My Child threatened on bus today (Gun Violence)

reply to post by facelift


Well, maybe I am a bleeding heart, although many that have called me a rightwing nutjob would disagree.......
All I am saying is maybe to try the parent route, before ruining a kid's future for running their mouth. I would be screwed as a kid, if I were in school nowadays. I said plenty I didn't even understand, let alone mean when I was a kid. I had a "hit list", people that picked on me for not being as rich as they were.

reply to post by CX


Police aren't into stern warnings these days. It's not part of the system. Sure, there are some cops that have the common sense, but they are the exception now. Had it been me as a kid, the local cops would have put a scaring into me, and that would be the end of it. It's not like that these days.

I am just worried about the system's habit of dragging people into the system younger and younger, and the system is quick sand. It is designed to make sure you can't get back out.

reply to post by antar


What trouble are you having to decide what to do in this situation that makes you think coming to the internet and asking a bunch of strangers what the best thing you can do?

Do you ask for advice from strangers on the internet on how to keep your children safe normally?

Perhaps you are trying to issue a theoretical situation concerning firearms crime in childrens schools, to guage the reaction here on this particular site?

If this is real, you should notify the school, the local police and tell them both everything you know. Don't let your kids go back to school until you feel the matter has been dealt with, that the child who made the threats has been talked to and dealt with, that his parents are aware ( esp if they own firearms ) and perhaps that a school counselor can talk with him about what his problems are that might have led to that. But that's just me, a stranger on the internet, take care.

I am an active Law Enforcement Officer who works at a school as a School Resource Officer. Trust me when I tell you this. Call the police right away. Tell them all that you know. Regardless of what other people tell you they are not going to raid his house with a SWAT team. They will go by his house and talk with him and his parents. They will evaluate him to see if he needs psychiatric treatment. If so they will issue a Baker Act or whatever they use in their jurisdiction.

The school also needs to be notified. Here in Florida if the school discovers he indeed made plans to kill people they will move him to an alternative learning center for the remainder of the year. This is so he is in a smaller more restricted enviornment.

Please trust my advice. Two years ago there was a student that befriended me. After a while rumors began to circulate that he wanted to kill students and teachers. I laughed because I though I knew this student. Well to make a long story short I ended up arresting him because I discovered a written plan in his possession that detailed the mass killing of students and teachers. I also discovered two partialy constructed pipe bombs in his locker.

Yes it is uncommon for these things to happen. But they do happen. If you had information and didn't do anything because "you don't like to deal with police" the blood will be on your hands.

reply to post by TorqueyThePig


I noticed your avatar, my condolences for your loss.

So where did the gun part come into play as your title indicates?

Regardless, you're first priority is to contact local law enforcement while the incident is still fresh in the child's mind.

Have the child write out the events how it took place place. Contact school officials and if they do nothing about it then file a complaint.

5th graders or not its still a threat. The younger these children are the worst its. Any threat involves children, schools and threat of violence shall not go unnotice or brush to the side.

You as a parent, your child safety is the upmost important priority.

SO sorry to hear this, she must have been terrified

Me? I'd call the parents and ask when "we" you and your daughter might stop over for 10 minutes...or have the boy and his parents come to your home.

I'd then tell them exactly what transpired with the boy present: parents usually know when a kid is lying,etc if they are involved at all.

She shouldn't be penalized by having to stay home in fear and then make up class-work etc because of someone else's kid's bad behavior...I am hoping he was just acting on hormones and being a little chit!

I truly think the parents should always be the "first line of defense"...if they refuse? Then go to Plan B and show up at the Police Station (it always helps to go in person if it's a sensitive matter) andp ut it all out there, I'm betting they will become interested/involved.

Wishing you a positive outcome!

Originally posted by TKDRL
reply to post by CX

 

Police aren't into stern warnings these days. It's not part of the system. Sure, there are some cops that have the common sense, but they are the exception now. Had it been me as a kid, the local cops would have put a scaring into me, and that would be the end of it. It's not like that these days.

Fair enough, i see your point.

I just don't think, in fact i know i wouldn't take the risk if it was my kid that had been threatened like that. Sad to say that another kid may face strong punishment, but if it stopped someone carrying out something terrible to one or more people, then so be it.

I know that sounds harsh, i'm trying to think of a better way to deal with it, but as someone said, what if this kid decided to carry out his threat in the morning?

I just wouldn't take the risk.

