Joplin student charged:
The 13-year-old Memorial Middle School student who fired a rifle inside his school is Thomas White. He has been charged with first-degree assault, armed criminal action and making a terrorist threat.
Police are saying that White did not have a fascination with Columbine or any other school shooting.
How White obtained the gun…
Police said Tuesday that the gun safe from which the boy obtained the assault rifle was located in his parents’ bedroom. Police seized the safe when they searched the home less than two hours after the shooting.
“When we got there, the safe was locked,” Jones said. “The key, according to the mother, was kept in an ashtray somewhere in the house. When we got there, that ashtray was on the floor in front of the safe.”
He said the ashtray contained about 30 keys, and police tried a number of them until they found one that opened the safe.
It kind of defeats the purpose of a safe if the key is left out in the open.
Still no word on a motive.
And to make matters worse, White has been charged with attempted escape after he tried to run away from staff as he was being led out of a cafeteria at the Jasper County Juvenile Detention Center.
You’re not helping your case any, son.
