Tag: school shooting

  • Justice for John Klang

    Justice for John Klang

    Hainstock case draws slew of feedback over whether he should be tried as a juvenile:

    The bleeding heart soccer moms with pictures of big-eyed kittens on their coffee mugs are at it again. They’re sending more letters to the Wisconsin court that will decide the fate of 15-year-old Eric Hainstock. Hainstock is charged with first-degree murder for the shooting death of Weston High School principal John Klang. The soccer moms want him tried as a juvenile because he needs “help”.

    Five of the letters appeal for his transfer to the juvenile court while referring to abuse at home and bullying Hainstock reportedly suffered in school.

    “The young man has endured such overwhelming torment and abuse that he deserves another chance in life — through justice which provides rehabilitation,” wrote Jan Hirschy of Richland Center. “He doesn’t deserve a lifelong sentence to further torment and abuse, which will inevitably be his fate as a boy among adult male prisoners.”

    In a telephone interview, Hirschy said her belief in the need for rehabilitation rather than simple punishment moved her to write. If Hainstock is placed in the juvenile courts he would not be released immediately.

    “He would have the option and access to (rehabilitative) services, which he would not have in prison,” she said.

    John Klang endured being shot in the back of the head. Unfortunately, he has no such chance at rehabilitation because you can’t rehabilitate the dead.

    Stacy MacGowan of New York City is among writers from places such as Florida and Illinois who have expressed their support for Hainstock. She appeals for leniency because of his abuse at the hands of his father and school bullies.

    “Your honor, I understand that this child has done the unthinkable and needs to be held accountable, but it should be done in the juvenile courts where he belongs,” MacGowan wrote. “He, too, is a victim.”

    Let’s weigh the one so-called victim against the other. Eric Hainstock bullied but still breathing. John Klang, dead at the hands of Eric Hainstock. There’s really only one victim here.

    At least the whole world hasn’t gone crazy…

    Weston schools English instructor Lori Olson-Putz expresses the sense of outrage many of the opponents feel. She refers to the deep and lasting emotional blow Klang’s death on Sept. 29 has dealt to members of their rural community.

    “Eric planned and carried out a senseless murder of a man who was actively trying to help him in every possible way,” she wrote the judge. “Why should Eric walk free after only a few years when the rest of us won’t be able to?”

    Olson-Putz said by phone Friday evening that the school administration has asked staff to avoid making further comments on the case.

    Other opponents say it would set a bad example for other troubled youths. They point to “anarchist” Internet Web sites where some postings praise the shooting of Klang as a blow against repressive school systems.

    “There are a number of people around the country that are happy that a principal was shot and killed and admire Eric for his courage,” writes Lyle Lindholm, a teacher at Weston High School. “If he gets tried as a juvenile, this will only encourage people like that to do the same kind of crimes because they know they could literally get away with murder.”

    You don’t even have to go to any other website. I’ve had enough people post comments here that said they were glad Hainstock did it.

    I know this is common sense, but it needs to be repeated. Hainstock is not a victim. He is nothing short of a stone-cold killer and needs to be dealt with as such. Anything else would dishonor the memory of John Klang.

  • Platte Canyon shooting report to be released

    Platte Canyon shooting report to be released

    Platte Canyon High shooting report due:

    The Colorado Bureau of Investigation’s report on the Platte Canyon High School shooting will be released by the Park County Sheriff’s Department on Thursday, March 27th.

    If you remember, 53-year-old drifter Duane Morrison stormed the school, taking seven female students hostages, molesting some of them. Emily Keyes was shot and killed by Morrison when SWAT attempted to save the victims. Morrison then killed himself.

    “By law, we are forbidden from releasing the identities of juveniles as well as any information that could identify the victims of sexual assault,” Wegener said in a prepared statement. “We are busily sifting through the massive amount of details to eliminate the restricted information for the protection of those individuals and their families.”

    The report will be available on the Park County website on Tuesday morning. The families of the victims will get to see it beforehand.

  • More Dawson evidence released

    More Dawson evidence released

    Police seized apology note from Dawson shooter’s bedroom:

    Or, as I like to call it, more proof that Kimveer Gill was the ultimate loser.

    Montreal police seized a simple note of apology, the address of Villa Maria high school and five boxes containing 242 bullets from Kimveer Gill’s bedroom hours after he shot one student dead and injured 20 other people at Dawson College last September.

    “Sorry Mom and rest of family…” read the note, dated Sept. 13 at 2:22 a.m. and written on note paper.

