School shootings in America I've always been interested school shootings and why they occur. Mostly what interests me is how a kid gets the idea of brining a gun to school and shooting people. FIrst of all, how does a 12 year old get a gun? Thanks to the IRA, guns are easily accessible to most people. In fact, if I wanted to get a gun that is capable of killing someone, I actually have 2 to choose from (but they're not mine). Why is it that we never heard about school shootings in other countries? Is it because they have tougher gun laws or a different mentality? Here's a timeline of some recent school shootings in America, this trend is quite disturbing. ---------------------------- March 21, 2005 Red Lake Senior High School, Red Lake, Minnesota Authorities say Jeff Weise, 16, killed his grandfather and his grandfather's girlfriend before driving to Red Lake Senior High School where he killed five students, a teacher and a security guard. Weise fired on police as they entered the building, then retreated to a classroom and shot himself, officials said. September 24, 2003 Rocori High School, Cold Spring, Minnesota Jason McLaughlin, 15, shot and killed Aaron Rollins, 17, and critically injured another student who died of his injuries in October. McLaughlin has been charged as an adult with second-degree murder. April 24, 2003 Red Lion Area Junior High School, Red Lion, Pennsylvania James Sheets, 14, brought three handguns to school and killed Principal Eugene Segro, and then himself in the cafeteria before school. March 5, 2001 Santana High School, Santee, California Charles "Andy" Williams, 15, killed two classmates, a 14-year old and a 17-year old, and injured 13. Williams was sentenced in 2002 to at least 50 years in prison. May 26, 2000 Lake Worth Community Middle School, Lake Worth, Florida Nathaniel Brazill, 13, returned to school after being sent home for misbehaving, and shot and killed his teacher Barry Grunow. Brazill was sentenced to 28 years in prison. February 29, 2000 Buell Elementary School, Mount Morris Township, Michigan An unnamed 6-year old boy shot and killed 6-year old playmate Kayla Rolland at school. He was not charged with a crime, but he was removed from his mother's custody and put up for adoption. November 19, 1999 Deming Middle School, Deming, New Mexico Victor Cordova, 12, shot and killed a 13-year old classmate. He was sentenced to two years in juvenile detention. April 20, 1999 Columbine High School, Littleton, Colorado Eric Harris, 18, and Dylan Klebold, 17, killed 12 fellow students and one teacher before committing suicide in the school library. May 21, 1998 Thurston High School, Springfield, Oregon After killing his parents the previous day, Kip Kinkel, 15, returned to Thurston High School armed with a rifle. He killed two students in the school cafeteria, a 16-year-old and a 17-year-old. He was sentenced to 112 years in prison. March 24, 1998 Westside Middle School, Jonesboro, Arkansas Andrew Golden, 11, and Mitchell Johnson, 13, ambushed fellow students and teachers at their middle school by setting off the fire alarm and shooting people as they exited the building. Four students and one teacher were killed. Golden and Johnson are currently incarcerated in a youth facility, but will be released by their 21st birthdays. ---------------------------- 12 fatal school shootings in 7 years. Average age of the gunman is 13.75-years-old. What were YOUR concerns when you were 13 or 14? I don't think I ever worried about a kid bringing a gun to school. My main concern at the time was improving my hacky-sack skills. Am I gonna have to worry about MY kids when they go to school? I hope not. Will someone start a business selling bullet-proof vests for school children? Probably. Might sound like a crazy idea now, but metal detectors at schools were a crazy idea before as well.