SCHOOL-RELATED DEATHS, SCHOOL SHOOTINGS, & SCHOOL VIOLENCE INCIDENTS
2007-2008 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 2007-2008 school year is considered to be from August 1, 2007, through July 31, 2008. 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: 2007-2008 School Year
Total Deaths: 16
Breakdown by Type:
- Shooting: 8
- Suicides: 4
- Murder-Suicide: 0
- Fight-Related: 2
- Stabbing: 2
- Other: 0
October 10, 2007: Cleveland, OH
A 14-year-old male student at a special academy for achieving students shot two teachers and two students, and then killed himself, at the school. The shooter had been suspended the day before for fighting with another student.
October 15, 2007: Columbus, OH
A 29-year-old male father of a fifth-grade student died from injuries received during a fight with another father outside of their children’s elementary school the prior week. The two fathers, who came to the school for disciplinary hearings for their two children, encountered each other in the parking lot and began fighting, according to reports. The victim reportedly hit his head on the ground during the fight.
November 5, 2007: River Ridge, LA
A 13-year-old male eighth-grader shot himself in a suicide attempt just before the start of classes at a private Christian school. He died the next morning, according to news reports.
December 21, 2007: Union City, CA
A 14-year-old male middle school student was shot and died on campus after a fight broke out between groups of African-American and Hispanic students. Shots were fired and the victim ran onto campus, collapsed, and died.
January 8, 2008: Springdale, MD
An 18-year-old female high school student was shot in a drive-by shooting as she walked home from her high school. She later died. A 17-year-old student walking with her was shot in the buttocks, and a 36-year-old driver of a vehicle in the area was also struck but not seriously injured, according to reports.
January 18, 2008: Hempstead, NY
A 15-year-old male high school student was stabbed while playing handball on the high school’s athletic court around 3:30pm after school dismissed. Initial police reports were that the victim and his 16-year-old friend were ambushed by non-students.
February 4, 2008: Gardner, KS
A 16-year-old male high school student with a heart ailment died after an after-school fight. The victim and another 16-year-old fought as four other youth watched, one videotaping the incident on his cell phone. The victim was later found dead in the yard of his home. The victim reportedly had been a victim of bullying for an extended period of time.
February 12, 2008: Oxnard, CA
A 15-year-old male junior high school student was shot in the head by a 14-year-old male student around 8:30am while in a computer lab classroom. The victim later died. Subsequent reports indicate that victim was killed because he was openly gay.
February 15, 2008: Las Vegas, NV
A 15-year-old male high school student was shot and killed in a drive-by shooting about 200 yards from school while walking home after school dismissal around 1:45pm.
March 6, 2008: Mobile, AL
An 18-year-old suspended male high school student committed suicide in front of about 150 students gathered in an assembly in the school’s gym around 10:00am.
March 7, 2008: Chicago, IL
An 18-year-old male high school student was shot and killed nearby the school about 10 minutes after school dismissal. A 15-year-old male was arrested and charged with the murder. The suspect is a gang-member, according to reports. The victim had been approached outside of the school by a group but reportedly told them he did not want to be a part of any violence. The incident reportedly stemmed from an ongoing dispute, according to later reports.
March 13, 2008: Washington, DC
A 23-year-old male was shot and killed on the steps to an elementary school around 5:30pm after a male walked up to the victim and a group of others and started shooting. A shot went through the double entry doors to the school. Students involved in an after-school program were locked down according to the school’s crisis plan, according to reports.
March 29, 2008: Chicago, IL
An 18-year-old male was shot in a high school parking lot and was pronounced dead at the hospital. He was attending a Saturday school program. Four suspects were taken into custody in connection with the incident.
April 3, 2008: Riverdale, MD
A 15-year-old male high school student was stabbed in the chest while walking home from school and later died. The victim was approached by a male who got out of a car that pulled up to him and an altercation ensued, during which time the stabbing occurred The incident reportedly occurred around 2:40pm just off school grounds after the school had dismissed for the day.
April 14, 2008: Anaheim, CA
A 24-year-old male hanged himself on a fence on campus and was discovered dead by students around 8:00am at their high school. Grief counselors were sent to the school.
April 16, 2008: Fresno, CA
A 17-year-old male high school student was shot and killed by the school resource officer after the student attacked the officer from behind by hitting him in the head with a baseball bat. The police officer fell to the ground and attempted to get his gun from the holster, but the magazine dislodged. The officer retrieved a back-up firearm he carried in an ankle holster and fired at least once at the male, striking and killing him.
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Sample of Reported
School-Related Shootings Not Resulting in Deaths in 2007-2008
A sample of school-related shootings occurring nationwide in the 2007-2008 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: 65
August 10, 2007: St. Gabriel, LA
Two teens were shot at a nighttime “back to school” dance held at a high school. Two suspects were arrested.