    Investigators also found a handwritten note in which Gill praises Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold, the two students who shot and killed 12 classmates and a teacher at Colorado’s Columbine High School in April, 1990, before killing themselves.

    Police also found 174 horror films on DVD and a disc entitled, “Shooting sprees ain’t no fun without Ozzy and friends LOL” in the CD player.

    Just a loser living in mommy’s basement who thought he was a tough guy.

  • Testimony in White hearing

    Testimony in White hearing

    Joplin seventh-grader bound over for trial in school shooting:

    Let’s take a look at some of the testimony in yesterday’s preliminary hearing about Thomas White, the 14-year-old Memorial Middle School gunman.

    During the preliminary hearing, two administrators testified that White pointed the assault rifle directly at them.

    Steven Doerr, assistant superintendent of Joplin’s public schools, said White was pointing the rifle at another student in the school’s main hallway when Doerr saw him, ran up and told him to put the weapon down.

    “He pulled the rifle down from his shoulder, pointed it up (toward the ceiling) and fired it,” Doerr testified. “The purpose of that, I think, was to demonstrate to me it was a real rifle and loaded and he meant business.”

    Doerr said White told him to go away, so Doerr stepped into a nearby classroom and called 911.

    Stephen Gilbreth, Memorial Middle School’s principal, said that when he heard the gunshot he ran out of his office and into the hall where White was standing. Gilbreth said he approached the boy, who was wearing a mask and hood, and repeatedly told him to put the rifle down and leave the building.

    Gilbreth said he thought White was trying to fire the gun when the boy repeatedly jabbed the weapon toward the principal. Police later said the rifle jammed because of improper seating of an ammunition clip in the gun.

    “The only thing he (White) said the whole time was, ‘Don’t make me do it,’” Gilbreth testified. “He was making a motion with the gun toward me. I thought he was trying to discharge the weapon but I couldn’t be sure.”

    Gilbreth said White then headed down some stairs and out of the building, with the principal behind him repeatedly encouraging him to keep walking and leave the school. White stopped once to look back and moved the gun toward Gilbreth, the principal testified.

    “I put my hands in my pockets (and) said, ‘I’m not doing anything, bud. Let’s just keep going,’” Gilbreth said.

    This is why he needs to be tried as an adult. Clearly, there was an intent to do harm. Only by the grace of God did the gun jam and no one was injured. It’s not like he brought a gun to school to show off to his friends, and it accidentally discharged. If that happened I’d say yeah, try him as a juvenile. But these actions show wanton malice on the part of White.

    The max he’s looking at is 49 years. I doubt he’ll get anywhere near that much, but I won’t lose any sleep if he does.

  • Additional charges filed in Memorial Middle shooting

    Additional charges filed in Memorial Middle shooting

    White hearing postponed again:

    Thomas White, the 14-year-old gunman in the Memorial Middle School shooting, has had a preliminary hearing postponed because prosecutors have filed additional charges.

    Jasper County Assistant Prosecutor Todd Hawkins said after reviewing police records, the prosecutor’s office filed two additional charges against White Monday afternoon – a second first degree assault charge and a felony charge of unlawful use of a weapon.

    No word on how much that could potentially add to his sentence.

  • Seized computers can’t be used in Castillo trial

    Seized computers can’t be used in Castillo trial

    Judge: Prosecutors in school shooting case can’t use computers:

    A judge has ruled that the computers in the home of Alvaro Castillo cannot be used as evidence by prosecutors because the computers were improperly seized.

    Castillo is the Hillsborough, North Carolina, teen who killed his father, Rafael Huezo Castillo, before taking shots at his former high school, Orange High.

    The prosecutors shouldn’t worry too much, since Castillo did send what was basically a videotaped confession to a local newspaper.

  • Another victim testifies in Campbell County shooting

    Another victim testifies in Campbell County shooting

    Principal: Bartley had chance to flee:

    The other day, I posted about Campbell County High Assistant Principal Jim Pierce testifying in the juvenile status hearing for shooter Kenny Bartley. Now it’s Principal Gary Seale’s turn. According to Seale’s testimony, Bartley had an opportunity to flee the office rather than loading the gun and firing it.

    Seale soon found himself distracted by a tardy student who showed up at the guard shack. Meanwhile, Bartley had arrived at Pierce’s office. Pierce again radioed Seale, who headed to Pierce’s office.

    “Mr. Bruce walked in behind me,” Seale said. “Little Kenny was sitting in a chair. I asked him what was going on.”

