At least two people were shot earlier today at Taft High School in Kern County California.
The school is currently on lockdown and the alleged shooter is in custody. Three ambulances and a medevac helicopter have been dispatched to the school.
Debbie Turner, the parent of two teachers who work at the school and the grandmother of a student, said the shooting occurred at about 9 a.m. The school remains on lockdown.
Further:
Monday, January 7, 2013Sipsey Street Exclusive:
Thomas Nee, key member of Joe Biden’s “gun violence commission,” has a son who was convicted of plotting a Columbine-style mass murder at a school — possibly with a service weapon obtained from his father.
http://sipseystreetirregulars.blogspot.com/2013/01/sipsey-street-exclusive-thomas-nee-key.html?m=1
More info on the Joseph Nee conviction:
“Nee, 24, was hoping the state’s highest court would agree with his lawyers that he was wrongly convicted of conspiracy during a 2008 jury-waived trial in Plymouth Superior Court. But the Supreme Judicial Court didn’t buy it.
“In this case, the Commonwealth presented sufficient evidence to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the defendant entered an agreement with (Tobin) Kerns with the intention to commit mass murder,” Chief Justice Margaret Marshall wrote in the court’s ruling.
Nee did win acquittal on charges of promoting anarchy and threatening to use deadly weapons at a school.
Nee, who stills lives in Marshfield and works in construction, said his case received excessive notoriety because of his father’s high-profile post”
Probably not a good choice for your “gun violence commission”, Joe.
My thoughts and prayers go out to those injured, the students, and the teachers at that school.
“TAFT, Calif. (AP) – Authorities say a boy who fired on classmates and wounded one at a rural California high school had planned the attack and targeted students he felt had bullied him for more than a year.”
The above quote, if true, puts this incident into a different light than other recent incidents. Here’s a young man who has been bullied by a couple of guys until he reached a breaking point. I doubt that he’s mentally ill, just fed up and took a misguided way to try and change his situation.
There needs to be an investigation into whether or not the school was aware of what was going on with the shooter and the bullies and if so, what if anything they did about it.
I’m not in anyway trying to justify his actions, but at least you have to admit that there was a specific reason and specific targets (his tormentors) and wasn’t the random act of some deranged psyco.
You anti-gun people are amazing! why can’t you look at facts? The cities with the highest crime and murder rates are also the cities with the strictest gun laws, you know, New York, Chicago, Washington DC. Please watch this video on the aftermath of the gun confiscation in Australia; http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oyb3gBaqlwk
The gun-haters detest the truth…
Teachers who volunteer and are physically able, should be allowed to go through a psychological review, training and licensing to carry concealed handguns while on campus.
This, along with security guards and parent volunteers, is what Israel has done for 40 years now. They are surrounded by about a billion people who hate them; yet, they have lost only 8 school children over the last 10 years.
Why would anyone be against following a successful example that has been working for 4 decades? I simply don’t understand the resistance.
My brother headed up the schools for the army in Europe for many years. He told me the grades were higher than normal because parents had to take a practical interest in their child’s learning and behaviour (sp?) in class. Fighting, bullying, and generally misbehaved children are taken care of on the spot.
The teachers in our schools don’t have time to be baby sitters. How can they teach when they have rowdy kids in the class which takes the attention away from the good kids.
We pay teachers to teach not to baby sit because we don’t have time to take care of our kids.
Back in the old days when we were raising our kids one of them was a pain in the butt for the teacher so my wife went to school every day with her. Mom sat in the back and watched everything our daughter did. May have embarrassed our daughter, poor baby, but the other kids ended up wanting their parents there also.
I joined in when my wife had to do something. I learned a lot because I had to shut up and listen to the teacher. I remember wanting to be there in her classes through school but my daughter decided to not be such a bother or disruption in class so we backed off.
Wish people could do that, we really joined together as a family. One of our star students (one of the homeless, parentless kids we raised) wanted us to go to his class so we did a few times to let him and our other kids know that you didn’t have to be a pain in the butt to have us sit in.
One of the boy’s in college ask me to come and sit in his class at school but I had to draw the line. I didn’t want him to see how all the girls were forever giving me the eye because of my good looks. He’d tell his mother. (Just kidding, maybe he wouldn’t tell his mom and I’d be home free).
I told my son that it’s okay if the girls give him the eye, just don’t let them touch you.
The part about the girls was a joke for those that don’t know me. God Bless
No one ever stopped to ask: What is going on in our SCHOOLS, have they? No, let’s just assume it’s because a weapon exists that it CAUSES the reason for it’s use…
As if taking a weapon away stops violence. When did we start listening to such sophistries?
Right on roy, send a message to diane feinstein on this.
