Hypothetical situation? (school shooter)

[realtonygoodwin]

What would you do if you were a principal at a high school and the following occured:

A student comes onto campus and claims he has a gun and pipe bombs, and he is going to use them.
He has a history of minor violence against some of his fellow students. Most of the teachers agree that he is probably telling the truth. He has the ability and motive to completely shoot up and blow up the school, killing and injuring many students, teachers, staff members, etc.

What would you do and why?

[doodle]

Good to check out facts, sometimes they mean the opposite of what they say.

This may have been the first suicide terrorism attack on US soil:

5 Sep 1959 Houston, TX 6 18 CRI

Paul Orgeron entered Poe Elementary School, Houston, Texas, and asked about enrolling his 7-year-old son but had no relevant documents, with which he promised to return. He returned to the school playground with his son a few minutes later, about 8:30 AM, carrying a briefcase containing about six sticks of dynamite, and gave a threatening note to a teacher. The teacher called for assistance from other staff and began moving students to safety. When Orgeron was confronted by the school principal and a custodian, he detonated the explosives, killing himself, his son, two other 7-year-old students, a teacher and the custodian. Those injured included 17 children ages 6 to 10 and the school principal.

[realtonygoodwin]

Ummm...so what would you do?

[Vessol]

I would have an armed staff and student body, thus making the guy an idiot. A dead idiot.

[Bman]

I'm sure there are contingency plan's for such possibilities. In my own experience the nearest situation I can think to the subject was a freshmen/sophomore who made a comment when I cut in the front of the lunch line, as was my senior prerogative. The kid said "times like these make me which I had my glock". I turned and said "next time you better have it, because if you say something like that again I'm going to kick your ass".

[realtonygoodwin]

I would have an armed staff and student body, thus making the guy an idiot. A dead idiot.

So, you would take him out?

[Humanae Libertas]

It's easy for one to say if they were armed, they would shoot the guy. It's another thing for you to actually be in that situation.

[realtonygoodwin]

What if, after you took him out, there were no pipe bombs found, and it turned out no one was really in that much danger? The teachers were wrong. What happens then?

[fisharmor]

If I were a school principal, I'd pull the child out of class and bring in a couple guidance counselors.
I'd explain that he isn't in any trouble, and that we just want to talk.
I'd let him know that we realize that young people have it rough, and that we understand. But I'd point out gently that it would be a bad thing for his emotions to cloud his judgment.
I'd tell him that if he did something it wouldn't be fair to the others trying to learn.... aw shit, I can't do it anymore.

I'm not a school principal.
I never will be.
I am never setting foot in a school and neither are my children.
I would do nothing about this situation because I don't care.
This is a problem for the people who still believe in the system. They made this problem and if they're really so much smarter than I, they can work out the solution.
It's dead simple.

If I could do anything about this situation, I'd get to work on time travel, and bring forward the V Macedonica Legion from about 71 AD and set them to work leveling every single public school in the country - some old-fashioned ancient world not-one-stone-on-another razing.


BTW years ago I chatted with a school principal who admitted to doing the above (the talking-to, not the razing). He acted as if this was the way to do things: kid threatens to kill people = pull him in your office and talk to him. The incredible hubris of these people is beyond the reckoning of us mere mortals.

[realtonygoodwin]

He is walking around campus with a bullhorn threatening people. He is not sitting in class.

[hazek]

What if, after you took him out, there were no pipe bombs found, and it turned out no one was really in that much danger? The teachers were wrong. What happens then?

Other idiots learn an important lesson.

Btw in your example there doesn't seem to be any immediate danger to anyone so I'd just call the police but if he made a move as if he'd want to hurt someone I'd take him out.

[realtonygoodwin]

I am surprised at the answers I have gotten.

Imagine if this student was named Saddam Hussein, and instead of pipe bombs, he was claiming to have WMD. On top of that, most intelligence agencies agree that he probably has them. After you take him out, you find out the reason he was claiming to have them was to make sure Iran didn't attack him.

Whoops.

[pcosmar]

No one so far has even suggested contacting the parents and only one has mentioned containing him and talking to him.
Only a few have mentioned even verifying if the claim was serious.


I am surprised at the answers I have gotten.

Imagine if this student was named Saddam Hussein, and instead of pipe bombs, he was claiming to have WMD. On top of that, most intelligence agencies agree that he probably has them. After you take him out, you find out the reason he was claiming to have them was to make sure Iran didn't attack him.

Whoops.
Oh. I see.
Another "what If" thread that has nothing to do with the subject of the thread, or reality in general.

[realtonygoodwin]

It is an analogy.

Or an allegory.

I am not really certain...but it starts with an "a" and ends with a "y"

:)

[fisharmor]

It is an analogy.

Or an allegory.

I am not really certain...but it starts with an "a" and ends with a "y"

:)

It's analogy. Allegory uses symbolism.

So now you need to answer some questions:
1) Who is the principal in charge of Iraq's "school"?
2) Did you know that the stated purpose of public schools is to create obedient factory workers?
3) If so, what factory is Iraq supposed to be working in when it "grows up"?
4) Why does your analogy suppose that children should not have pipe bombs and guns?
5) Why does your analogy suppose that countries should not have WMDs?
6) Are you aware that your analogy also supposes that it's OK to invade countries under color of law, just as it assumes it's ok to imprison children under color of law?


No one so far has even suggested contacting the parents and only one has mentioned containing him and talking to him.
Only a few have mentioned even verifying if the claim was serious.

And I obviously did not suggest it seriously.
If we take it for granted that schools are for education (for the sake of argument only - I do not really believe this) then it does not follow that schools are also for behavior modification.
If a student is threatening violence, that student needs to be removed.
If the school makes room for this behavior, it is assuming responsibilities it does not and ought not to have.
Send the kid away, and there is no problem.
If the discussion is how to reintegrate sociopaths to the school after behavior modification has taken place, then that's a separate discussion.

[realtonygoodwin]

Well, the school is the world as a whole.