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"School
Shooting Map"
Terror from within: School Shootings take more than lives
Red Lion Junior High, PA. April 24, 2003:
Principal Eugene Segro was shot dead in front of 350 students by a
14-year-old eighth grade boy, one of his students. The student had entered
the school with three handguns stolen from his stepfather’s safe. [Learning
what to look for - "Early Warning Signs"
] In the school cafeteria, at about 7:30 am, he
stood and shot the principal with a .44 Magnum once in the chest. The
student then produced a .22 caliber pistol from his backpack and shot
himself once in the head. Students were removed from their school and taken
to nearby Senior High. The school will remain closed through Monday for the
funerals.
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The student’s parents and the police have reported that
there were no apparent warning signs [Kids
are the Keys]. There have been notes of intended victims or other
intentions found. [Assessment
Training for Early Warning Signs] If this remains
true, it will be the first school shooting in which there were no warning
signs before the incident. This was not the first brush with violence for
this school district as they were the site of the
machete attack on a kindergarten about two years ago that left the
principal, two teachers and several children injured.
After Thursday's shooting at Red Lion, the principal at
East Pennsboro asked students to report any concerns they had, and the
school passed the information on to police. As a result of these student
reports, a 17-year old student's car was searched at home. Police found a
handgun, sawed-off shotgun, rifle, ammunition and pipe bomb materials. In
the home of an 18-year-old student, police found several firearms,
ammunition, and narcotics. And in another 18-year old student's home, a
handgun was found concealed in a drainage pipe. Police say the weapons were
stolen, but there is no evidence the three students were planning to hurt
anyone. Charges could be filed next week.
The war in Iraq or other more popular news has
overshadowed this and other school shootings in the month of April. The
month is not over yet and this is the tally as known so far:
When these events
happen, the shooter takes more from the school than the lives they end so
tragically. Much has been said and written about the
Homeland Security Alert System. Keys To Safer
Schools.com has produced several products related to it. But the
bottom line is that schools are being
victimized by terrorists from within. If
your school is
the sight of a shooting or a fatal attack by any type of violence, it will
not matter whether the attack was from an organized group with a political
agenda or a troubled student who knew no other way to be heard. The effect
will be the same. The
feeling of being safe while at school will be gone forever. Lives will
be changed from the trauma suffered and repeated in memories for years to
come.
An Alternative
Teacher who was responding to this shooting said;
I had to search for more information today on the school shooting in the
Red Lion Jr. High Pa. school. It's no longer front page news. My hunch is
that the child was depressed and in intense emotional pain. Someone
must have had a clue. Children need more than reading, writing and
arithmetic to make it in today's world. The No Child Left Behind Law "left
behind" the emotionally wounded children who desperately need to be
"spotted" and helped. The educational process in this country is woefully
under funded and understaffed to meet the ever increasing challenges that
greet the school staffs of today. If you don't believe me, go volunteer
your services with your eyes wide open. Talk to the teachers who are
"front line" weary of dealing with "repeated" discipline problems that
sabotage their teaching efforts. And better yet, spend some time in an
Alternative School! My heart goes out to this school and to all
the children and families affected by this tragedy. Read my
opinion.....I knew the child was in "emotional pain". We have to contact
the President and add these "prevention measures" to the
No Child Left Behind Law. We have got to reach these "Jimmy's". Not to
do so is a crime against humanity. From a front line counselor in an
Alternative School.
There is a solution available. Many have taken advantage
of it and report success and satisfaction with the program. It is the
Keys To Safer Schools.com
Assessing
the Potentially Dangerous Student (PDS) and the
Assessment Instrument that it teaches. In order to get this program
to more schools, Keys has recently introduced a Certification for
Trainers program that is training school personnel not just how to use the
Instrument, but how to train and Certify others in this essential program.
Perhaps the real tragedy is that so many are
simply
ignoring the problem and choosing to do nothing. One Superintendent
actually said in response to a question about his safety program, "We have
always been lucky and I think we will continue to be lucky." Keys To
Safer Schools.com is not in any way trying to capitalize on these
violent events, but we are trying to shout loud enough for people to pull
their heads out of the sand and notice that internal terrorism in the form
of student violence is a possibility in any school on any day. If your
school has not taken steps to enhance the safety of students and staff, give
this article to the administration and email Keys today.
(See "Checklist of a
Safe School")
Once again we ask ourselves, "Have we done all that
we can to insure the safety of our schools?" Keys To Safer Schools.com
is making a special offer to any school to review your crisis planning and
provide a written critique of any shortcomings found. To take advantage of
this offer, mail your school’s Crisis Plan and supporting documents to:
Keys To Safer Schools.com
P.O. Box 296
Bryant, AR 72089-0296.
Visit the Keys website for valuable information and
resource material on school violence prevention at https://keystosaferschools.com.
Programs to Combat Violence
If
you have any comments or questions please Email us at keys@keystosaferschools.com.
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(501)246-8835