Let’s see if she scripts a bill to deal with the mentally unhinged and the drugs they do or do not take for their illness…
And roy, when I grew up in so cal in the 50s and 60s we all went to public school, we all owned 22 rifles and BB guns, and people with mental illness were dealt with by their parents by palcing the in the proper facilities.
None of us EVER acted out like this, we had respect, morals and good judgement.
“Shooter had intended targets”
“UPDATE (4:18PM ET): Below is the main portions of the press conference from Sheriff Donny Youngblood on what actually occurred. In short, the shooter, a 16-year-old male, had intended targets when he opened fire with a 12-gauge shotgun in the classroom. One of his targets is now in critical condition and the other target he tried to shoot but missed. He did hit the teacher but apparently the teacher’s wounds are minor. The teacher and a resource officer, both unarmed, either talked the student down to the point that he released his weapon or somehow managed to take it from him. It’s not entirely clear but the Sheriff said he was ‘talked down’.
Normally there is an armed officer at the school however today he couldn’t get to the school because he was snowed in. The press was asking about a supposed hit list this student had last year and was suspended for it. One member of the press says they’ve heard this from several parents in this tight-knit community that this student was suspended for having a hit-list, but no official could confirm this yet. ”
http://www.therightscoop.com/breaking-shooting-at-california-high-school/
Watch the video,
No assault weapons and a pre determined victim list. Sound like similar events? Gun used by an unhinged individual. But in this case the security had an “excuse” “he was snowed in”…
Wonder how the outcome would have been if teachers were trained and armed to protect their charges?
The patrolling security person wouldn’t have stopped this….period unless he observed the rifle coming on campus!
Actually you don’t know if it would have or not. That said I agree that as much security as possible is best. That’s why teachers and staff who volunteer, who pass rigorous psych exams, who complete training and become licensed should be encouraged to carry a concealed firearm on campus.
Snowed ini???? Since when does it snow in Taft? Even in the dead of winter it doesn’t snow in Taft. Have to be a lot of snow to be snowed in. Somebody needs to think of another reson the guard wasn’t there. Blessings
Is it true that Taft HS has a resident police officer on duty and the COP was able to neutralize the shooter before more carnage ensued? If true it appears there is merit to having armed security in our schools.
Actually, most school have a “resource” officer to deal with drugs. problem kids, and keeping the peace. I know that during this financial downturn some of the local police forces have had to recall the financing for these officers on campus..But, maybe that is something that really needs to be reviewed because this is really costly the communities a lot mentally and financially. We use to have them on campus’ in this County, don’t know if we still do!
Then why was the media so upset when the NRA announced its plan to prepare a school security plan? Why did so many pundit immediately claim that it would be wrong to put armed security in schools?
I think the issue is where those armed security guards will come from. See:
Biden Task Force to Recommend More Armed Cops in Schools
http://www.infowars.com/biden-task-force-to-recommend-more-armed-cops-in-schools/
It didn’t say what type of gun was used. I guess you have access to information nobody else does.
According to KSBY,
“Pruitt says it’s believed a shotgun was used in the attack.”
http://www.ksby.com/news/update-1-student-shot-at-high-school-in-taft-calif-/
According to the Police interview on one of the stations this afternoon, he had a 12 gauge shotgun and about 20 extra bullets in his pocket. One of the students was shot, one missed but being treated for hearing issues, one for minor injuries trying to go over a table. Again, the teacher approached the student and then was joined by a resource person. Truly, the hero was the teacher. The courage of the teachers makes me speakless. Just shows the love these teachers have for the children. God bless and protect them all! Thank you for all you do…
Sufferin Jesus, when does it stop?
When we come to our senses and ban military weapons in the hands of untrained civilians. Since we cannot adequately verify the ultimate destination of guns, the sanity of who has them, nor will we ever be able to cope with the overall emotional stability of many of our citizens the only answer is to reduce availability of ultra dangerous implements of destruction.
The debate is often irrational and dysfunctional. The pro any gun people are driven by the well funded gun lobby that has bullied our Congress for decades to create a cowboy gun toting populace without a soul.
Say no to the NRA and others who lie to the public about their intentions and actions.
hotdog — this criminal used a shotgun according to the news. Do you want to take those away too? You have no idea what you are talking about. You have nothing but emotional arguments and ‘solutions’ that would have zero effect on anything. Self defense and firearms ownership are civil rights. Why should leftists be allowed to take away my civil rights because some mentally ill person shot up a school?
Most of legal gun owners have already been trained and have registere weapons. Simply because a semi auto or self loader does not an assualt weapon make.
The need for mental screening and back ground checks of all mentally dysfunctional peoples, as well as all peoples on psycho tropic or mood altering drugs is paramount. Guns like other dangerous tools sit peacefully until used by maniacs in outrageous ways.
“the sanity of who has them, nor will we ever be able to cope with the overall emotional stability of many of our citizens the only answer is to reduce availability of ultra dangerous implements of destruction.”
