Student, 13, fires AK-47 in Missouri school

[voivod]

JOPLIN, Missouri (AP) -- A 13-year-old student wearing a mask and a long, black trenchcoat fired an AK-47 into the ceiling at his school Monday morning after confronting a pair of students and administrators, telling them "please don't make me do this," officials said.

No one was injured, and the boy, who police said was following a well-thought out plan, was taken into custody.

The seventh-grader pointed the gun at the two students, Principal Steve Gilbreth and Assistant Superintendent Steve Doerr, telling them "not to make me do this," Superintendent Jim Simpson said.

He then fired the shot into the ceiling, breaking a water pipe, and said again "Please don't make me do this," Simpson said.

Doerr and Gilbreth persuaded the youth to leave the building, and he was confronted by two police officers who had their weapons drawn. The student dropped the rifle and was taken into custody, Simpson said.

"It was a very close call," he said.

Police Officer Curt Farmer said officers found a note in the student's backpack indicating that he had placed an explosive in the school, which has about 750 students. Students were moved to nearby Joplin Memorial Hall to be picked up by their parents.

The backpack also contained military manuals, instructions on assembling a bomb and detailed drawings of the school.

"This was quite well thought out," Farmer said. "He had been planning this for a long time."

Farmer said police believe they know where the student got the weapon but would not disclose those details. He said it was not uncommon for people in the area to own high-power firearms.

The student, whose name was not released, was wearing a T-shirt over his head with holes cut out for eyes, Farmer said.

The school was closed while police and Missouri State Highway Patrol officers searched the building with bomb-sniffing dogs.

Simpson said authorities did not know whether others were involved, and school officials said they could not discuss a motive and would not have access to the student's records until the search was completed.

Police searched a home in the area and officers were seen leaving the house carrying two rifles, The Joplin Globe reported. Police roped off a half-block area around the house and would not reveal specifics about the search.

The shooting happened about 7:45 a.m., 10 minutes before the start of classes.

"A lot of the kids were scared," said eighth-grader Deron Moore. "After they said on the intercom that there was someone with a gun, I kind of went into shock."

A woman who was dropping her son off at the school said she saw Gilbreth "waving crazily" and police cars pulling up behind her.

"Police were heading into the school with weapons drawn, and the principal was pointing to the east side of the school," Blake Spivak told The Joplin Globe.

Spivak, former advertising director for the newspaper, said she and her son, Cooper, stayed in the car while Gilbreth walked back into the school flanked by armed officers in protective jackets. She said an officer told her to get down or get her car away from the scene.

Joplin, which has about 40,900 residents, is in southwest Missouri, about 140 miles south of Kansas City. It is about 10 miles from the small town of Riverton, Kansas, where five high school students were arrested in April and accused of plotting a school rampage there.

Schools across the country have been on alert since three deadly school shootings in three states in the span of a week, and several schools have been locked down or closed entirely during the past two weeks because of threats.

[ZORBA5150]

how does a 13 yr old get an Ak-47?

[InTheBeginning]

how does a 13 yr old get an Ak-47?

In Missouri? Daddy.

[jaybird]

This is, like, an hour from where I live.

A good excuse to home school.

[Axxman300]

See, there needs to be a law that a kid who brings a gun to school should be tied to the flag pole and bullwhipped in front of the entire student body.

If the kid fires the weapon, the police should be able to shoot him regardless of if he surrenders or not. They can then fine the parents for raising a dumbass.

[Bob_R]

how does a 13 yr old get an Ak-47?

The parents are obviously dirtbags.

[Axxman300]

And then there's this....

I was born in 1964, and growing up my friends and I had a different idea of what how a "Man" takes care of business. Guns and knives were the tools of a coward, a whiney baby or someone so sad and pathetic that he deserved every bad thing that came along. Guns have a place and a use, but we knew that there was nothing that could ever happen at school that would justify their use. Every fight I was in was settled with fists, RedWing boots and a nasty eye-gouge. When the fight was over it was over, no grudge bullshit and a couple of those guys would later become good friends.

I don't get the gang culture and I sure as hell don't understand the whole "Get Even" philosophy of the 20-somethings. Whatever happened to "Being the bigger man"? You know, walking away from a fight, letting a slight, backstabbing or an insult roll off of your shoulders. I don't see that today, from politics to the back allies it's all about getting even. Where the logic in showing your superiority by doing that same exact scummy thing to your opponent that they did to you? That shit goes on in prison, but there are no real men in prison, just little boys in men's bodies.

Look at Muhamid Ali and Mike Tyson, when did Ali ever beat up anybody outside of the ring? Yet Tyson still gets the red carpet treatment, even after rape and a dirty, ear-biting match. I had some teenage turd give me shit about something, some Hispanic dude almost backed over me when he pulled ut of his parking space way too fast, he didn't hit me and gave me the non-verbal look that said "Damn, sorry!" and I waved and kept on going. Mr. Teen-Turd gets all upset and starts saying that I should have kicked the guy's ass and fucked up his car (turd's words). I told him that it was no big deal AND that it was none of his business. Teen-Turd say's "You'd never make it in the streets", I just laughed. Not because I'm some bad-ass who roams the streets of gang-land Salinas looking for justice, I'm not and I stay the hell out of that part of town. I laughed because Mr.Turd had Carmel Valley tags on his SUV. This guy would know a "Street" if he rolled his Explorer on one.

Anyway, kids (young boys specifically) need to be taught about what being a real man is, not just the strength to fight but the strength not to. They also need to know that a gun might give you some power but not respect, and when you run out of bullets you are the same wimpy ass-licker you were before you picked it up.

Sorry, long day, didn't mean to vent.

[FORD]

I'm very interested in why the kid kept saying "Please don't make me do this".

MK-Ultra programming that didn't completely "take", maybe?

A typical school shooting has targets, whether specific invidiuals, or any one who meets a general description of a "type" of person whom the shooter has a problem with.

This kid didn't shoot anyone, didn't even seriously attempt to hit anyone from the description given, and from the comments he made, might have been an unwilling pawn in someone else's sick plan.

Reminds me a little of the pizza delivery "suicide bomber" story from a few years ago. That guy made similar pleas for help before somebody detonated the charges around his neck and left a fist sized hole in his chest.

Could this be another "test case" for the manufactured "terraist attacks" that will be unleashed eventually on US soil if the treasonous criminal bastards running this country are not brought down soon?

[Elwood P.]

I'm very interested in why the kid kept saying "Please don't make me do this".

MK-Ultra programming that didn't completely "take", maybe?

A typical school shooting has targets, whether specific invidiuals, or any one who meets a general description of a "type" of person whom the shooter has a problem with.

This kid didn't shoot anyone, didn't even seriously attempt to hit anyone from the description given, and from the comments he made, might have been an unwilling pawn in someone else's sick plan.

Reminds me a little of the pizza delivery "suicide bomber" story from a few years ago. That guy made similar pleas for help before somebody detonated the charges around his neck and left a fist sized hole in his chest.

Could this be another "test case" for the manufactured "terraist attacks" that will be unleashed eventually on US soil if the treasonous criminal bastards running this country are not brought down soon?

You're slipping FORD, took you til the last paragraph to blame this on Bush.