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SCHOOL-RELATED DEATHS, SCHOOL SHOOTINGS, & SCHOOL VIOLENCE INCIDENTS
2008-2009 School Year Incidents
Identified by
National School Safety and Security Services,
Inc.*
Cleveland, Ohio
Note:
This page and the work represented herein is
copy-protected and reflects the proprietary
in-house research conducted by National
School Safety and Security Services. It may
not be reproduced or otherwise used in any
form without the advanced written permission
of Kenneth S. Trump, President of National
School Safety and Security Services.
* School-related deaths, school
shootings, and school crisis incidents have
been identified through print and electronic
news sources, professional contacts, and
other nationwide sources, by Kenneth S.
Trump, President, National School Safety and
Security Services, Inc. (Cleveland, Ohio).
This is not presented as an exhaustive list
or as a scientific study. Additional
incidents may be added pending review of
additional items on file and new information
received during the course of the school
year.
For purposes of this listing, the 2008-2009 school year is considered to be from August 1, 2008, through July 31, 2009. In addition to school-related violent deaths, this page provides a sample of school shootings that did not result in death and a sample of other incidents of school-related crime, violence, and crisis situations.
For purposes of
this monitoring report, school-related
violent deaths are homicides, suicides, or
other violent, non-accidental deaths in the
United States in which a fatal injury
occurs:
1) inside a
school, on school property, on or
immediately around (and associated with) a
school bus, or in the immediate area (and
associated with) a K-12 elementary or
secondary public, private, or parochial
school;
2) on the way to
or from a school for a school session;
3) while
attending, or on the way to or from, a
school-sponsored event;
4) as a clear result of school-related incidents/conflicts, functions, activities, regardless of whether on or off actual school property;
Identified School-Related Violent Deaths: 2008-2009 School Year
Total Deaths: 6
Breakdown
by Type:
Shooting:
4
Suicides:
1
Murder-Suicide: 0
Fight-Related: 0
Stabbing: 1
Other: 0
August 14, 2008: Federal Way, WA
A 26-year-old male was shot in the head
outside of a middle school where he was
picking up his girlfriend's son from
football practice. A 16-year-old male
was subsequently arrested. The
drive-by shooting incident occurred around
8:20pm in the school parking lot where there
were about 15 to 20 persons present.
August 21, 2008: Knoxville, TN
A 15-year-old male high school student was
shot in the chest and killed around 8:10am
in the school's cafeteria. Another
15-year-old male student was taken into
custody about six minutes later on a street
near the school. Police indicated that
the two males knew each other. The
school was locked down, and classes were
later canceled with students bused to a
nearby church for parent reunification.
September 5, 2008: Milwaukee, WI
A 15-year-old was stabbed in the head with a
screwdriver and subsequently died. The
stabbing occurred several blocks from her
high school following an altercation at the
high school that was disrupted by school
security and other staff. The two
groups got into separate vehicles and left
the area, with the altercation continuing
several blocks from the school. The
victim was stabbed in the head with a
screwdriver at later died at the hospital.
An 18-year-old was arrested and a
19-year-old was being sought by police.
October 16, 2008: Detroit, MI
A 16-year-old male high school student was
shot and killed on the lawn of a Pre-K to
second grade primary school next to the high
school. Three other students were shot
and hospitalized with serious injuries.
Three males were later arrested. The
incident reportedly stemmed from ongoing
fights and conflicts at the high school.
October 21, 2008: Indianapolis, IN
A 15-year-old male high school student's
dead body was found on a tennis court
outside of the high school around 7:45am.
The male reportedly committed suicide.
November 12, 2008: Ft. Lauderdale, FL
A 15-year-old female high school student was
shot and died. Another 15-year-old
female student was arrested. The
victim reportedly collapsed following an
argument with the suspect in the hallway
around 11:00am.
-----------------------------------------------------------
Sample of
Reported
School-Related Shootings Not Resulting in
Deaths in 2008-2009
A sample of school-related shootings occurring nationwide in the 2008-2009 school year not resulting in death is listed below. It should be noted that this is only a sample and and is not intended to include all of the many incidents involving firearms confiscated but not used, and other weapons possession or use that occur in U.S. schools. List includes individuals shot but not killed and firearms discharged in schools, on school campuses and buses, at school-sponsored events, to and from school involving students, and as a clear result of school-related incidents/conflicts.
Total non-death shooting incidents listed to date: 7
August 27, 2008: Charlotte, NC
A 16-year-old male high school student was
shot twice, once in the hip and once in the
leg, while walking with a friend blocks from
the school. About 20 witnesses
reportedly fled the area. The victim's
injuries were reportedly
non-life-threatening.