Law abiding citizens “have” them legally, crooks. kooks and gangbangers have them ILLEGALLY and are the ones acting out in this manner, creating mayhem… They did not pass a background check(already in place), they did not buy them at legal gun stores, they did not show proof of proficiency, and they certainly did not act sanely…
The second amendment in the Bill of Rights and its protection is not there for hunting, it is not there for collecting, it is not there for sport, it is there specifcally for protection of the public against all comers including and specifically naming our government…
How do you determine if someone is “mentally dysfunctional?” That’s the big question. I certainly don’t want the gov’t to evaluate each gun buyer to determine if they should be allowed to buy a gun. Such testing would be highly subjective and is open to interpretation.
Given the fact that just about ALL these killers were on some sort of psychotropic drug, I wonder if having such a drug prescribed should be enough of a reason to keep someone from owning a firearm? Just try selling that with the drug lobbies in force.
Not only that, but where do these “crazy people” come from? Have you ever heard of MK-Ultra?
The Gimlet Eye says:”Not only that, but where do these “crazy people” come from? Have you ever heard of MK-Ultra?”
Yes, from people who think that repeating someone else’s words over and over somehow make them true.
Never happen as long as America is filled with Alex Jones clones.
Because we have over 20,000 gun laws already and they still introduce new ones every day . That don’t work
Yesterday in CT they
introduced a bill that out laws every gun that can hold more then one round of ammunition.
So they don’t just want your evel looking black rifle! Hammers are used more in homicides
then rifles
Mexico has very strict gun laws and has a violent crime rate around 5 times as high as the USA
Yes we have all heard the NRA talking points over and over.
Mexico’s failed policy’s does not make our laws anything.
Stop with the dittoing.
I think mexico is very relevant here as they are right next door and we share the same
demographics . Don’t even sat they are a third world country most of are cars are assembled in mexico
The main deference law abiding citizens don’t own firearms just they government and the drug cartels .
Many people do not know the ugly history of gun control in this country. Like Mexico, we have had situations where our citizens were disarmed and only the government and its agents had firearms.
Here is the devastating result of gun control: http://thinkmexican.tumblr.com/post/31358413647/never-forget-wounded-knee-massacre-911-september-11
As soon as we address mental illness and dysfunctional behavior in public seriously.
Every recent act of madness has been perpatratd by the same types or peoples and by using the same MOs. Everyone of them was by a person of limited or altered mental capacity, on mind or mood altering drugs(or because they did not take their prescribed medications)in a place that was labeled “Gun Free”. Most were at schools, and the others were in gun free public places.
The impact of psychotropic drugs needs to be looked at very closely…
The impact of MK-Ultra needs to be looked at very closely, too!
It stops when you prevent the weapons of mass destruction and others, from landing in the hands of the millions of amoral nut jobs who believe their gun a problem solver.
American mathematics 101:
300,000,000+ guns
300,000,000 mentally questionable people
___________________________________
10,000 murders+ per year (including monthly mass shootings)
Pelican1: Based on your theory we should remove all cars from the roads, no one should have a swimming pool without a fulltime lifeguard on duty, knives should not be removed from the kitchen (should be placed under lock and key), baseball bats should be plastic, etc. etc. If you deal with the problem of mental illness/substance abuse that everyone seems to want to ignore this would not be a problem. I heard today that in the past fifteen (15) we have doubled the number of guns in this Country without an increase in associated deaths. If the parents of the insane person in Conn would have done their job as parents, this incident would not have happened. The boy was on medication, had to be home schooled because he did not fit into society and yet, we continue to blame the guns. DENIAL DENIAL DENIAL of the real problem!
Do we not require that cars be registered? And licensed? And any driver be licensed?
Why can’t we do that with guns?
Ugh, unless you are a criminal and steal a gun, you cannot buy a gun in California without registering it and having a background check. I think people should really take the time to read some of the hundreds of laws on the books about guns, who can buy them, what they have to do to register it, etc. Did you know that when transporting a gun in your car it must be in the trunk, locked up, and the bullets in a separate locked box. Please, do some research. . IT IS NOT THE GUNS, it is the insane people stealing (from family, friends, robberies, etc) and abusing the guns. Gun advocates have full respect for their possessions just like the golfer with his clubs, the fisherman with his poles ad tackle, etc. Again, it is the mental insane and their families that must take responsibility for this.
Yes, we do AND WE SHOULD NOT!
The only reasons that driver’s licenses exist is to make it easy for the police state to indentify you persecute you, and to bilk you of your money!
You don’t understand what is going on! You are staring a POLICE STATE right in the face and you don’t even realize it! You are like a moth flying around a candle!
WAKE UP!
Because driving is a privilege. Keeping and bearing arms is an inalienable right protected by the Second Amendment.
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