Before his rampage in Michigan, the alleged shooter is said to have drawn bloody, murderous scenes in class. He was able to convince the teachers that he was designing a video game. But there were other omens as well.
The alleged shooter of the high school rampage in Michigan is said to have been conspicuous before. According to this, the 15-year-old should not only have been caught looking for ammunition on his smartphone during class in relevant online shops, but also drawing bloody murder and suicide scenes before the crime. The director of the school has now confirmed this in a public letter. Several media reported about it.
Could the fall have been prevented?
At a school in the US state of Michigan, a 15-year-old shot four classmates inside and injured seven other people. The suspect was arrested after the shooting, as the police of the Oakland County north of Detroit announced last Tuesday. Now the boy’s parents will also have to answer in court. You face 15 years imprisonment.
Such an allegation against the parents is an unusual move by US law enforcement agencies. Through this procedure, “those who contributed to this tragedy should be held accountable and a message should be sent to gun owners that they have a responsibility,” said the prosecutor in charge, Karen McDonald. Because it is not without good reason that authorities, relatives and employees of the school are now asking whether the tragedy could not have been prevented.
Parents bought the son a gun
According to unanimous media reports, the student’s father and his son bought the murder weapon four days before the attack. The mother is said to have described the semi-automatic pistol on online platforms as a “Christmas present” for her “baby” and is said to have driven to a shooting range with her son. One day before the rampage, the boy is said to have been caught in class looking at ammunition online. That was also confirmed by the Letter from Intendant Tim Thorne, which was previously published by the news platform “WXYZ Michigan”.
When asked by the teachers, the 15-year-old is said to have replied that shooting is a hobby in his family. His mother then sent him the text message, according to the prosecutor: “LOL. I’m not angry with you. You have to learn not to get caught.” Although the school tried to contact the mother, she did not return the calls – until the next day. But she only confirmed what her son said.
Bloody murder and suicide scenes
On the day of the crime, a teacher is said to have caught the boy drawing death and suicide scenes in class. According to “The Times” it should have read next to it: “The thoughts don’t want to stop, help me.”
“The student was immediately removed from the classroom and taken to the tutor’s office, where he claimed the drawing was part of a video game he was designing and informed the teachers that he was pursuing game design as a profession,” Thorne said in his letter.
The 15-year-old waited there for an hour and a half for his parents. According to the staff, he appeared calm and worried about missing the lesson and therefore asked to be given the homework for the missed lesson. “At no point did the tutors believe that the student’s behavior, reactions, and calm demeanor could cause harm to others,” Thorne continued.
The parents left without the son
When talking to the tutor, the parents neither mentioned that they had bought their son a gun, nor did they check whether he had it in his backpack. They also declined the request to take their son with them for the day and went back to work. The tutor then decided that it was better to send the boy back to class than an empty home.
Nevertheless, they told the parents that the son had to go to a counseling center within 48 hours, otherwise they would report the incidents to the youth welfare office. The case was not reported to the school management. In the afternoon, the boy took his gun out of his backpack in the toilet and fired in the hallways of his school.
Big trouble among relatives
“While we understand that this decision caused anger, confusion and legitimate questions, the trust teachers made their decision based on their professional training,” writes Throne. The teachers did not have all the facts that are now known. In addition, the boy had never been conspicuous before.
“Our liaison teachers are committed, long-time members of the school who have dedicated their lives to supporting pupils and treating problems relating to mental health and pupil behavior,” the director defends his staff.
Parents were on the run
According to adult criminal law, the 15-year-old should be tried. He faces life imprisonment. The US police captured the apparently fugitive parents after a day-long manhunt early on Saturday morning in nearby Detroit. They were discovered and arrested on the first floor of a factory building, said Detroit police chief James White.
They are just as shocked by their son’s act as everyone else. The judge responsible set the bail at around 450,000 euros, as requested by the public prosecutor. “They should have known he was dangerous and they gave him a gun and didn’t put the safety on,” Prosecutor Karen McDonald said.
Sources:“The Times”, “NY Post”, “WXYZ Michigan”, “Time online”