The Original Bamfer
Big, Bald and Beautiful
- Joined
- Feb 16, 2003
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I was reminded today why that mentality has changed. I live in a small town. Four red lights. A nice little tourist attraction because of its autumn leaves and historical background. Recently, a friend's dad committed suicide at a bar. I and a coworker began talking about it and other related events at work today.
At the end of my 8th grade year in Jr. High, over four years ago, each grade was scheduled to go spend the day at the local park. Being the oldest kids in the school, of course, we had already gone. This was the 5th grade's day to go; only two or three days before the school year ended.
That morning, a fifth grader got on the bus with a duffel bag. He asked the bus driver for help lifting it - it was pretty heavy. He did so, asking the kid what he had in the bag. He replied, "Science Project."
He and a few of his friends knew our park well. On the edge of it were trees and bushes, behind, a steep hill into a ditch. They planned to use that area and his "science project" to literally murder all the kids and teachers that pissed them off throughout the year.
Thankfully, one of the accomplices decided he couldn't go through with it and told a teacher. Ironically, the teacher that was on his hit list. While the police were notified, the rest of us were in a school-wide lock down. Most teachers had their homerooms under desks in the darkness. Some of us got a few glimpses out the windows to see parents trying to get to their children, obviously failing. We had no clue what was happening. Our teacher did, though. It was incredibly disturbing to see her, with each phone call, grow more and more upset - more sad than frightened - without us knowing why.
About an hour and half into the homeroom lock down, we were allowed to leave. Police and teachers created a barricade in the hallway so that we were forced to leave through the main entrance.
His bag was filled with all sorts of guns. And while we were locked in our homerooms, he pulled one out in the stall of the men's bathroom and shot himself in the head.
This was no Columbine, obviously. But could it have been? Had he succeeded in his original plan, who knows. I do know that I'm thankful it turned out the way it did rather than the way it could have been.
This happened years ago, but it still managed to affect me by merely discussing it. And it had been a long time since anyone had.
And as school begins, I ask you this: Why would a fifth grade student, probably around eleven years old, be compelled to murder? What would make him think that he had no other way but suicide?
We hear about teen suicide/murder all the time. But eleven?
At the end of my 8th grade year in Jr. High, over four years ago, each grade was scheduled to go spend the day at the local park. Being the oldest kids in the school, of course, we had already gone. This was the 5th grade's day to go; only two or three days before the school year ended.
That morning, a fifth grader got on the bus with a duffel bag. He asked the bus driver for help lifting it - it was pretty heavy. He did so, asking the kid what he had in the bag. He replied, "Science Project."
He and a few of his friends knew our park well. On the edge of it were trees and bushes, behind, a steep hill into a ditch. They planned to use that area and his "science project" to literally murder all the kids and teachers that pissed them off throughout the year.
Thankfully, one of the accomplices decided he couldn't go through with it and told a teacher. Ironically, the teacher that was on his hit list. While the police were notified, the rest of us were in a school-wide lock down. Most teachers had their homerooms under desks in the darkness. Some of us got a few glimpses out the windows to see parents trying to get to their children, obviously failing. We had no clue what was happening. Our teacher did, though. It was incredibly disturbing to see her, with each phone call, grow more and more upset - more sad than frightened - without us knowing why.
About an hour and half into the homeroom lock down, we were allowed to leave. Police and teachers created a barricade in the hallway so that we were forced to leave through the main entrance.
His bag was filled with all sorts of guns. And while we were locked in our homerooms, he pulled one out in the stall of the men's bathroom and shot himself in the head.
This was no Columbine, obviously. But could it have been? Had he succeeded in his original plan, who knows. I do know that I'm thankful it turned out the way it did rather than the way it could have been.
This happened years ago, but it still managed to affect me by merely discussing it. And it had been a long time since anyone had.
And as school begins, I ask you this: Why would a fifth grade student, probably around eleven years old, be compelled to murder? What would make him think that he had no other way but suicide?
We hear about teen suicide/murder all the time. But eleven?