Gun at school!
supporter
Posted by Fitchinallday (+516) 10 years ago
I'm sure some of you have heard about the gun at school in today's paper. Does any one know what measures have been taken in our schools to further protect our towns children and staff at the schools. Just wondering...
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Posted by Skye (+384) 10 years ago
What Oglin said...no further measures have been taken.
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Posted by Exalted Buckaroo (+240) 10 years ago
Student, 18, arrested for bringing gun to high school
By Elaine Forman

An 18-year-old Custer County District High School student was arrested Monday after allegedly taking a loaded .22 handgun to school to protect himself, according to Justice Court records. He is being charged with criminal endangerment, a felony.

According to Justice Court records, Clint Leroy Parsons was called into the principal's office at 2:07 p.m. after Principal Jamie Ogolin received a tip that the student had a concealed firearm on school property.

Ogolin asked him if he had a firearm, and Parsons said no, but he did consent to a pat-down. Records state that Ogolin felt what he believed to be a small handgun in an inner coat pocket, so he confiscated the coat.

Miles City Dispatch received a non-emergency call from the school. When Officer Tony Isbell arrived, he recovered a small pistol that was loaded with 10 .22 long rifle rounds.

According to a press release from Police Chief Doug Colombik, Parsons had said he was carrying the handgun for protection as a result of all the recent school shootings that have occurred. Court records state that Parsons allegedly admitted he brought the weapon to school to protect himself from a school problem. Colombik said Parsons had not made any threats of violence by verbal communication or on a social site toward anyone at the school. Officer Isbell took the gun for safe keeping and escorted Parsons off school grounds. Later police met with the student and his father, and took the student into custody.

In a later interview, Principal Ogolin said the school did not have to take any further security measures that day, and the school population was not aware of the incident.

The Custer County Sheriff's Office would neither confirm nor deny whether the student had a concealed weapon permit (italics mine).

Parsons appeared before Justice Court Judge Don Neese Tuesday for an initial hearing and posted the $4,500 bail. A preliminary hearing will be held in 16th Judicial District Court on Feb. 21 at 1 p.m.
Miles City Unified School District Superintendent Keith Campbell said Parsons was suspended, and the district will hold a hearing to decide whether to expel the student during its regularly scheduled meeting Tuesday night.

Guns are not allowed on school property, according to state and federal gun-free school laws and the school district's policies. District policy says the board will expel any student who uses, possesses, controls or transfers a firearm or any object that can reasonably be considered or look like a firearm at any setting that is under the control and supervision of the district. The trustees may authorize the school administration to modify the requirement for expulsion of a student on a case-by-case basis.

Criminal endangerment holds a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $50,000 fine.


Does Clint Leroy Parson's right to privacy exceed your right to know whether he was issued a Concealed Weapons Permit? Is it a fact relevant to the criminal investigation or simply a public record to which the press has immediate legal access?
https://doj.mt.gov/agooff...vacy-laws/
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supporter
Posted by Bridgier (+9506) 10 years ago
MOAR GUNS!!!!
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Posted by MeiMei (+159) 10 years ago
I think the fact that the weapon was found and the situation diffused before anything happened means our schools/administrators are doing exactly what should be done to keep our children and schools safe. Kudos to all involved with the professionalism in preventing a dangerous situation.
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Posted by Skye (+384) 10 years ago
Bridgier...we know where you stand...still an idot...no one with real sense cares. And your gang of holigans can join in!
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Posted by Skye (+384) 10 years ago
MeiMei...and what if someone was not able to say anything such as the Conneticut shooting? You hope and pray someone knows but hell its such a joke to Bridgier its probably a joke to many others on this forum!
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Posted by MeiMei (+159) 10 years ago
Skye, What might you suggest to make schools safer? I believe the young man in tonight's paper was trying to take matters into his own hands without the forethought that someone else could have used that gun to hurt others. I still believe that school is the safest place a child can be between 8 and 3 as every adult in the building has the safety of the students as their primary concern.

Noone can be 100% safe anywhere and I think statistically the trip to school can also put students at risk and yet we see drivers on cell phones in school zones. I would honestly believe that puts kids in more danger than the potential of a shooter at the school. I personally was at CCDHS many years ago when a young man took others hostage. Thanks to the training, expertise, professionalism and cool heads of the school staff and law enforcement, it ended with noone being hurt.
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Posted by Bob Netherton II (+1908) 10 years ago
Yah, Bridgier! You IDOT!!
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Posted by cj sampsel (+483) 10 years ago
Time to take the scanners the TSA aren't going to use anymore and put them in the schools,not.
I am proud to be a holigan also.
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Posted by Bridgier (+9506) 10 years ago
Mr. Zabrocki (sp?) pulled his stunt the year before I graced the halls of CCDHS, so I'm somewhat aware of the particulars.