August 30, 2007: Las Vegas, NV
Seven students ages 13-16 got into a fight near an elementary school. One had a gun and fired a shot. No one was injured.
August 31, 2007: Orlando, FL
A 16-year-old male was arrested in possession of a 9mm gun and ammo following shots fired in the parking lot of a rival football game, the Citrus Bowl, a prep football game between two rival high schools.
September 3, 2007: Birmingham, AL
Two males, ages 16 and 18, were being held by police in connection with a shooting in the parking lot following a high school football game on Labor Day evening. Four males, ages 17 to 21, were shot in the incident. The suspects were facing charges including four counts of attempted murder, shooting from an occupied vehicle and shooting into an unoccupied vehicle
September 6, 2007: Tulsa, OK
A 16-year-old male high school student was arrested in connection with the firing of a gun twice and then bringing the gun into the school. The male reportedly first it once in the air and once in the ground away from the school. A woman followed the car to the school where they went inside, and later notified police. The school was locked down and the male eventually located, and the gun was found in a locker. Two 16-year-olds were subsequently arrested.
September 7, 2007: Alorton, IL
A male student was arrested in connection with a shooting in a parking lot at an alternative school around 7:40am. A car with four males reportedly pulled into the school’s parking lot, two males got out, and two shots were fired at a group of four other males standing in front of the school. No one was injured.
September 13, 2007: Battle Creek, MI
Five shots were fired at a school bus around 4:20pm. Four of the five shots hit the bus. Around 30 students were on board the bus at the time. No one was injured. Police believe the shooters may have been gang members.
September 14, 2007: Maple Heights, OH
Over 100 youth fought in a high school parking lot as a school football team was preparing for a game. Police responded and the youth carried the fight a block away, according to reports, where two youth were shot.
September 17, 2007: Willingboro, NJ
An elementary school was locked down for around two hours after an unidentified male came onto school property and shot at the school building, striking it several times, while children were inside. No one was injured.
September 18, 2007: Greenwood Village, CO
A window in a high school security office was damaged after being shot with a shotgun around 1:00am and the main entrance was later struck by two shotgun blasts. No one was injured.
September 25 2007: Chester, PA
A 17-year-old male was shot once in the thigh after a fight that started inside a high school spilled over outside as the male tried to leave the school. Six .380-caliber gun shells were found outside the school, according to police. A conflict between students from two rival neighborhoods spilled over into the school causing the fight, according to police.
September 27, 2007: Ferriday, MS
Two teens were arrested for allegedly pulling guns and firing one round at a group of students at a junior high after regular school hours around 7:45pm. No one was injured in the incident.
September 27, 2007: Groveport, OH
A high school was put into lockdown after a shot was fired through the roof of the school bus garage. A male came into the bus garage, called out the name of an employee, and then pulled out a .44-caliber gun on the employee. The gun went off during a struggle between the two men.
September 28, 2007: Oroville, CA
A 17-year-old male armed high school student held a drama class hostage, firing shots and holding three of the students hostage for more than an hour. Police talked the male into surrendering. No one was injured. The male originally took about 30 students and a substitute teacher hostage, but let the majority go after talking with police negotiators.
October 8, 2007: Richmond, CA
A 15-year-old male was shot in the foot in a drive-by shooting while walking to his high school in the morning.
October 10, 2007: Cleveland, OH
A 14-year-old male student at a special academy for achieving students shot two teachers and two students, and then killed himself, at the school. The shooter had been suspended the day before for fighting with another student.
October 13, 2007: Portland, OR
A 16-year-old high school junior, along with an 18-year-old male non-student, were shot after a high school dance. The shooter allegedly jumped out of a car and opened fire into a crowd of about 50 teens after the dance, according to reports. Police reportedly believe the victims were the intended targets and that the incident was gang-related.
October 18, 2007: Brazil, IN
A gunshot was fired through an elementary school cafeteria window around 12:45pm. No students were injured. A school custodian was hit by glass that shattered. There were no known suspects at the time of the initial report.
October 24, 2007: Memphis, TN
A 15-year-old male high school student was arrested in connection with a gun accidentally discharging and shooting another student in the arm during class at the school, according to reports.
October 24, 2007: Saginaw, MI
A 16-year-old male was shot in the neck and three others were also wounded in a shooting across the street from a middle school during halftime for a school football game. A 15-year-old male was subsequently arrested.
November 5, 2007: San Jacinto, CA
A 13-year-old male middle school student shot himself in the head around 12:50pm while his mother was on campus for parent-teacher conferences. The school had let out early around 11:00am due to the conferences.
November 6, 2007: Miami, FL
A male high school teacher was shot during an attempted robbery while he was standing across the street from school taking a cigarette break with another teacher during lunch. The victim was shot in the upper torso and was in critical condition. Police arrested a 19-year-old and another male in an apartment complex across from the school, and others were also taken into custody, according to reports.
