Townville Elementary shootings linked to nearby slaying

[brooklynite]

Source: Greenville Online

A 14-year-old armed with a handgun killed his father as he sat on the couch in their home on Wednesday before he got behind the wheel of a black pickup, pulled onto a rutted dirt road and headed to Townville Elementary about three miles away, according to authorities.

There, as children were led outside for recess, the teenager rammed the truck into a chainlink fence surrounding the playground, stepped out and opened fire, authorities said.

A bullet struck student Jacob Hall in the leg and a second boy was shot in the foot. First-grade teacher Meghan Hollingsworth managed to herd the children to safety inside the building even as she was shot in the shoulder.

Among those heading out to the playground was Katrina Jones' 6-year-old niece. She said her niece told her that she heard the gunman say, "I hate my life," moments before the shooting.

Read more: http://www.greenvilleonline.com/longform/news/crime/2016/09/28/shooting-reported-townville-elementary/91227346/

[Iliyah]

1. Killed his father and then went to the school to shoot children

ugh.

[shenmue]

3. Indeed

[DawgHouse]

2. How awful. I'm sad that a 14 year old has such horrible depression.

I am glad the school victims seem to be not critically injured.

[Warpy]

4. I have to wonder what his home life was like

Isolated in at least a semi rural area, check. Home schooled, check. Hated his dad, check. Hated his life, check. Didn't see any way out, check.

[Judi Lynn]

5. I think heavily armed men who keep artillery around their homes are loathesome fathers

who make life a living hell for everyone unlucky enough to live with them.

Any self-absorbed, reactionary fool is not someone any child could trust or respect. They are violent in daily life, and children live on the precipice each day, hoping and praying that the father is not going to explode and beat them again.

There is never an actual moment of peace after the beatings, as the child knows it's just a matter of time before it all happens all over again.

Love is destroyed, early on, because you can't really love someone who terrifies you, and abuses you. You can only hope to stay out of his way. Children have nowhere to hide from a monstrous parent.

Truly, children probably do have a breaking point, even if it only means their spirits are broken early in life and never repaired.

[Democat]

7. There are many normal American families who have guns for hunting or protection

Kids can grow up around guns without being terrified. Hunting or farming families, for example.

There are also paranoid people who cling to guns because they are afraid of everything. Those type of people probably make their kids lives miserable.

[BumRushDaShow]

8. +1 A truly profound and sad commentary.

[Democat]

6. First grade teacher Meghan Hollingsworth saved many kids

Even after being shot, she continued to protect her students without regard for her own life.

Think about her the next time right wingers complain about teachers being lazy and overpaid.

[Dorian Gray]

10. I know

She's amazing.

[Dorian Gray]

9. I'm so

thankful none of the children or the teacher has passed. I know his father was found dead. Tragedy. Whatever led this boy to these actions.... I don't know. But thank God nobody was killed.

[ananda]

11. Gun control and mental health funding now!

nt

[maxsolomon]

12. Homeschooled kid that hated his life and killed his Dad.

Saw a FB post this morning where multiple homeschoolers insisted:

1. This has nothing to do with Homeschooling. (Except the kid killed his homeschooler.)
2. This has nothing to do with Guns. (Except the kid got ahold of his parent's gun.)
3. This is Society's fault, and it's getting worse. (Except this kid was raised APART from "Society".)

X infinity