I don't think it's a joke, unlike some who believe that the solution for all of societies ills is to increase the number of weapons per capita (that's a big word skye, but I'm sure your time at CCDHS wasn't entirely spent inebriated), and constantly seek to reduce the number of weapons-free spaces we have in our public life.

More guns == more deaths, whether through accident or intent. It's just simple statistics. More trials == more results.

[This message has been edited by Bridgier (2/7/2013)]
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Posted by MeiMei (+159) 10 years ago
Bridgier, I agree that more weapons will not make us all safer and this is very serious. I believe it just produces more fear and potential for violence.
As an educator who spends most of my life in schools, I do not want anyone to have a gun in the schools where I work. There are other ways to keep children safe and most of them involve the family and the school staff.
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Posted by Bridgier (+9506) 10 years ago
IDOTS AND HOLIGANS, ATTACK!!!
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Posted by Jeri Dalbec (+3264) 10 years ago
Hooligan here, but no attack...! I just can't help wondering what might be going on in the students life to prompt him to take the loaded gun to school. I have to think that our School Board has a plan in place that does, somehow, encompass getting to the bottom of situations. Kudos to the alert people at the School. Guess my hope is that there are options besides incarceration. Maybe it was a "Cry"???? All things are possible and individual..just sayin'.
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Posted by celeste williams (+150) 10 years ago
"I just can't help wondering what might be going on in the students life to prompt him to take the loaded gun to school."

Maybe it was bullying. Maybe not. I do know that there is a problem with a group of boys harassing and attempting to bully my future stepson. The only thing stopping them from attacking him is his massive height and weight. I do worry that if they add more warm bodies to their group they just might get up the nerve to finally attack him. We talk to him regularly as parents and try to guide him in the right direction when he has been confronted by the boys. He has only had to defend himself once so far physically and it has kept their physical assaults at bay for over a year now. The verbal and mental abuse continues, but we have faith he will handle things the right way if things get worse.
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supporter
Posted by Jeri Dalbec (+3264) 10 years ago
In the 80's when our last two kids were in school..we had a couple of episodes...BUT...my husband called on the School Principal for one as they did not have monitors on their outside area where kids hung out after lunch and before class...and, as for our other kid..
they threw a skate board in front of his bike...and, it hurt him..Joe called on the kids' parents at their homes. All of it stopped...then and there. This was in Billings.

You just have to step in because you care. Maybe their folks care too but do not realize it is happening. I would inform them. Kind of tough for the school to handle matters that can carry over from the school grounds. Even the smartest and nicest kids can get caught up in "group think". Good luck!
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Posted by Frank Hardy (+1719) 10 years ago
We talk to him regularly as parents and try to guide him in the right direction when he has been confronted by the boys.


Celeste, Don't wait another second. Intervene now, in a calm, rational manner. Go to the school and meet with the administrators to immediately enact a plan of action that stops this behavior right now. No child should be walking in fear in a controlled setting. It is not okay and it will be stopped. Involve yourself, now.

FH
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Posted by MeiMei (+159) 10 years ago
As an educator, I agree with Frank. This stuff usually happens under the radar and school staff needs to know before they can help.
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Posted by celeste williams (+150) 10 years ago
Thanks for the positive responses. I will be speaking with his father when he gets home from work and get the ball rolling. You are right, no child should have to put up with this kind of behavior.
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supporter
Posted by Bridgier (+9506) 10 years ago
Unless Mr. Oglin's changed significantly since I had him as a teacher, I can't imagine he'd let something like this continue.
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Posted by HUBBZ (+88) 10 years ago
He hasn't changed a bit. He takes care of business in a very professional manner.
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supporter
Posted by cj sampsel (+483) 10 years ago
It's terrible to think that kids now think thye have to arm themselves to go to school. Is the media partly to blame?
Anymore since the Newton shooting there are stories daily in the papers about shootings, kidnappings,guns in school etc.
What about the other Montana kid who tokk hand guns to school
to prove you don,t need assault weapons to wreak havoc.
The NRA is partly too blame for pushing armed school officials.
This may make kids think they need to arm themselves if the school
won't. Maybe, maybe even parents are involved. If dad and/or
mom legally or not conceal and carry what message is that?
What a freaking mess. Disaster waiting to happen.

