Multiple school shootings and incidents of weapon possession have occurred at public schools during the first two months of the year. Bureau of Justice Statistics experts feel the recent increase does not indicate a trend and say school murders and weapons violence uncommon, according to NewsNet 5.
Ohio
Alleged school shooter T.J. Lane shot five students inside the school cafeteria on Feb. 27, with three dying, according to the Cleveland Plain Dealer. Witnesses said Lane silently and calmly stood up and began firing.
TennesseeUSA Today reports that on Feb. 20, two male teens allegedly shot at a crowd of other students because of an ongoing issue between the groups. A 14-year-old boy suffered two gunshot wounds in the leg but survived.
Washington
A third grade male student in a Seattle suburb allegedly took a handgun to school in his backpack on Feb. 22. The gun discharged when he tossed the bag onto his desk, accidentally and critically injuring a female classmate. Unlike the other shootings, the Washington incident was an accident, but the young girl remains on a ventilator and faces multiple surgeries related to her abdomen wound. Huffington Post reports the boy took the gun during a visit to his mother's home and planned to use it for protection when he ran away.
Michigan
A male high school student accidentally discharged a 9-mm handgun on Jan. 30 he brought to school while showing it to his friends. No one was injured during the incident, but a search of the building revealed two more student concealed weapons, NewsNet5 reports.
Nevada
NewsNet5 reports Las Vegas law enforcement officers confiscated a 9-mm handgun from one high school student on Jan. 30, then several days later removed a .32-caliber gun from another student suspected of theft.
Arizona
Male elementary and middle school students had handguns confiscated from them while at school Jan. 6. The 7-year-old student had the gun hidden in his backpack which accidentally discharged when tossing the bag in a manner similar to the Washington incident, the Arizona Republic reports. The accidental discharge occurred on a school bus but no one was injured. The 12-year-old student allegedly carried a semiautomatic gun into his school building because he felt threatened and was contemplating suicide, Fox Phoenix reports.