November 7, 2007: Los Angeles, CA
Venice High School was locked down for less than an hour as police searched for suspects who were believed to have fled in two vehicles after a shooting at the school around 3:00pm while the school was still in session. No one was injured.
November 15, 2007: Memphis, TN
A 22-year-old male was arrested after allegedly firing a gun at a school resource officer who pursued him after encountering the male trespassing around 11:00am at the high school campus where the officer was assigned. The male was apprehended by police and charged with multiple offenses.
November 15, 2007: St. Louis, MO
An 18-year-old male student in a special program to help school dropouts get a high school diploma was shot in the neck while sitting in car around 8:20am in front of the school building where he attended the program. Two men in a vehicle reportedly from which multiple shots were fired, one which struck the victim. Two area high schools locked down during the investigation.
November 20, 2007: Nashville, TN
Two males, ages 16 and 19, were shot outside of a high school where an evening basketball tournament was being held.
November 20, 2007: Beaufort, SC
Several shots were reportedly fired at a high school during a basketball scrimmage game around 7:10pm. One person was reportedly wounded and taken to the hospital.
November 26, 2007: Cherry Hill, NJ
Two males, one teen and one adult, were shot after a male reportedly entered a recreation center that is part of an elementary school and fired a gun around 7:55pm as a number of youth played basketball. The teen was shot in the stomach and the adult was shot in the buttocks, according to reports.
November 26, 2007: Holland Patent, NY
A 17-year-old male high school student was arrested for allegedly intentionally firing a gun on a school bus that passed between two students and hit a seat in front of them. No one was injured. The incident happened around 11:00am as students left the high school to go to a BOCES school site. A 16-year-old male had been removed moments before under suspicion that he had the gun.
November 27, 2007: Hartford, CT
Shots were allegedly fired from a car after an altercation between individuals in the car and a group of students walking to their high school around 7:30am. No one was injured.
November 28, 2007: San Pablo, CA
A 6-year-old first grader received minor wounds to her stomach after being struck by a bullet fired from a distance while students played on the playground of the elementary school. Police said the shots were not fired at the school.
December 3, 2007: Aberdeen, SD
A teen male accidentally shot himself in the arm and drove himself to the high school on his snowmobile to seek help about 10 minutes after school let out, according to reports. He was treated by the school nurse and taken to the hospital. Some people thought there had been a shooting at the school, according to reports.
December 7, 2007: Bakersfield, CA
Police arrested a 14-year-old male alleged gang member for shooting at a junior high school. One bullet struck a sign and the other hit an office window, resulting in a student being injured from the shattered glass. The junior high and an elementary school went into lockdown.
December 11, 2007: Las Vegas, NV
Six youth were shot after high school students got off their school bus at its stop in the neighborhood around 2:00pm. An 18-year-old male and a 17-year-old were both shot in the stomach and had been in critical condition, according to reports. Four others were reportedly treated and released at the hospital for gunshots injuries to their arms and legs. Initial reports indicated the altercation stemmed from a fight over a girl earlier in the day at the school.
December 11, 2007: Oakland, CA
Three teens, two age 16 and one age 14, were shot after a basketball game at a high school. The victims were with a group walking behind the high school when a car pulled up and fired at the group.
December 14, 2007: Nashville, TN
School officials canceled a Friday high school basketball game after rumors of a gang-related violence.
December 20, 2007: St. Louis, MO
An 18-year-old male student at an alternative school accidentally shot himself after pulling out a gun in front of a group of friends a block and one-half away from the school. His friends reportedly took him to school. He initially claimed someone shot him. Police found the gun away from the school. The school had gone into lockdown while authorities initially searched for the gun.
January 8, 2008: Springdale, MD
An 18-year-old female high school student was shot in a drive-by shooting as she walked home from her high school. She later died. A 17-year-old student walking with her was shot in the buttocks, and a 36-year-old driver of a vehicle in the area was also struck but not seriously injured, according to reports.
January 8, 2008: Ashville, NC
A 16-year-old male fired two to four rounds from a gun after walking into the center of a high school looking for someone around 3:30pm. No one was injured. The male was later captured in Knoxville, TN.
January 11, 2008: Indianapolis, IN
A 17-year-old female and a 24-year-old male were shot after a series of disruptions in the stands at a high school basketball game in which the conflict inside the school spilled out in the streets where the shooting occurred.
January 15, 2008: Warr Acres, OK
A 17-year-old male was shot three times while sitting in his car in a high school parking lot after a basketball game. The bullets reportedly stuck him in the leg, back, and head. Police initially believed the incident may have been gang-related.
January 16, 2008: Charlotte, NC
An 18-year-old male charter school student was accidentally shot in the shoulder by a 17-year-old male student who was in a car with three others at the school parking lot. The victim reportedly stopped at the vehicle to talk with those inside when one pulled the gun and accidentally shot the victim.
