Another school shooting. :-(

Teen wounded in school rampage in critical condition: officials

COLD SPRING, Minnesota (AFP) - One of two teenagers shot by a fellow student in one of the latest school shootings remained remained hospitalized in critical condition, hospital officials said.

The 14-year-old suffered head and chest wounds after a fellow student opened fire with a handgun at a high school in Cold Spring, central Minnesota, early Wednesday, authorities said.

A second, 17-year-old victim, died of his injuries in hospital.

The 15-year-old suspect apparently picked his targets at random and was eventually persuaded to give up the gun by Rocori High School's burly former football coach.


Students and neighbors identified the shooting suspect as John Jason McLaughlin, the son of a sergeant in the local sheriff's office and a quiet and withdrawn teenager, who was teased by his peers because of his acne.


Police declined to identify the suspect. Sheriff John Sanner of the Stearns County Sheriff's Office said the boy had given a written statement and was cooperating with authorities.


No charges had been filed in the matter as of early Thursday, a spokeswoman for the Sheriff's Office said.


Parts of the high school have been designated a crime scene and will be off-limits to staff and students until Friday, according to Scott Staska, superintendent of Rocori Area Schools.


The shooting was the first such incident of its kind in this Midwestern state, and shocked the small community of Cold Spring, population 3,000, about 80 miles northwest of the twin cities of Minneapolis, St. Paul Minnesota.

Re: Another school shooting. :-(

that is so sad.

their was a shooting at HS a week or 2 ago near the Brooklyn-Queens boarder (Franklin K Lane). Supposedly gang related. It happened outside the HS at 3pm when students were just getting out.

Why do students feel the need to shoot each other

Re: Another school shooting. :-(

Re: Another school shooting. :-(

Was there as much violence when we were in high school 10-15 years ago?

Re: Another school shooting. :-(

I graduated HS in 1997. I dont think we had that much violance. We had fights in the courtyard but that was about it.

We also had metal detectors

Re: Another school shooting. :-(

It is very sad. I really don't understand all the violence today. It is extremely sad that in these days after so much national tragedy and wars going on abroad, that people feel the need to kill their own countrymen, friends and families. When I was little I told my mother I was going to move to a place when I grow up, where there is no violence, no guns, no bad people. It's really sad that a place like this does not exist.

Re: Another school shooting. :-(

that is so sad.

Re: Another school shooting. :-(

This really makes me sick. This is what happens when kids bully each other and the administrators don't do anything about it. Almost all of these kids were bullied and teased, often went to school officials and nothing was done. so sad that kids lost their lives as a result of this.

Re: Another school shooting. :-(

that is terrible

Re: Another school shooting. :-(

What is sadder is that the Department of Education in New York City did away with the conflict resolution programs in all of the high schools in the city. I am the Conflict Resolution specialist in my school and it is a great service for the students. It prevents a lot of fights and violence between the students. But with the restructureing of the Dept. of Education, the powers that be felt that since school violence is down in the city high schools, the program is no longer needed. Do we need a fatal school shooting to wake these people up? Thank God I work for a principal who strongly supports this program in our school and made sure we had the money in our school budget to pay for it. But unfortunately, it's not like that in other schools this year.

Re: Another school shooting. :-(

OMG - I hadn't heard this. What is happening to our kids? It's so sad and scary

Re: Another school shooting. :-(

I honestly think that this is a direct result of the media. Video games, music, movies ... all have increased the level of violence directed right at this age group. Did you ever hear all the cursing on radio & TV when we were kids? And the themes and messages of mainstream music is sooo different now. (The more violence the better ... referred to as 'action' ... and lets not even talk about the s e x!) For these kids, violence is an acceptable option when things are getting bad. And its so easy to get a weapon these days. It makes for explosive situations.

It makes me sad to think that things are changing for the worse for kids. What will happen when our kids are this age?

Re: Another school shooting. :-(

This is terrible

Re: Another school shooting. :-(

I hope this doesn't stir up the copycat thing again

Re: Another school shooting. :-(

Forgot to mention... my youngest sister (13) was threatened by the neighbor's kid. She wrote a letter to my sister saying she was going to Mr. X's house and gonna get his gun (he was a cop) and get it to shoot her.. if she doesn't stop hanging out with her 'best friend.' This little girl.. so sad that she could even THINK that way! This happened not too long after the Colombine shootings... The girl now has to go to counseling every week for anger mgmt. Still resents my sister for being liked or more popular. The girl is a little snot! Of course no one is going to wanna hang out with you!