CX.

reply to post by CX


I see your point as well. It's hard. Personally, I always try the parents first. I never had to escalate it past the parents, I was always lucky enough that the parents handled it.

Originally posted by indigothefish
reply to post by antar

 

What trouble are you having to decide what to do in this situation that makes you think coming to the internet and asking a bunch of strangers what the best thing you can do?

Do you ask for advice from strangers on the internet on how to keep your children safe normally?

In all fairness, this forum has people who are current and ex law enforcement, from basic police officers to higher areas of the force and related alphabet letter agencies.

It wouldn't be the worst place to get advice if you were on your own with a kid. Antar is sensible enough to weed out the good advice from the bad. Even the most clued up person can benefit from a second opinion at times.

CX.

reply to post by antar

Originally posted by antar
Thank you, your probably right, so why was she not questioned today? Did the school not even call the police, FBI, or other services like DFS?

How would the school know about it if you didn't get through to them?

Definitely don't send her to school and call the police! I'm concerned for you. Please let us know what you find out...

reply to post by TKDRL


What does a stern warning have to do with anything? If the kid truly made death threats he may need mental treatment. If he didn't make threats case closed.

If he was Baker Acted he is not getting "dragged into the system." It would not be arrest. It would be medical treatment.

The only reason I arrested my student was because he had partially contructed pipe bombs in his possession on the campus. I wish I would of got to him before it came to that point but I didn't. However he was a juvenile so he will have the ability to have his record expunged.

reply to post by TorqueyThePig


Because a stern warning is all that is needed in a lot of cases........
If you can't understand that, I guess I cannot help you any. Well I will try anyway.
Stern warning, kid talking crap gets scared, realizes it's not a good idea, don't do it again.
Happened plenty to us when we were young, worked like a charm, and without police involvement. The parent gave the stern warnings, not the cops.

Then again I am a country boy, things are different. Kids have been known to beg cops to take them to jail, rather than home when caught doing wrong

Originally posted by TKDRL
reply to post by CX

 

I see your point as well. It's hard. Personally, I always try the parents first. I never had to escalate it past the parents, I was always lucky enough that the parents handled it.

edit on Thu, 31 Jan 2013 17:16:27 -0600 by TKDRL because: (no reason given)

Yeah, don't get me wrong, i have often handled issues like that, parents first. I have 14 and 15 year old girls, so have been through the whole bullying stages at school when they were getting a rough time. Happened just last week in fact. I was lucky enough to know the parent and knew he was good enough for us to deal with it as friends and as adults.

Unfortunately thats not always the case.

I guess my response would depend on the perceived threat.

CX.

reply to post by indigothefish


This is not hypothetical.

ATS is the best place I know to get diverse and objective advice on this serious matter.

I wish at times like these I was closer to the parents and people in my community of 230.

reply to post by Benevolent Heretic


Seems that she would have been questioned or asked to give a report, that is why I think what I do. I do not even know if the child was sent home, parents called, or rode home on his bus. That is so frustrating, I don't have enough info on this. I am calming down a bit from when I first found out, so maybe I can get my anger over with and try to think logically between now and the morning.

reply to post by TKDRL


A stern warning for stealing a candy bar, absolutely. A stern warning for trespassing in an abandoned house, sure. A stern warning for catching a kid with some pot or a beer, ok. A stern warning for a kid threatening to shoot up the school then telling someone that heard his "plans" that he would kill them wether he was joking or not, no way. I am not saying arrest the kid or beat the tar out of him with a baton. However some proactive counseling that may help prevent anything violent from occuring may be called for. If that makes me a bad cop in your eyes, so be it.

If you can't understand that then I am afraid I can't help you.

Well, based on the American opinions on guns and their Second Amendment rights, you should probably request an armed guard travel on the bus to defend the other children from someone carrying a gun.,

That seems to the opinion - i mean, what right does anyone have to take someone's guns away from them?

Speaking from an American point of view, that is.

reply to post by TorqueyThePig


Of course you can't. LEO are all twisted when it comes to treating people as adults or children. They can't make up their minds, I forgive you. It's not your fault, it's the brainwashing. Even the rulemakers can't make up their minds, and they are supposed to be the smart ones.

reply to post by TKDRL


Wow you paint with a mighty broad brush their Picasso. Do you judge everybody before you meet them or just cops? I don't have much else to say without straying completely off topic.

OP do whatever feels right to you.