January 18, 2008: Las Vegas, NV
A 16-year-old student was taken into custody for allegedly shooting at another student outside a high school gym at a school basketball game.
January 18, 2008: Hemet, CA
A 17-year-old was later arrested for firing a gun in the high school parking lot around 8:30pm during an altercation with his ex-girlfriend’s new boyfriend following a basketball game.
January 22, 2008: Chicago, IL
An off-duty Chicago police officer shot a 16-year-old male suspended student after he attempted to enter the high school where the officer was working, set off the metal detector, and a security officer found a gun while patting him down. The suspended student fled and was chased by the officer during which time the officer shot him.
January 22, 2008: Gary, IN
Two teens, age 17 and 18, were arrested for firing shot at a third teen outside of a Career Center school. An unmarked police car and other vehicles in the lot were damaged. A school board meeting was going on inside at the time.
January 22, 2008: Washington, DC
Four 16-year-old students, two males and two females, were struck by bullets fired from a car as they were walking from the school at the end of the school day. Initial reports indicated the victims may have not been the intended victims as the shooters shot into a crowd after words were exchanged with another student.
January 23, 2008: New York, NY
An 18-year-old special education student was shot in the collarbone during an altercation between two groups on a street near his high school around 10:30am. Two police officers driving by saw the two groups arguing and saw the gunman pull out the gun and fire three rounds at the other group. The suspect fled and was pursued by an officer and a sergeant, and the suspect shot at the sergeant before being apprehended by the police. School officials locked down the school. Police said the incident may be gang-related.
January 23, 2008: Charlotte, NC
Several shots were fired at a group during an altercation around 9pm following a high school basketball game.
January 31, 2008: Independence, MO
A teen was shot while in a high school parking lot around 7:25pm during a school basketball game. The victim was reportedly with a group of individuals from Kansas City who left the game early, encountered another group in the parking lot where words were exchanged, and someone from the other group fired into the Kansas City group crowd, striking the victim.
February 4, 2008: Memphis, TN
A 16-year-old male high school student was shot in the leg by another male student during an argument allegedly over rap music while the two were in their first period Algebra class. The victim was taken to the hospital. The suspect was apprehended and the gun was later recovered outside of the school.
February 5, 2008: Cleveland Heights, OH
A high school basketball game was delayed when fights broke out in the stands after some individuals were not allowed in due to the game being oversold. Police cleared the stands of unruly individuals around 7:30pm. Around 8:30pm, shots were fired about a block from the school and a 16-year-old male student was shot in the buttocks.
February 7, 2008: Los Angeles, CA
A young adult male, approximately age 19 or 20, was shot in the shoulder around 10:00pm shortly after watching a high school basketball held on a university campus.
February 8, 2008: Portsmouth, OH
A 53-year-old fifth grade Catholic elementary school teacher was stabbed in front of her children in her classroom around 9:00am by her estranged husband, who also fired a shot from a gun. The husband also allegedly stabbed a woman in an alley away from the school prior to going to the school. He then fled to his home where he committed suicide. The teacher had filed for divorce in January.
February 11, 2008: Memphis, TN
A 19-year-old male high school student was shot twice by a 17-year-old male fellow student. The suspect allegedly walked up to the victim and shot him twice while the two were in the gym. The suspect then reportedly gave the gun to a coach and said, “It’s over now.” The incident was said to have started in the community over the weekend. The victim was hospitalized in critical condition. The suspect was charged with attempted first-degree murder.
February 22, 2008: Cleveland, OH
Police reportedly arrested a 15-year-old male for shooting at another male running through a high school’s parking lot around 2:40pm. Bullets reported ricocheted off a tree and broke the glass in a window of a recreation center that attached to the school.
February 25, 2008: Las Vegas, NV
A 16-year-old male high school student was shot while walking from his school to pick up his brother at the brother’s middle school. A group reportedly jumped out of a car and attacked the victim and three to five shots were fired during the altercation. The incident happened about three blocks from the middle school and about 10 minutes after the middle school had dismissed.
February 28, 2008: Miami, FL
A male high school student was shot in an altercation north of the high school around 5:00pm. The shooter and one other person fled in a vehicle, which was stopped about 15 blocks away by police and the two were taken into custody.
March 15, 2008: Las Vegas, NV
A 15-year-old male high school student was shot while walking home from school. A nearby elementary was dismissing at the time of the shooting. The victim was taken to the hospital. The incident may have been gang-related.
March 15, 2008: Anaheim, CA
A male teen was shot around 3:00pm outside of a junior high school about 45 minutes after school dismissed but with around 200 students still inside for after school activities. The school was locked down and police later assisted uniting students with parents. The victim was transported to the hospital. Police reportedly believe the incident was gang-related.