    Seale took a seat next to Bartley. Bruce stood near the door. Pierce was seated behind his desk.

    “I just told Kenny, ‘I want what you have in your pocket,’ ” Pierce testified.

    Bartley reached for his pocket. Seale did, too, but Bartley swatted his hand away and pulled out a gun, Seale testified.

    “Kenny stood up with the gun, waving it at all of us,” Pierce said.

    Bruce moved from the door to the back of the room, Seale said.

    “I was like, ‘Little Kenny, is that real?’ ” Seale testified. “He was like, ‘I’ll show you. I don’t like you anyway.’ “

    Seale and Pierce testified that Bartley then reached into his pocket, pulled out an ammunition clip, loaded the gun and opened fire. Seale was struck in the groin. Bruce was struck in the chest. Pierce was shot in the side and hand while wrestling Bartley to the floor.

    As soon as Ken Bruce moved to the back of the room, Kenny Bartley could have just walked out the door. Instead, he chose to fire his gun, killing Bruce and wounding Seale and Pierce.

    An officer also testified that drugs played a major role in the shooting.

    Campbell County Sheriff’s Department Deputy Darrell Mongar testified that Bartley had 10 Xanax pills in his pocket. Xanax is a brand name for a prescription narcotic sedative.

    Under questioning by defense attorney Mike Hatmaker, Mongar described Bartley’s reaction once handcuffed.

    “He started crying,” Mongar said. “He stated that he had stolen his father’s gun and brought it to school to trade for Oxycontin (an opiate-based prescription painkiller). He said none of this would have happened if he hadn’t taken (two of) the Xanaxes.”

    Considering he was trying to trade the gun for OxyContin, it’s safe to assume that the Xanax wasn’t prescribed to him.

    If Bartley is tried as an adult, he’s looking at a minimum of 51 years. Since Bartley has a prior juvenile record, that swings things in favor of him being tried as an adult since rehabilitation obviously hasn’t worked.

    A decision should be reached today.

  • Judge grants juvenile status hearing for Hainstock

    Judge grants juvenile status hearing for Hainstock

    Eric Hainstock Case Goes Back To Juvenile Court:

    A judge has granted a request to have a hearing on whether or not Eric Hainstock should be tried as an adult. Hainstock shot and killed his principal, John Klang of Weston Schools in Wisconsin. Prosecutors are appealing this decision.

    If Hainstock were to be tried as a juvenile, he could only be held until his 25th birthday. Less than 10 years for first-degree intentional homicide is a joke, and again would set a dangerous precedent for those that would follow in Hainstock’s footsteps.

    He needs to be tried as an adult and put away forever. The victim, John Klang was given a death sentence and he didn’t commit any crime.

  • Victim testifies in Campbell County shooting

    Victim testifies in Campbell County shooting

    ‘It’s real’: Testimony in Campbell shooting:

    Campbell County High Assistant Principal Jim Pierce testified today in a hearing to see if Kenny Bartley will be tried as an adult or a juvenile. Mr. Pierce gave his account of the shooting…

    Pierce, an assistant principal, testified today in Campbell County Juvenile Court that he summoned Bartley to his office after receiving a tip the boy was armed.

    “I just told Kenny I want what you have in your pocket,” Pierce testified.

    Bartley brandished a gun, Pierce said.

    “Kenny stood up with the gun waving it at all of use,” he testified.

    “Mr. Seale asked him if it was real. He said yes it’s real, I’ll show you I never liked you anyway.”

    Pierce said Bartley reached into his pocket, pulled out an ammunition clip and popped it into the gun and started shooting.

    As we know now, administrators Jim Pierce and Gary Seale were wounded while Ken Bruce was killed.

    I guess there goes that “accidental shooting” theory that so many of Bartley’s supporters have espoused.

  • Jonesboro killer pleads innocent

    Jonesboro killer pleads innocent

    Jonesboro school killer enters plea to drug, gun charges:

    Mitchell Johnson, one of the Jonesboro gunmen, pleaded innocent yesterday to charges of drug possession and unlawful weapon possession. Both are misdemeanors.

    So let me get this straight. Pot and a loaded 9mm are found in his van, but he pleads innocent. I get the feeling that he’s going to try to blame his friend who was in the van with him, crossbow killer Justin Trammel.

    And if you’re wondering why Johnson wasn’t immediately placed back in jail is because once he was released from jail at age 21 due to a loophole in Arkansas law at the time of the Jonesboro shooting, Johnson has basically no criminal record.