Saturday, August 27, 2011

Russellville School Bus Shooting: "They Didn't Tell Us for Over 24 Hours"


Parents of some Russellville High School students are complaining they were not properly informed of the Wednesday afternoon incident in which two students fired a BB gun into a school bus filled with over forty students. While the Russellville High sophomore and freshman were arrested at the school early Thursday morning, and news reports were broadcast on local stations that night, several students were not aware of the incident until third block classes on Friday morning. Even then they were not informed that it was fellow students who were responsible.

Police Chief Chris Hargett has stated the BBs could have been dangerous. From Wiki:
BB guns are a type of air gun designed to shoot projectiles named BBs after the birdshot pellet of approximately the same size. These projectiles are usually spherical but can also be pointed; those are usually used for bird hunting. Modern day BB guns usually have a smoothbore barrel, with a bore diameter and caliber of 0.177 inches (4.5 mm). BB for modern day BB guns are usually steel, plated either with zinc or copper to resist corrosion, and measure 0.171 to 0.173 inches (4.34 mm to 4.39 mm) in diameter.

The main question that comes to mind is whether the students were in possession of the guns during classes on Wednesday. The 15 and 16 year old Russellville students are currently being held in juvenile detention.

The Tennessee Valley Juvenile Detention Center is a psychiatric residential treatment center located on Missouri Street in Tuscumbia. A former inmate wrote this description: The food is from Helen Keller hospital. It's not all that bad, the first 48 hours you are there you have to stay on lockdown and the only time you get to come out of your room is when you eat, clean your room, or take a shower. The showers are only 5 minutes long and the water isn't cold but its cool. You only get one phone call if you are on lockdown. After your 48 hours are up you get to go out into population and get as many phone calls as you need, unless you get into trouble. Visitation hours are from 2-4 and only your close family such as your mom, dad, brothers sisters, and grandparents can come to visit you. They have to be at least 18 years or older and your boyfriend or girlfriend can't visit you, you can call them though.

The two juveniles may have not liked Russellville High, but their current situation sounds much worse. If they wanted to be expelled for the rest of the school year, they just may have accomplished their goal.



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