I enjoy shooting and hunting, no assault weapons, and the more these
things happen the ones that want everyone armed are just adding
ammo for the use of extreme gun control rather than allowing some
reasonable restrictions.
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supporter
Posted by Fitchinallday (+516) 10 years ago
I should have been more clear on my question. Since the school shootings around the US. Have our schools changed anything to ensure the safety of our children? I read the article and understand "no further measures were needed". BUT.... Have the schools talked to the children? Have school official enforced practicing what to do in case of a situation in the school. Have school officials talked about what to do if you see someone unfamiliar or acting strange? Or what to do if they see/hear someone has a weapon. I would hate for something to happen and we as a community had a blind fold on thinking it couldn't happen here. I know I should talk to the principals at the schools my children attend. I however feel it should be know to everyone what has been done. Not trying to get into an argument or gun bans debate. Just a little information for the community.
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Posted by Elizabeth Emilsson (+789) 10 years ago
My memory may be faulty but I do recall an incident back in the 80's. A boy showed up at the High School with a gun and went to a classroom looking foer a particular student. The substitute teacher, Rachel Schoeld, put herself between the boy and the classroom and calmly talked the boy into calming down and give up his weapon, then got help. The police arrived shortly after and had taken the boy into custody with out a big to do. Fortunately Miles City only had one TV station then so there was not a huge press coverage at the time.
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supporter
Posted by Fitchinallday (+516) 10 years ago
The schools districts have mandatory fire drills that are to be performed quarterly. Are there any practiced drills for an armed shooter on the property. I know of a dozen + cases in the US of a shooter at a school. I am unable recall the last time there was a school fire w/ a loss of life. It almost seems that weekly there is a school shooting. I may be over exaggerating but school shootings are far more common than fires in schools. Just my input.
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Posted by MeiMei (+159) 10 years ago
Yes the schools do have training with staff and with students on lockdown drills. I believe there was a meeting recently that was reported in the Star mentioning the administration and law enforcement having a meeting of the minds to address school safety.
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Posted by MeiMei (+159) 10 years ago
Elizabeth, you are partially correct but I just found the news article and it was the administration and law enforcement that resolved the issue. I also was an eye witness to part of the incident. Mrs. Schoeld did help protect the other students in her class.
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Posted by Landen Yanez (+41) 9 years ago
Proof that "no guns" signs work haha
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banned
Posted by coffeedrunk (+50) 9 years ago
I remember running traps before school, and leaving the 22 rifle in the window all day while parked at school. It is a shame that we treat everyone as a number or as a profiled collective unit. Just because one person shoots up a school, that does not mean everyone with a gun whom is at a school will shoot poop up. This is collectivism run amuck. Talk to the kid, and determine if he is one of the whack jobs that would do bad deeds with a gun, or if he is level headed, and was only attempting to protect himself against a perceived danger.
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Posted by Raoul Childs (+62) 9 years ago
I think that the biggest question here is..."At what point is it o.k. to protect yourself? If he WAS being bullied and felt that the only way to protect himself was with a loaded gun, then the system in place to protect children is not working. Then we need to ask ourselves, how we can fix it so that the children feel safe."


I was bullied as a child and a teen, and can understand how he felt. Assuming that was the reason for him carrying the gun. If that was not the reason, then I believe there is no good excuse for that behavior. As an adult, I believe it the right to carry for protection. NOT EVER ACCEPTABLE in a school. That is where we as a society have failed the children. If they can't be safe in schools, PERIOD, then we need to fix it no matter the cost.

Children are our MOST PRECIOUS resource, and deserve to be loved and protected from any and all threats that we can!! I know it isn't possible to be there ALL the time, but they need to be made aware that there is always a better way than violence, and that any and all of us as friends, parents, relatives, and school officials are here for them.

And we need to TAKE ACTION to make sure they are as safe as humanly possible!!!!

That is how I feel about it, and I think that if he was being bullied and felt that the gun was his only option.

THEN WE FAILED HIM AND NEED TO DO BETTER FOR ALL CHILDREN!!
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Posted by MeiMei (+159) 9 years ago
I am pretty certain he stated it had nothing to do with being bullied. I believe he was trying to be self-reliant without realizing the risk to others. He is a good kid and very respectful.

[This message has been edited by MeiMei (8/4/2013)]

[This message has been edited by MeiMei (8/4/2013)]

[This message has been edited by MeiMei (8/4/2013)]
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Posted by LaciLou (+38) 9 years ago
First of all, the 18 who brought a gun to school this last year didnt bring it to hurt himself or anyone. He did it for the attention and to "protect" himself incase we had a gun shooting in the school. And second, no one found the gun. He was telling friends about it n it got turned in. So really if he wouldve kept his mouth shut nothing would have gotten done..
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Posted by Raoul Childs (+62) 9 years ago
What "good kid" takes a damn gun to school. If not for self protection, then there is no excuse for that kind of behavior! I personally hope that that being the case, he get prosecuted for the criminal action just like anyone else that took a gun to a school would.

That kind of behavior can not be tolerated!!!
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Posted by MeiMei (+159) 9 years ago
The case was handled by the courts and he did not return to school. Good people do make not so good choices.
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Posted by Gunnar Emilsson (+18349) 9 years ago
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