More Violence in Hampton Roads Schools (Virginia Beach, Portsmouth: school districts, bus, safe)

[Coconut1]

The schools are getting crazy around here! First comes attempted bombings, then attempted stabbings and now shots fired! None of the districts are safe around here it seems. I wouldn't risk putting my kids in these schools.

Thankfully nobody was killed in the latest incident.

Senior Crystal Campbell and her friends were in the school cafeteria about 12:15 p.m.when they heard a gunshot. They looked up and saw the gunman.

"We're jumping, we're just trying to get under tables and stuff," Campbell said. "We were up against the wall and the table, crouched down.


"I thought that people were getting killed. I didn't know what was going on."


Campbell called the police: "There's been gunshots at Wilson High School and we need some help."


Aikeem Wilson saw the gunman walk in, hold the weapon up in the air and fire it into the ceiling.


"He shot off one shot then he walked past me, and as he walked past me, he reloaded the gun and then he let off another shot," the 18-year-old senior said.


Wilson said the gunman, whom he recognized, smiled as he carried what looked like a semiautomatic weapon.


"I sat there and I was looking at him the whole time," Wilson said. "He made eye contact, but he wasn't targeting me."


Students screamed and ran. Many pushed and shoved as they made their way out of the school's main door, he said.


After the second shot, Wilson fled out a side door.


Teachers opened a divider in the cafeteria so students could slide underneath it to get out, Campbell said.


An announcement over the intercom asked all students to go to their fourth block and stay there, but many sought comfort outside, Wilson said.


He sought refuge in the school's football stadium with other students. They called their parents and then waited to be taken home, he said.
Shortly after 12:15 p.m., police quickly closed down the main road in front of the school, Elmhurst Lane, and started diverting traffic.
Many parents who had received frantic text messages and phone calls from their children arrived.


Debbie Meginley was in the shower when she got a text message from her daughter, a freshman at the school.


"Mom someones shooting!!" it said.


Meginley quickly got dressed and drove a few blocks to Wilson. She picked up her daughter in the school's parking lot.


Also getting picked up was Brittany DiGennaro, who threw her arms around her mother and sobbed. The freshman said she was in the cafeteria at the time of the shooting. She said she phoned her grandmother and told her what happened.


Around 1:30 p.m., while Brittany's mother stood on a sidewalk blocks from the school, a voice mail came through her cell phone from Wilson High.
The message, a recording from the school's principal, Timothy E. Johnson, informed parents and guardians about the shooting. The recording also stated that school would start as regularly scheduled today, Stuckwisch said.

Prosecutor wants to try student in school shooting as adult | HamptonRoads.com | PilotOnline.com

[xGrendelx]

Wow. That's intense. I always thought I saw some crazy stuff happen in high school (I went to Bayside in VB), but nothing like this!

[The Dissenter]

Originally Posted by Coconut1

The schools are getting crazy around here! First comes attempted bombings, then attempted stabbings and now shots fired! None of the districts are safe around here it seems. I wouldn't risk putting my kids in these schools.

Thankfully nobody was killed in the latest incident.

Believe it or not, this would be actually not be a shocker in DC area. This is actually routine in DC public schools. I don't think any school is fully safe these days. Remember, the VA Tech shooter is a product of Fairfax County schools (Westfield HS) and if you actually want to believe the fools on the NoVA forum Fairfax County is supposed to be paradise where no one is capable of doing violent acts. Hampton Roads schools are no crazier than schools elsewhere.

[BrianLMA]

I don't know how you can make a blanket statement that none of the school districts around here are safe. For on ething, this forum covers the entire Hampton Roads area, and that is a huge area. My wife works at a high school, and she hasn't had any issues.

I agree that there is a lot of violence around, but I see a lot of good things around as well. If parents could be more invovled with their kids (and I realize teens can be a challenge...I know because I've got two) things would certainly improved. I can't tell you that number of "adopted" teens my wife has because they are just not getting it from home.

[Coconut1]

Well, you have to admit that it doesn't seem to be favoring one district over another... the stabbing attempts in Williamsburg, the Virginia Beach bombing attempt, the Portsmouth shooting.

Like I said, I wouldn't send my kids to school around here.

[Emilly-1]

I am afraid that this could happen anywhere. Mental illness affects all socio-economic groups and all people. There are so many weapons in the US also.

I wish that schools would train students about what to do if there is an attack. For example, if everyone immediately pelted the attacker with shoes or chairs, could things be stopped?

[youngwun804]

Originally Posted by Coconut1

Well, you have to admit that it doesn't seem to be favoring one district over another... the stabbing attempts in Williamsburg, the Virginia Beach bombing attempt, the Portsmouth shooting.

Like I said, I wouldn't send my kids to school around here.

only scrapin the tip of the iceberg, what about that shootin at the basketball tourny at woodside in newport news? or that 10 yr old who brung 2 loaded handguns on the school bus in hampton? or that chick that got sliced in a catfight after school in chesapeake? or that gang brawl of over 50 kids that happen in VB school? or that teen that got shot in the booker T high parking lot? or those thugs shootin at the newsome park elem. school in newport news? dont even mention the numerous times kids got caught with guns in denbigh/woodside high for "protection".

yeah, the schools around there are perfectly fine.

[Erma]

Originally Posted by Coconut1

Well, you have to admit that it doesn't seem to be favoring one district over another... the stabbing attempts in Williamsburg, the Virginia Beach bombing attempt, the Portsmouth shooting.

Like I said, I wouldn't send my kids to school around here.

It's like that everywhere in the nation, not just one or two districts. Parents need to take control of their children and quit expecting the teachers to parent for them. There were crazy things back in my day of high school as well, with the exception of stabbings. Once in awhile someone would call in a bomb threat just to give the school a day off. I don't think anyone could get anything to make a bomb back in those days anyway....just some kid smoking pot who got a crazy idea.

[youngwun804]

this further shows why hampton roads school are criminal havens

Warwick High student charged with bringing gun to school | HamptonRoads.com | PilotOnline.com

Suffolk teen getting off school bus is grazed by bullet | HamptonRoads.com | PilotOnline.com

ohh, whats the matter, huh? cant get ur schools under control? cant have ur kids go to school without gettin shot at while gettin off a bus? thats a shame.

[sbullet]

Originally Posted by Alanboy395

Believe it or not, this would be actually not be a shocker in DC area.

yes it would.

Originally Posted by Alanboy395

and if you actually want to believe the fools on the NoVA forum Fairfax County is supposed to be paradise where no one is capable of doing violent acts.

look up the population of Fairfax County and the geographic size of it. One bad egg isn't too bad, considering the worst i heard from Fairfax before that is some kid brought a gun to school at Marshall HS in the 90s to act like a little thug.

I see little (and big) thugs running around everywhere in Hampton Roads everyday.