March 17, 2008: Brooklyn, NY
Police were investigating a shooting that took place outside of an all-girls Jewish school around 2:00pm. Shots were fired and at least one went inside an occupied classroom, but no one was hurt according to reports.
March 31, 2008: Hayward Acres, CA
A 16-year-old male high school student was shot in the leg while in his high school restroom. A 17-year-old male was arrested in connection with allegedly bringing a gun to school in association with the incident.
April 9, 2008: Kensington, MD
Five boys and one girl, ages 14 to 17, were arrested in connection with a gun accidentally discharging while being handled in a boys’ restroom at a high school. At least three guns were being passed around when the one gun discharged around 11:30am. The males were reportedly going to sell guns and the incident was believed to be gang-related. The school was locked down and searched, and students were kept in school until around 4:00pm. At least one gun was reportedly stolen and other weapons, including nunchucks and knives, were also found.
April 23, 2008: Atlantic City, NJ
An 18-year-old male student at an alterative school for 7th through 12th graders was shot in the leg following an argument outside the school.
April 23, 2008: Linden, NJ
A 10-year-old male fourth-grader fired one shot from a .380-caliber semi-automatic gun by accident while in the second floor classroom closet of his school around 3:15pm.
April 24, 2008: Omaha, NE
A 14-year-old male middle school student was shot at random during a middle school soccer game by a bullet fired from within the community. The victim was struck in the mouth and suffered serious, but not life-threatening, injuries according to reports.
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Sample of Other Reported Higher-Profile
School Crime, Violence, and Crisis Incidents in 2007-2008
Total incident listing to date: 86
August 4, 2007: Keizer, OR
Four 15-year-old males and one 13-year-old male were arrested and charged in connection with an alleged plot to threaten their high school with a bomb when classes started in the fall. The plot was discovered when police arrested the five youths after a break-in at their high school where they allegedly stole chemicals such as ammonium hydroxide and sodium hydroxide, chemicals reportedly cited in publications on how to build bombs
August 21, 2007: Locust Grove, GA
A male high school student who claimed he was stabbed outside of his portable classroom by two assailants later was reportedly determined to have allegedly stabbed himself. School officials had locked down the high school and nearby middle and elementary schools as police searched for the initially reported assailants. The victim was life-flighted to a hospital and was in stable condition.
August 22, 2007: Atwater, CA
Eleven students were arrested following a 7:30am brawl involving two groups of students who were shouting epithets and accusing each other of being gang members. Police said none arrested were documented gang members.
August 23, 2007: Indianapolis, IN
Seven high school students were arrested after a 7:20am fight in the cafeteria. School police said the males were yelling “north side” and “east side,” and throwing gang signs in the cafeteria.
August 27, 2007: Encinitas, CA
A father was arrested after getting into an altercation with a school staff member who was monitoring dismissal traffic at a Christian school. The male reportedly was in the wrong area and got into an argument with the school staff member, who claimed the father threatened to run her over and hit her hit with the car.
August 28, 2007: Coral Springs, FL
A 17-year-old male high school student was stabbed, receiving a wound on his upper left thigh and another on his lower abdomen. A suspect was taken into custody. Police believed the victim had an argument with a girl and was stabbed by the girl’s brother.
August 28, 2007: Pontiac Township, MI
Three high school students were taken into custody after six guns were found in a book bag near a locker.
August 29, 2007: Houston, TX
Seventeen large yellow school buses were stolen over the past several months from Houston area charter schools, private bus companies, and business schools.
September 6, 2007: Leavenworth, KS
A bomb exploded in second-floor assistant principal’s office at North Broadway Education Center. No one was injured. Police were investigating.
September 7, 2007: Trenton, NJ
Two emailed bomb threats sent to the district’s central office caused school officials to evacuate all 32 of its school sites, some for up to an hour.
September 11, 2007: Marietta, GA
A 15-yer-old male high school student was arrested after accidentally stabbing his sister while she and another female student were fighting in the cafeteria.
September 12, 2007: Fremont, CA
A 10th-grade male high school student was stabbed once in the chest and once in the arm in what appeared to be a gang-related incident near the rear of the school around 3:45pm.
September 13, 2007: Rock Hill, NC
A total of 15 students were arrested after an early morning fight in the main hallway of a high school around 8:20am. Police believe the incident may be gang-related.
September 14, 2007: San Jose, CA
An altercation between two students resulted in the stabbing of one student by the other at the high school.
September 14, 2007: La Palma Park, CA
A 16-year-old male was standing by a fence at a high school football game when he was approached by two men and stabbed repeatedly. He was taken to a hospital and was in critical condition.
September 14, 2007: Fort Worth, TX
A 16-year-old male was arrested after a campus police officer removed an explosive device from his backpack. The device was reportedly a small metal container, a cylinder that resembled a cigar tube, holding powder apparently extracted from shotgun shells. Police said the device lacked an ignition source. Several students had told a teacher about the student being in possession of something harmful in his backpack, and the teacher told the school resource officer who confronted the student.
