrate judge that Kittrell is not a threat. It didn’t work.

The straight-A student, geography bee champion and member of the band will stay in jail for now. The grand jury isn’t expected to hear the case until this winter.

“Your honor, just because my client showed up to school with enough weapons to make Rambo crap his pants that doesn’t make him a threat.”

Yeah, I’m not surprised that didn’t work.

Student’s arsenal: Sniper rifle, ninja sword, 3 other guns, flex cuffs, 150 bullets:

More on Robin Kittrell, the 17-year-old Georgia kid who was arrested for bringing an arsenal to school…

A Whitewater High School senior who brought two rifles and two handguns to campus in his car on the first day of school Monday had access to guns at his home with parental approval, according to Lt. Col. Bruce Jordan of the Fayette County Sheriff’s Department.

Another deputy remembered the student complained often of being bullied while in middle school.

I should have expected that.

Did Robin Kittrell, 17, of Carrollwood Drive in south Fayette County intend to take hostages or shoot anyone? “We don’t know if he had it in his gut to do it or not, but he definitely had it in his head,” Jordan said.

Deputies also discovered 25 “flex cuffs” in a utility belt, plastic ties that are normally used by police to bind the hands of suspects when regular handcuffs aren’t available, Jordan said.

“That was what scared me the most,” said the chief detective, alluding to the possibility that the student may have intended to take hostages during an attack on the school.

Kittrell, a member of the high school’s first senior class, was charged with six counts of possession of a weapon on school property and one count of possession of a concealed weapon after deputies found the sniper rifle, another rifle and a revolver inside his 1991 Volvo Monday morning. Officials also found more than 150 rounds of ammunition and a black outfit including a hood and military-style pants.

Also found in Kittrell’s car was a pair of binoculars, a large “ninja” style sword at least three feet long and a belt that included two “speed loaders,” devices that are used to quickly reload a revolver with six shots, police said.

The presence of all that gear left sheriff’s officials little doubt about Kittrell’s plan: to attack the school, Jordan said.

Kittrell told detectives why he brought the weapons to school, but Jordan declined to divulge that information other than to say Kittrell’s story was “ludicrous.”

In case you’ve forgotten, his excuse was that he was defending himself in case of a Columbine-like attack.

Among the offensive gear found in Kittrell’s car was:

• A .22-caliber Colt competition rifle;

• A .30-cal. Carbine rifle;

• A .38-cal. Colt six-inch revolver; and

• A .22-cal. Colt competition semi-automatic handgun.

All the guns had been owned by Kittrell’s grandfather, uncle and father, and they were taken from a gun safe at the family’s home, Jordan said.

A search of the Kittrell home turned up nothing written in terms of any possible plans Kittrell had, but detectives seized his computer and will have it analyzed to see if it contains further evidence, Jordan said.

The investigation began when school principal Greg Stillions got information that Kittrell had brought a weapon on campus, Jordan said. Stillions then called Kittrell to his office and had the student searched, turning up a switchblade knife, Jordan said. Campus officials then searched Kittrell’s vehicle where the weapons cache was found, Jordan added.

More on this as info becomes available.

Ga. Student Brings Guns to School:

This must be some kind of record…

FAYETTEVILLE, Ga. (AP) — A Fayette County high school senior was arrested on the first day of school after guns and other weapons were found in his car.

Officials say the weapons were found in 17-year-old Robin Kittrell’s car yesterday at Whitewater High School.

Fayette County District Attorney Scott Ballard says police found at least six weapons, including a carbine rifle, a switchblade and a sword.

Impressive arsenal but this must be the best defense I’ve ever heard…

Ballard says Kittrell told authorities he was trying to defend himself in case a Columbine type of attack took place at the school.

I’m not saying that’s not true, but it is the first time I’ve ever heard that. How ironic.

Kittrell faces six weapons charges and a seventh charge of carrying concealed weapons. And Ballard says that because he is under 18, authorities may also charge Kittrell with underage possession of weapons.