It was 8am on Tuesday, just two days before summer break, at Reynolds High School in Troutdale, Oregon. Just before classes were to begin, a student whose name is yet to be released, entered the gym with the intent of violence. That is when the shooting began.
A Reynolds High School student, Hannah League, tells CNN that she darted into a dark classroom and huddled in a corner with other students. “I heard these pops, and I thought they were firecrackers, but then I saw a teacher run out with his side kind of bloody,” League relayed to CNN .
The gunman, using a rifle, shot and killed 14-year-old freshman, Emilio Hoffman who was in the locker room. Physical Education teacher, Todd Rispler, was also shot. However, according to Yahoo.com , his injuries were not life-threatening and he was treated on the scene.
Two on-campus police officers were the first to respond to the shooting, with a tactical team that arrived shortly thereafter to bring it all to a close. Police spokesman Sgt. Carey Kaer informed Yahoo.com that a robotic camera was used to investigate the scene. The officers were able to spot the gunman slumped over on a toilet. He was dead, and believed to have killed himself.
Reynolds High School was eventually evacuated, and students were asked to exit with their hands either up in the air or their hands resting on their heads. The panicked students were all to happy to be reunited with their parents and loved ones, who were anxiously awaiting for them in a nearby supermarket parking lot, per Yahoo.com .
One additional bit of shocking information is that during the evacuation, a second gun was found and another student was taken into custody. It is reported by Yahoo.com that it was unrelated to Tuesday’s shooting.
Police Chief Scott Anderson stated, “Today is a very tragic day for the city of Troutdale.” Anderson continued to say that he was very sorry for the family of the slain student from Reynolds High School.
No one is yet revealing to the public the name of the gunman nor the story behind why this horrendous act took place.
However, President Obama clearly speaks his opinion on the tragedy at Reynolds High School. CNN reports Obama stating that “the nation should be ashamed of its inability to get tougher gun restrictions through Congress in the aftermath of mass shootings (such as Reynolds High School) that have become commonplace in America.” President Obama continues to say, “Our levels of gun violence are off the charts. There’s no advanced, developed country on Earth that would put up with this,” per CNN .
While the NRA and its supporters say “no number of laws can effectively stop anyone out to kill,” per CNN . In fact, Jerry Henry, executive director of GeorgiaCarry.org was quoted earlier this year saying, “Until you figure out how to treat the violence, then you’re going to have that. And taking all the guns off the street is not going to make anybody any safer.”
CNN analyst Fareed Zakaria couldn’t disagree more with Henry by stating that whenever something like this (at Reynolds High School) happens in the U.S., the media focuses on “the twisted psychology of the shooter and asks why we don’t pay more attention to detecting and treating mental illness.” He continues to report that other countries don’t have mass shootings like the United States.
President Obama pushing his gun control agenda finishes up by stating, “The United States does not have a monopoly on crazy people. It’s not the only country that has psychosis,” he said per CNN .
Are tougher gun control laws the solution? Or are there other issues relating to teen violence that should be addressed? What is the root of such violence? We won’t resolve this today. So today, let’s remember Emilio Hoffman and his family, the gunman’s family, and all the students and staff at Reynolds High School in Troutdale, Oregon.
Photo Credit: USAToday.com