September 19, 2007: Emerson, NJ
Twelve northern New Jersey schools closed after a letter threatening to blow up the schools at 11:30am was received. Police and dogs searched over 60 schools.
September 21, 2007: Beaumont, TX
Two male, non-students ran through a high school around noon after a confrontation at an apartment complex near the school where one of the males shot the other in the stomach. The victim fled and ran into the school, with the other male in pursuit. The building went into lockdown and no students were injured.
September 21, 2007: Orlando, FL
A 17-year-old female high school senior was arrested and charged with attempted murder after allegedly stabbing a classmate with a switchblade and beating two other students with a pipe as they walked to their bus stop. The suspect was located and arrested at her school.
September 25, 2007: Canton, PA
Schools were shut down for the remainder of the week due to threats made by what the superintendent described as five males. Two males, ages 15 and 16, were arrested as of this report and the investigation was ongoing.
September 27, 2007: Vancouver, WA
Fourteen (14) students were temporarily expelled after a large high school altercation involving African-American and Hispanic students which some described as having gang overtones.
September 27, 2007: Ventura, CA
Five alleged gang members, all expelled from a high school, were arrested for trespassing after returning and reportedly attacking members of a rival gang around 7:45am.
September 28, 2007: Houston, TX
A 12-year-old female middle school student, who had been suspended earlier in the day for threatening teachers returned to the school with a 9mm gun loaded with 14 rounds and wearing a bandana. The girl reportedly pointed the gun at a coach but was talked down by several adults. The school was in lockdown for about 15 minutes.
September 28, 2007: Munster, IN
Classes for the following Monday were shut down by school officials at a Catholic school due to potential safety concerns associated with a funeral of a gang member being held at the funeral home next to the school.
September 28, 2007: Janesville, WI
A male and a female high school student were walking near a high school after an evening school football game when a main approached them, pulled a knife, and demanded money. He forced them to a park, ordered the male student to leave, and then raped the female student. The male student called the police by cell phone.
October 4, 2007: Raytown, MO
Two schools were locked down after a police chase that involved gunfire occurred.
October 4, 2007: Akron, OH
A 16-year-old male was arrested for allegedly stabbing his father several times with a steak knife following a verbal altercation while his father was in the parking lot to pick up his son at his high school
October 5, 2007: Pierce County, WA
A high school was locked down after someone fired shots at an unoccupied vehicle parked north of the school. No one was injured.
October 5, 2007: Dumas, AR
A 10-year-old male stole a school bus from a bus depot around 11pm and led police on a high speed chase across three counties.
October 5, 2007: Ashville, NC
School officials had 20 police and metal detectors at a rival football game due to concerns of potential gang activity following a gang-related shooting which seriously injured a 12-year-old earlier in the week in the community.
October 10, 2007: Plymouth Meeting, PA
A 14-year-old male was arrested for planning a Columbine-like attack and stockpiling a mass of weapons. Police reportedly found a 9mm semi-auto firearm, .22-caliber handgun, .22-caliber rifle, .32 caliber handgun, bomb-making instructions, videos of the Columbine attack, and other items. Police subsequently arrested the boy’s 46-year-old mother for buying some of the weapons for her 14-year-old. A student and his father reportedly notified police when they learned of the plan.
October 15, 2007: Cleveland, OH
A 13-year-old female K-8 school student was arrested after a school security officer confiscated a five-page note that listed teachers and a student the female wanted to shoot. Police found a gun at the house of an aunt and uncle where the girl lives. The girl claimed to be the girlfriend of the male who shot two teachers and two students, and then killed himself, at a Cleveland school the week before this incident.
October 17, 2007: Otay Mesa, CA
A 17-year-old male was arrested in connection with the stabbing of a 16-year-old male high school student during a fight across the street from the school around 1:30pm. The incident reportedly was over a girl. The victim was said to have a stab wound to the shoulder and one of the hand.
October 18, 2007: Downey, CA
A 19-year-old male was reportedly stabbed and carjacked in a high school parking lot while visiting friends there around 4:00pm. The suspects were reported to be a male and a female teen, both being non-students at that school.
October 26, 2007: Tulsa, OK
Police arrested an adult male who told a suicide counseling that he wanted to shoot up a high school about 20 minutes or so outside of Tulsa. The male was taken into custody for a mental exam.
October 26, 2007: Portsmouth, VA
A high school was locked down for over an hour following a call made to police that claimed there was a person with a gun inside the school. No such person was ever located.
October 26, 2007: Round Rock, TX
A 17-year-old male high school student arrested after he was found to have nine knives at the school. The largest was six and three-quarters inches long.
