Man bursts into school library shooting... blanks?

[Expatriate]

EDIT: Found some more detailed sources for the story:

http://www.kare11.com/news/national/national_article.aspx?storyid=524222&catid=18

http://www.lehighvalleylive.com/phillipsburg/index.ssf?/base/news-0/1220069114311200.xml&coll=3

Apparently a school district in New Jersey decided to have a drill where a fake "gunman" runs into the school and fires off a bunch of blanks. Of course the kids and teachers didn't know they were blanks and expected to die.

I really wonder if this sort of thing would even be possible if it weren't for "Gun-Free Zones". If I was carrying and saw some asshole shooting at innocent children I wouldn't stop to ask him if they were blanks -- I'd drill him ASAP!

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/26622522/

About 50 teachers at a New Jersey school experienced a terrifying moment when a shooting rampage turned out to be a drill, but the teachers didn't know it.

It happened Aug. 28 at the Phillipsburg New Jersey Early Learning Center.

A man burst into the library and started shooting. But the gun didn't have any bullets, just blanks.

Teachers took cover under child-sized tables, crying and trembling.

"People are crying. The girl next to me is trembling and shaking. You heard people crying. You heard other people praying. It was pretty dramatic," one teacher said.

The school district put the drill in place to test staff readiness.

The Phillipsburg School Board heard from angry teachers and parents Monday night.

The board is reviewing the drill.

 

[Primbs]

No wonder the kids are not getting educated.

 

[RSLudlum]

Yeah, between staged shooters and false student DUI fatalities told to fellow students, I think it may be a little much to expect students to learn in such an environment.

 

[Expatriate]

Here's 2 comments on one of the other links I thought were pretty good:

GA_Pilot wrote:
So they wanted to determine reactions, I could have told them what unarmed people will do when someone is shooting at them.

The response they saw during this drill is the same thing they saw during actual school shootings.

So now that they know that in the case of an active shooter, the teachers will be unable to protect themselves, let alone the kids, what do they do now? That will be the story I want to hear, what does the school district do with the information they have gathered?
9/10/2008 10:11 PM CDT on kare11.com
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davidpaul737 wrote:
This is incredibly stupid!!!

I am an Army veteran, and have worked in security in various environments.

The "safety" of the staff and students includes their emotional health as well.

Look for a hidden agenda here. Somebody wants people to be scared of guns, and not just bad people.

Security forces need to get real, and practice the way real police officers do. When the police do drills, they don't put people in fear like this, they take care not to scare people.

Whoever was in charge should be fired, on the spot!

Somebody should have had a concealed carry permit, and been carrying, and fired back. And I don't care if that is illegal, it is only illegal for a short time, until common sense comes back to school, and it is LEGAL! Texas is leading the way on that one. A gun-free zone is a KILL ZONE.
9/9/2008 11:07 AM CDT on kare11.com
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[Primbs]

The teachers could sue the school district for intentional infliction of emotional distress.

Most scientific studies using methods like these that scare people are considered unethical.

That actor really took his life into his own hands. Anybody with a reasonable fear that this guy was real would have been
justified in using lethal force against the actor. If you feel you are going to be shot you rush the guy while he is reloading.

And then do what you have to do to survive.

 

[Fox McCloud]

that's a dangerous thing to do; in a situation like that, someone with a real gun could easily mistake him for an actual shooter and use lethal force against him...and I'd argue it was completely justified--if someone comes in and starts shooting blanks, and everyone is running and screaming, it'll be so chaotic that it'll be hard to tell if there's any casualties or not.

 

[Gideon]

Lucky for him...

That actor is alive today only because no one within earshot was equipped to react.

Imagine if they pulled a repeat at an indoor pistol range or Karate dojo.

The authorities responsible for financing, planning and executing that stunt should be terminated from employment, barred from any severance pay, and hung from the neck until dead, thus providing closure for the victims, while at the same time saving the taxpayers money.

 

[Conza88]

You have no right to make a threat, that you can't legally do.

I.e You can't threaten to hit someone in the face. It breaks the non-aggression axiom.

Threats cause harm etc. emotional, even physical reactions... heart attack etc.

Those involved would be punished under a libertarian rule of law - if there were damages.

 

[Dr.3D]

I suppose if somebody had actually shot and killed the actor, they would now be in jail and facing legal problems of all kinds. (this is what happens to a hero now days)

 

[Truth Warrior]

Was he given detention for breaking the "Quiet" rule?

 

[clytle374]

This wasn't a bad idea, it was a criminal act. Charges and lawsuits are mandatory.

 

[voytechs]

Too bad one of the teachers didn't have a gun on them and defended themselves. That would put a stop to their police stunt.

 

[Truth Warrior]

This wasn't a bad idea, it was a criminal act. Charges and lawsuits are mandatory.

What criminal act? Who was the victim?

 

[clytle374]

What criminal act? Who was the victim?

The lives of everyone involved was endangered. Several ways people could have been physically hurt, and without doubt several are emotionally hurt.

Why is it illegal to yell fire in a crowed building?

 

[RockEnds]

This 'drill' IS terrorism.

 

[Truth Warrior]

The lives of everyone involved was endangered. Several ways people could have been physically hurt, and without doubt several are emotionally hurt.

Why is it illegal to yell fire in a crowed building?

But WAS anyone actually physically, criminally hurt? I really don't know. Who's the victim? Have they filed criminal charges? Is the perp in jail?

 

[clytle374]

But WAS anyone actually physically, criminally hurt? I really don't know. Who's the victim? Have they filed criminal charges? Is the perp in jail?

Are you joking? Or do you really think this was not a dangerous and stupid stunt? Reckless endangerment doesn't require actual harm to come about. PTSD seems pretty real and someone willingly inflicted it on these people. They could have seriously injured or killed themselves trying to flee, that would be manslaughter. Did they not attempt manslaughter?

What does whether or not criminal charges been pressed have to do with whether on not they should. You try something like that, I bet you end up in jail.

I would be pissed beyond all belief.

 

[Truth Warrior]

Are you joking? Or do you really think this was not a dangerous and stupid stunt? Reckless endangerment doesn't require actual harm to come about. PTSD seems pretty real and someone willingly inflicted it on these people. They could have seriously injured or killed themselves trying to flee, that would be manslaughter. Did they not attempt manslaughter?

What does whether or not criminal charges been pressed have to do with whether on not they should. You try something like that, I bet you end up in jail.

I would be pissed beyond all belief.

No, I'm saying, what are the answers to my questions?

 

[agentl074]

I am appalled by this incident! Reckless endangerment and countless other issues with this incident. NJ has FAILED!

 

[freelance]

Maybe it was his son who just got suspended for possessing a BROKEN PENCIL SHARPENER!!!