UK & World News
- 23 February 2012, 17:24
Nine-Year-Old Boy Shoots Girl In Classroom
A nine-year-old boy has shot and critically wounded a girl in their classroom in Washington state.
Police took the schoolboy into custody after the shooting at the Armin Jahr Elementary School in Bremerton, 15 miles west of Seattle.
The girl, aged eight, was taken by air ambulance to Harborview Medical Centre in Seattle with a gunshot wound and remains in a critical condition.
Bremerton School District spokeswoman Patty Glaser said police were still investigating the incident, which took place shortly before the end of classes on Wednesday.
"We do know the gun and the student were found," she said.
The school was locked down before students were allowed to leave.
Police have been treating the incident as an accident.
District authorities said grief counsellors would be on hand for students, staff and parents.
Encouraging people to come forward with information, the school told parents: "We want to assure you that incidence (sic) such as this are rare in our community and we want your child to always feel safe."
what do you think?
A Jowett
Only in America...
Edgar Beckett
We had to leave our guns in the cloakroom
Gillian Stafford
A full weeks worth of detention surely.
Bill Fleming
And to think, I got the cane for having a catapult !
Steve Pickering
if that was in the u.k as he is under 10 he would not be prosecuted, in the u.s no idea what will happen. but it does not matter what age you are you must understand that guns kill end off.
Michael Booth
Guns don't kill people! People, using guns, kill people!!
jonny english
Take it you were an angel and never did anything that could be considered as dangerous or stupid, the police are treating it as an accident!!
John Low
Should charge whoever let a nine year old get hold of a loaded gun.
Freda Smith
How on earth did that child have a gun? and where did he get it from? and where was the teacher when he aimed it at the girl? I'm beginning to wonder whether this world is worth living in. Send me to the moon I'm sure I'll be much happier with the aliens than the morons on this planet
jonny english
Goodbye!!
Keith Brunsdon
Police are treating it as an accident ! Doh ! How does a nine year old get a gun and carry it around till just before the end of classes without anybody knowing. Where did he get the gun from, If it belonged to his parents then obviously not stored securely. Irresponsible !
jonny english
Have a think about it, were you ever nine and sneaked something past your parents or teacher. I know, lets start frisking nine year olds on there way in to school eh, or maybe a metal detector on all the doors, x-ray machines too and sniffer dogs checking all the children on their way in.
paddyj
What scares me in all this is that old saying, " What happens in America today happens over here tomorrow"
eastonandrea
I hope the little girl recovers and she and her family gets all the help they may need to help come to terms with this, but i doubt they will ever get over it.
Paul Link
This is terrible how a nine year old can get a gun !!!! then go into school with it !!! What negligence the parents and school should be ashamed of itself
Mike A Smith
What a school!! Cannot even spell!!
TheKarmacanic
It's really no surprise this has happened in a country where approximately 4 out of 10 americans own a firearm of one kind or another. That's 40% of the population and you can bet a lot of those firearms (particularly handguns) aren't stored securely! I'm not sure I agree with 'paddyj' when he says "What happens in America today happens here tomorrow", but it is possible. Unlike the USA, we have very strict gun laws. It's written into the American constitution that they have the right to bare arms, and as long as that's the case there will continue to be these type of incidents.
Jade Campbell
Are the police for real??? calling it an 'ACCIDENT' First you dont let your son take a gun into school.. thats just common sence.
Adrian Wagstaff
He probably liked her. He probably said, "I ... I love you." I would assume she said something along the lines of, "Go away, I told you to leave me alone all last year!" Presumably, she told him she liked someone else. Then he said he'd take a gun and shoot her and she didn't believe him then laughed. He probably liked to play violent, gun-based, computer games all evening and at the weekend and was a loner with an interest in his dad's vast, American gun collection locked away in big gun cabinets. It isn't the youngest American kid I've read about doing this sort of thing. 9 ... is a confusing age when your class is full of pretty girls. It's a sad story but not very surprising.
antfrog2000
......i wonder if my 6 year old accidentally took something he shouldnt have to school today???
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Mike Drouin
AMERICANS !!!!!!!!!!!!
Lorgar Aurelian
Why is this news in this country? Last year i remember them telling us about roadworks in L.A.!
tagliatellius
9:02am on 23/2/2012
This isn't news, this is normal behaviour for Yanks.