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A series of deadly attacks has everyone wondering, is it safe at school? A government survey of 10,000 students ages 12 to 19 shows that while the overall crime rate at U.S. schools is relatively stable, violent crime is on the rise. The study by the Education and Justice departments compared data from 1989 and 1995. Among the new findings:
Kip Kinkel, a 15-year-old boy expelled from an Oregon high school, opened fire with a rifle in the school's crowded cafeteria killing at least one student and wounding several others. He killed his parents before the shooting at the school. He had been expelled from school the day before the shooting for trying to bring a gun to class. "He always said that it would be fun to kill someone and do stuff like that," said student Robbie Johnson, who knew the suspect. "Yesterday, he told a couple of people he was probably going to do something stupid today and get back at the people who had expelled him." Students said the boy sprayed bullets through the cafeteria. "We were in the parking lot getting ready to walk in and everybody came running out and they said: 'People are shooting!,'" said 15-year-old Courtney Anderson. Several students outside the school said they thought it was a gag related to student-body election day. "I heard like firecrackers. People were running and screaming," said a student who refused to give his name. According to a recent Department of Education report, 10 percent of public schools reported one or more serious violent crimes during the 1996-97 school year. The figure was 8 percent for rural schools such as the middle school in Jonesboro, Arkansas. Overall, homicide ranks as the third leading cause of death among young people, accounting for 20 percent of all deaths in the 10-24 age group, according to figures from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. WSDI home | copyright | disclaimer | contact us | free newsletter |
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