October 29, 2007: Peachtree City, GA
A 16-year-old female high school student, and a 15-year-old former student who was home-schooled at the time, were arrested in connection with threats posted on MySpace.com which indicated they wanted to shoot people at the school.
October 31, 2007: El Paso, TX
A 15-year-old male high school student was arrested for allegedly stabbing a 17-year-old fellow male student with a knife during a fight in art class.
November 7, 2007: Medina County, OH
Cloverleaf High School was closed for the day after school officials found two graffiti threats on two bathroom walls. Police dogs searched the school and the school was monitored by law enforcement.
November 9, 2007: Lehigh Acres, FL
A 13-year-old male middle school student was charged in connection with the stabbing of another 13-year-old male student after a basketball game at the school. The victim was stabbed in his leg, side, and shoulder according to reports.
November 10, 2007: Baltimore, MD
Twenty-two girls from eight different schools were arrested in a brawl after a high school football game.
November 14, 2007: Hempstead, NY
Two armed felons with arrest warrants fled from police in the area of an elementary school. One suspect ran into the school, went into a false ceiling, and dropped down into an empty room.
November 15, 2007: Haverstraw, NY
A 17-year-old female high school student was arrested and charged with attempted murder after stabbing a 16-year-old female student with a 5-inch butcher knife around 2:15pm. Three school security officer received minor cuts while struggling with the suspect.
November 29, 2007: Sarasota, FL
Police responded to a high school after a student reported seeing a male on campus with a gun. After their arrival, police heard a noise they thought was gunfire, but turned out not to be the case. The school was put in lockdown as police searched the campus.
November 29, 2007: Bensalem, PA
A 15-year-old high school student was stabbed in the stomach with a pair of scissors around 1:30pm and had to be taken to the hospital. The school locked down. News helicopters flew above the school and the surrounding streets flooded with cars from concerned parents, according to reports.
December 4, 2007: Colorado Springs, CO
Students reported a suspicious man in the high school parking lot. A school resource officer (SRO) attempted to question him but he refused to answer, drove off fast, and hit a tree. The officer told him to turn off the car and he moved to the glove compartment, at which time the officer used a Taser on him. A knife was found in the car.
December 5, 2007: Cedar Rapids, IA
A 14-year-old male was arrested and later adjudicated for a Columbine-style plot to shoot individuals at his middle school.
December 20, 2007: Topeka, KS
A high school police officer was attacked, receiving cuts to his back and face, while escorting a female non-student out of the school to take to a juvenile facility. Two 16-year-old males, one student and one former student, were taken into custody.
December 20, 2007: Detroit, MI
An elementary-middle school was evacuated after receiving multiple threats.
January 8, 2008: Cleveland, OH
A male high school teacher received three broken bones in his neck and facial injuries after being attacked while trying to break up a fight.
January 9, 2008: Reading, PA
Three high school students, ages 14, 15, and 16, were stabbed by another student who also attempted to hold school administrators at bay with a propane canister.
January 11, 2008: Newark, OH
A sophomore stabbed a junior during a fight on campus around 7:30am. Two assistant principals and a school resource officer broke up the altercation. The victim was taken to the hospital.
January 16, 2008: Lewisville, TX
A 22-year-old magician was arrested for kidnapping a 9-year-old from an elementary school where he was doing a magic show. He allegedly made her pose in suggestive pictures and videotaped her at a home
January 18, 2008: Elgin, IL
A 16-year-old male high school student was charged for stabbing his 50-year-old female teacher multiple times including in her neck, head, and upper body after running up behind her and throwing a coat over her head while she was in her classroom around 11:15am.
January 22, 2008: Rochester, MN
A 17-year-old male high school student was stabbed while trying to break up a gang-related fight.
January 23, 2008: St. Louis County, MO
A teenager ran into an elementary school office seeking help after having been shot while out on the street around 12:45pm. The school locked down and police responded.
January 29, 2008: Belleville, MI
School officials cancelled “Spirit Week” and a winter homecoming dance after fears of violence following a series of fights. The school also rescheduled basketball games after rumors of gang violence.
January 30, 2008: Cleveland, OH
A riot that escalated from two girls fighting occurred at a Cleveland middle school. A teacher was injured by a thrown book and 18 students were arrested.
January 30, 2008: Cleveland, OH
A fight spilled out into the streets after an altercation between two male students, ages 15 and 17, at a charter school academy around 11:15am. Two males, ages 16 and 18, jumped in according to police. All four were arrested.
February 1, 2008: Austin, TX
A 7-year-old male student died after he was found hanging by his shirt on a hook in a dress room. Police are investigating the cause of the death.
February 5, 2008: Grand Rapids, MI
Three females were arrested after a fight involving 10 to 12 females broke out in the stands of a high school basketball game and spilled onto the floor.