August 29, 2008: Portland, OR
Suspected gang members fired five or six
shots while around 7:15pm near a park next
to a high school where school football games
were being held. About 15 police
officers were on hand and observed the group
of individuals flashing gang signs. As
two officers approached the group, the shots
were fired. No one was injured.
September 2, 2008: Willoughby, OH
A 15-year-old male high school student was
arrested after firing a gun in the school's
hallway and then once again at a trophy case
around 9:30am. The student then put
the gun to his head but was talked out of
taking his own life by the principal,
assistant principal and a teacher. The
school was locked down and then later
evacuated, according to reports.
Police indicated the male had a .40-caliber
gun with 31 rounds of ammunition in a duffel
bag.
September 2, 2008: Pueblo, CO
A 17-year-old male high school student was
shot in the knee by a 17-year-old shooter
who fired six rounds in the area of the
victim and his friends. The incident
occurred several blocks from the school
during a lunch hour around 12:15pm.
The shooter reportedly was upset over an
ex-girlfriend.
September 18, 2008: Park Forest, IL
A 41-year-old male allegedly fired a shotgun
after students exited a school bus coming
from a high school and fought. One
student went into the house and the adult
male came out with a gun in his waistband,
according to reports, and then produced and
fired the shotgun. The incident
occurred around 3:30pm.
September 19, 2008: Los Angeles, CA
A 19-year-old male and a 12-year-old female
were shot and seriously wounded around
6:00pm in a high school parking lot after a
football game on campus.
The male was shot in the pelvis, lower body
and buttocks, and the female was shot in the
chest and left leg, according to reports.
October 16, 2008: Detroit, MI
Three other students were shot and hospitalized with serious injuries.
A 16-year-old male high school student was
shot and killed on the lawn of a Pre-K to
second grade primary school next to the high
school. Three males were later arrested.
The incident reportedly stemmed from ongoing
fights and conflicts at the high school.
----------------------------------------------------------
Sample of
Other Reported Higher-Profile
School Crime, Violence, and Crisis Incidents
in 2008-2009
Total incident listing to date: 12
August 1, 2008: Ardmore, AL
A 16-year-old male high school student was
arrested and police found pictures of a mass
shooting, and a list of students and
teachers to kill. The male reportedly
had five swords and was trying to recruit
others to carry out the plot, which included
burning a teacher alive according to
reports.
August 5, 2008: Nashville, TN
Police were called to a high school student
orientation after five or six fights broke
out. The fights reportedly stemmed
from conflicts which had occurred over the
summer.
August 12, 2008: Grand Rapids, MN
Two 12-year-olds were taken into custody
after a parent saw plots for a school
shooting at a middle school on one of the
males MySpace web page.
August 27, 2008: Dade City, FL
A 16-year-old male student was taken into
custody for plotting a shooting spree at his
school. The male reportedly mapped out
shooting areas on a school map he had taken
from one of his classrooms. He also
reportedly had threats posted on his MySpace
web site.
August 28, 2008: San Jose, CA
A 16-year-old male high school was attacked
by three males and stabbed while walking
home from school.
September 2, 2008: New York, NY
An 18-year-old male Brooklyn High School
student was reportedly stabbed in the left
side during a fight a couple blocks away
from the school.
September 3, 2008: Las Vegas, NV
A 17-year-old male high school student was
arrested after police saw a BB gun in his
car while doing routine checks of the
property. The male subsequently
admitted to having a rifle in the trunk,
which he said he used for target practice.
The gun was reportedly unloaded. The
male was arrested and charged.
September 4, 2008: San Diego, CA
A 16-year-old high school student was
repeatedly stabbed while in a school
restroom. Police were investigating
the incident as gang-related.
September 5, 2008: Boca Raton, FL
A high school football game was delayed for
about 15 minutes in the fourth quarter after
two people were injured in a shooting nearby
the game. No fans or players were
hurt.
September 8, 2008: Cleveland, OH
A eastside high school was put on lockdown
following threats of shooting tip that had
been given to the county prosecutor.
September 10, 2008: Santa Ana, CA
A 13-year-old male, who was picking up his
sister at her high school, was shot and
killed nearby the school as students walked
home. The male was reportedly
approached and asked what gang he belonged
to, and then shot when he did not answer.
One 16-year-old and one 18-year-old were
subsequently arrested. Police reported
that the victim and the two suspects
allegedly had gang ties.
October 3, 2008: Chicago, IL
A fight that started inside a high school
around noon spilled over into the streets
outside of the school and resulted in 24
arrests.