Police: SWAT officer shot student

**Vendetta** · 01-13-06, 01:52 PM

Police: SWAT officer shot student
Florida middle school student reportedly carried gun

Friday, January 13, 2006; Posted: 1:09 p.m. EST (18:09 GMT)

LONGWOOD, Florida (AP) -- A suicidal eighth grader who pulled a handgun in class and briefly took another child hostage was shot by a SWAT team member Friday when he later threatened deputies, Seminole County officials said.

Sheriff Don Eslinger said the 15-year-old boy brought the gun to Milwee Middle School in his backpack and briefly took a fellow student hostage during a classroom scuffle.

The student then ran from the classroom and was pursued by deputies into a restroom and isolated there, Eslinger said. The school was evacuated, and no one else was injured. Officials with the sheriff's office said they had not confirmed whether the gun the boy had was real or a toy.

"At one time he held the gun to his neck. As the deputies attempted to establish dialogue, he raised the firearm and lethal force was used by the sheriff's office," Eslinger said.

The boy was taken to the hospital. His condition was unknown.

"He was suicidal," Eslinger said. "During this standoff, and during the chase, the student said he was going to kill himself or die."

Classes were canceled for the rest of the day, and frantic parents arrived to pick up their children.

"When I saw the news, I just couldn't believe this was my daughter's school. I came right away," said Anil Santos, whose daughter, Aleister, is in eighth grade.

Sarah Tivy, a seventh grader, said some students were frightened, but she appeared calm.

"I just figured that if someone is going to bring a gun to school, then they need to be taken out of school," the 12-year-old said.

Copyright 2006 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

**BEK** · 01-13-06, 02:03 PM

wow...i think we were just talking about kids in FL the other day.. kids are nutz these days

**Vendetta** · 01-13-06, 02:15 PM

Originally Posted by BEK320

wow...i think we were just talking about kids in FL the other day.. I think if they had the chance to tase him they shoulda even though he is 15...or should they have choked him out. i dont know. kids are nutz these days

I dont have a tazer and even if i did im not taking that kind of chance if someone points a gun at me. When i worked in corrections I seen all the electronic stuff fail to subdue people from time to time. A well placed hydro shock has never failed to subdue. I hate it for the kid and his family but im glad that no officers or other students were hurt in this poor-placed cry for help

**kdm0409** · 01-13-06, 02:53 PM

Originally Posted by wcso234

I dont have a tazer and even if i did im not taking that kind of chance if someone points a gun at me. When i worked in corrections I seen all the electronic stuff fail to subdue people from time to time. A well placed hydro shock has never failed to subdue. I hate it for the kid and his family but im glad that no officers or other students were hurt in this poor-placed cry for help

See people think us SRO's don't have things to deal with...In my opinion a 15 yr old with a gun can sometimes be more dangerous than an adult w/ a gun...I also do not have a taser and we do not have SWAT here, it would be me until the city PD got here, then it would be us...