February 6, 2008: Los Angeles, CA
A masked male, estimated in the age range of 12 to 14 years old, reportedly went into an elementary school office with a semi-automatic handgun, waved his arms at administrators, and fled the building. The school locked down and students were later kept inside and away from the playground. The suspect was not apprehended.
February 15, 2008: Delray Beach, FL
A 14-year-old male high school student was arrested for calling police and falsely telling them that there were four armed gunmen on campus. The false call, made anonymously by the student, caused the school to go into lockdown and drew alarmed parents for several hours.
February 27, 2008: Reading, PA
Police reported up to 1,500 students in the streets with some throwing rocks and bottles hitting parked cars, and a police captain getting stitches are being hit in the head with a rock. At least a half-dozen participants were arrested. Police said the incident began with a flag-waving parade after an assembly and other events celebrating the Dominican Republic’s independence day.
March 5, 2008: Trenton, NJ
A 22-year-old male was charged and a 17-year-old male high school student admitted for mental health evaluation in connection with what police described as a “military-style plot” to attack the student’s high school to kill students and teachers. Surveillance reportedly had been done to identify escape routes.
March 5, 2008: Fairfax County, VA
A 17-year-old male high school student was stabbed in the arm in a gang-related attack while walking home from school. Three suspects were subsequently charged.
March 6, 2008: Toledo, OH
A 15-year-old male high school student was arrested for allegedly twice stabbing a 16-year-old fellow male student in the stomach during an altercation in the school’s cafeteria.
March 7, 2008: Belleville, IL
Police took 10 students into custody from a high school fight around 11:00am that started in connection with an argument between two girls at a dance the prior weekend.
March 11, 2008: Long Beach, CA
An elementary school was locked down after a 19-year-old was shot in a suspected gang-related incident near the school.
March 13, 2008: Oklahoma City, OK
A 15-year-old male high school student was stabbed several times by another 15-year-old male high school student during a fight in the high school hallway around 10:30am.
March 28, 2008: New York, NY
An 18-year-old male was stabbed in the shoulder in the basement of a Brooklyn high school. The school was locked down. The male was taken to the hospital.
March 28, 2008: Woodbridge, VA
A 17-year-old male was stabbed in the parking lot of a high school following a basketball game. Another 17-year-old male was arrested. A police officer was also injured during the fight. The youth was taken to the hospital by helicopter with non-life-threatening injuries.
March 31, 2008: Reno, NV
A middle school was locked down for more than two hours as police as police found a rifle and a shotgun in the trash cans at the school around 11am. Police later reported they believed the guns may have been stolen in a residential burglary and stashed in the school trash cans.
April 1, 2008: Waycross, GA
A group of up to nine male and female third graders reportedly were involved in planning to kill their teacher. Individuals involved brought broken steak knives, handcuffs and other items to the school. Police reported that the plot contained specific roles were certain participants. No one was injured.
April 3, 2008: Cleveland, OH
Police responded to a charter school for a “hit list” that included plans to blow up the school, according to reports. While police were at the school, security officers told them they saw a student hide a gun near the school. Police went to a nearby house and found a loaded handgun.
April 4, 2008: Norristown, PA
Two teachers struggled with a student who had a gun in his coat after they escorted him to his locker to search for the gun. The student fled but later turned himself in to police. Teachers violated the school’s security policy and risked being shot, but had good intentions, according to the superintendent.
April 10, 2008: Tulsa, OK
A fight involving several girls escalated into a brawl involving around 20 people at a high school. The school resource officer called for back-up and about 15 cars responded. Police were investigating if the incident was gang-related.
April 17, 2008: Denver, CO
Police reportedly arrested seven juveniles and one adult in connection with a fight that involved over 50 people at a high school.
April 17, 2008: Baltimore, MD
A 14-year-old male middle school student was reportedly stabbed in the neck and back by a 15-year-old male student during an altercation in a first floor hallway of the school around 2:00pm.
April 20, 2008: Chesterfield, SC
An 18-year-old male high school senior was arrested in connection with a plot to conduct a bomb attack on his school. The male reportedly had detailed his plans, which included his suicide, in a journal that included maps of the school. Parents called the police when 10 pounds of ammonium nitrate was delivered to their home and they found their son’s journal.
April 21, 2008: Lansing, IL
A man shot himself near a primary school as high school baseball teams practiced on a field nearby. No students were injured. Coaches took students inside the school and released them to their parents.
April 25, 2008: Churchill, PA
Eight students were suspended and two teachers were injured in a high school fight that began between two girls and subsequently escalated.
April 28, 2008: Houston, TX
A 17-year-old male high school student was stabbed three times by a 44-year-old father who believed the male was involved in a weekend sexual assault on his daughter. The victim was stabbed in the hand, chest and stomach. Subsequent reports indicated the victim was not involved in the weekend incident and was apparently mistaken by the father as having been involved. The father was arrested and.charged with aggravated assault with a deadly weapon.