Marble Falls ISD school resource officer injured after accidentally shooting himself in the leg
By Abigail Jones, Sept. 21, 2024
MARBLE FALLS, Texas (KXAN) — A school resource officer in Marble Falls was injured and airlifted to a hospital after accidentally shooting himself in the leg Friday evening, according to school district officials.
Marble Falls Independent School District posted on its X account Friday that a school resource officer (SRO) “experienced an accidental discharge of his firearm while seated inside the holster.”
The SRO was airlifted to a hospital and had non-life-threatening injuries, MFISD said.
St. Louis: Armed Teen Arrested Outside Husky Academy After Making School Shooting Threat
The 16-year-old posted an Instagram video of himself with a loaded gun outside Husky Academy and also tagged Ritenour High School.
By Amy Rock, Sept. 20, 2024
OVERLAND, Mo. — A teen with a loaded gun was taken into custody outside a St. Louis County school Tuesday after he allegedly made threats to shoot up two schools.
According to St. Ann Police, the 16-year-old suspect posted an Instagram video of himself rapping and pointing a gun at Husky Academy and a school resource officer’s vehicle, reports STL Today. He also tagged Ritenour High School in the post. Both schools are part of the Ritenour School District.
BALTIMORE — Most Maryland students have yet to complete their first month of the new school year.
Despite being so early Harford County already experienced a shooting inside Joppatowne High School, while many others around the state have faced threats of violence causing widespread fear and panic.
On Friday Anne Arundel County Police issued an alert revealing disturbing trends. "Over the past 36 hours, approximately 42 school threat tips were submitted statewide," police noted. "These tips, originating from various counties and schools across the state, appear to be primarily shared on social media platforms, often accompanied by screenshots."
In the aftermath of the bloodshed on Wednesday at Apalachee High School in Winder, Georgia, state authorities arrested Colin Gray, whose 14-year-old son, Colt Gray, allegedly shot four people to death and injured nine others before surrendering to police. The father is charged with four counts of involuntary manslaughter, eight counts of cruelty to children—and, most significantly, two counts of second-degree murder. The murder charges are unprecedented, the most severe ever filed against the parent of a school shooter. Late Thursday, the director of the Georgia Bureau of Investigation said at a news conference that the charges against Colin Gray are “directly connected with the actions of his son” and that the father “knowingly allowed him to possess the weapon.”
In Pennsylvania, the Superior Court of Pennsylvania upheld the adjudication of a student for “possession of a firearm with an altered manufacturer's number, possession of a firearm by a minor, and possession of a weapon on school property.” The weapon was “a loaded 9-mm pistol, which had its serial number filed off.” The student challenged the evidence against him, claiming that he was not ever in actual possession of the firearm. The facts showed that “a school resource officer…received a report of a student possibly carrying a firearm inside the school… when (the SRO) arrived at the reported location, other security officers removed (Student A) from a classroom. (who) admitted he had a gun…(that) he got it from a backpack in the vice principal's office…(The SRO) learned that earlier that day, at approximately 11:50 a.m., a teacher had sent (the adjudicated student) to a vice principal's office because he failed to display or show his school identification…(video evidence showed the adjudicated student) was carrying the backpack at the time… Videos from around 12:00 p.m. showed (the adjudicated student’s girlfriend) approach and interact with (Student A)… Videos also showed (Student A) go into the office without a backpack and then leave the office with the backpack.” The court ruled that “where a juvenile is not in actual possession of the prohibited items, the Commonwealth must establish that he had constructive possession to support the conviction.” The standard for constructive possession relies upon “facts from which the trier of fact can reasonably infer that the defendant exercised dominion and control over the contraband at issue.... Knowledge of the existence and location of the contraband is a necessary prerequisite to proving the juvenile's intent to control, and, thus, his constructive possession.” Affirming the adjudication was appropriate because the “evidence provided a reasoned basis for the court to infer that (the adjudicated student) had arranged for someone to take the gun and bookbag out of the office.”In the Interest of: A.G.-M., A Minor
In California, the legislature failed to enact Assembly Bill 2441. The provisions of the legislation would allow teachers to decide to call the police if a student possesses or uses controlled substances. Also, school officials would no longer be allowed to charge students with a crime for willful disturbance. “The bill is opposed by law enforcement organizations that fear a breakdown in their relationships with schools in the community. Further, it would make reporting mandatory only in a few specific situations involving a “major” injury to a teacher or the sale (but not possession) of drugs at school.”
In New Mexico, the United States District Court refused to dismiss claims brought by parents of a student who alleged that “when she was a fourteen-year-old freshman…a senior student …raped her.” The gist of several claims is that “the school and its employees enabled (the senior student’s) predatory behavior, protected him from being held accountable, and failed to protect victims from his abuse.” The court seized upon the parent’s claim based upon the Equal Protection Clause of the U.S. Constitution, holding that neither the individual school officials nor the school district were entitled to dismissal as to the equal protection claim. The legal standard for this claim is that a “school district's liability for sexual harassment under the Equal Protection Clause (requires the plaintiff to) show that the harassment was the result of municipal custom, policy, or practice…In the absence of an official policy, a municipality may still be liable for the widespread and persistent practice of sexual harassment which constitutes a custom.” Under the custom standard, the case must go to a jury because the parents alleged that the school officials and the school district were “on notice and failed to properly address, over a sufficient period of time, student and staff concerns that (the senior student) was sexually harassing female students… (and) he was allowed to return to (school), all while the individual Defendants downplayed his actions. "The court ruled that the individual school officials were not entitled to qualified immunity as to the equal protection claim because they “repeatedly failed to enforce remedial measures they knew were necessary to keep female students safe.” The school district was unable to assert state statutory immunity because while state law “provides immunity from tort claims to governmental entities and public employees acting within the scope of their duty… immunity does not apply to liability for damages resulting from bodily injury, wrongful death or property damage caused by the negligence of public employees while acting in the scope of their duties.” Doe v. Taos Municipal Schools
Please join the National Threat Assessment Center (NTAC) as we release new guidance for state & local law enforcement to prevent targeted violence
Oct. 16 | 1-2:30 p.m. ET
Please join NTAC for a presentation of our latest publication, "Behavioral Threat Assessment Units: A Guide for State and Local Law Enforcement to Prevent Targeted Violence." Releasing Oct. 16, 2024, the guide offers a scalable 6-step framework for state and local law enforcement agencies to proactively identify and intervene with those who display threatening or concerning behavior in their communities. In this free virtual event, we will outline actionable steps and offer principles and best practices to support the violence prevention efforts of our state and local partners.
All who register will receive a Microsoft Teams event link by email prior to the event.
This symposium goes beyond a typical conference; it's an immersive learning experience that brings together individuals from across the country who are passionate about keeping their schools and communities safe.
Don't miss two days of inspiring keynotes, training on the Standard Response Protocol (SRP) and Standard Reunification Method (SRM), and ample opportunities for networking with foundation staff and peers in the school and community safety space. This is an amazing chance to gain actionable insights into enhancing the safety of your organization and those in it.
As part of our ongoing commitment to school safety, we are pleased to share a valuable resource for parents: an infographic with 5 Tips for Parents Whose Child is Being Bullied. This easy-to-share graphic provides practical guidance to help parents support their child, communicate effectively with schools, and address bullying concerns. Feel free to distribute this resource across your social media platforms, websites, and newsletters to empower families and create a safer school environment for all students. Together, we can make a difference!
