School Attacker Had 10 Pipe Bombs, Sword, ChainsawIn San Mateo, CA a teenager armed with a sword and chainsaw and eight pipe bombs strapped to his person was arrested after attacking the High School. On Monday two explosions erupted San Mateo’s Hillsdale High School and more than 1,200 students and teachers were forced to evacuate, authorities said.
Police received several calls from Hillsdale High School beginning at 8:07 a.m. reporting that there was possibly a person with a gun on campus. [There was NO gun]
A short time later, police received more calls. There was an explosion inside the school, and the teen had entered the campus with the chainsaw, a two-foot-long sword and 10 homemade pipe bombs attached to a tactical vest he was wearing.
He exploded two of the pipe bombs in an empty hallway near the library and the smoke activated a fire alarm. The power went out as well.
Two teachers heard the explosions, ran into the hallway and confronted the teen, who then fled.A third teacher caught up with the teen and tackled him and another teacher arrived a moment later and helped hold the suspect down until police arrived and arrested him.
Police Lt. Mike Brunicardi called the actions by Gilbert and the teachers "simply heroic."
"All the while that the teachers and principal are confronting this kid, holding him down and tackling him, he's got eight live pipe bombs attached to his person," San Mateo Police Chief Susan Manheimer said.
No one was hurt in the explosion and, despite the initial report, no gun was found, Manheimer said.
The 17-year-old suspect was last a student at Hillsdale more than a year ago, Manheimer said. The motive for his actions this morning remain unclear but police believe he acted alone.
San Mateo County Assistant District Attorney Karen Guidotti said her office is deciding whether to charge the teen as an adult.
The damage caused by the pipe bombs has not yet been assessed but Manheimer said she believes it was minor.
On the front end of this story, I was thinking that gun control doesn't work. Crazy unstable villains with intent to harm, kill, and blow up High Schools will find a way to accomplish their goals. They'll get creative. Crazy will find a way. A chainsaw, a sword, and pipe bombs? He WAS able to explode three of those home made bombs.
I was just pondering the other side here though. As it stands, no one died. They were even able to make an arrest.
The fact there wasn't a firearm involved... does that support the gun control advocate's argument? However, I also wonder if the teachers knew that he had those pipe bombs on his person? Did he try to wield his sword or the chainsaw before he was tackled? Was he the one who cut the power? Lot of unanswered questions in the article - but the bigger question is, would this have been a worse outcome with the use of firearms?
He had defensive weapons on his person, but he didn't use them when the teachers confronted him. That makes me think he probably would not have used a firearm either. Sounds like a little SOB desperate for a little attention. Thank goodness he didn't kill anyone. Yet again, this is why I have a CCW permit and advocate others to do the same. You're right -- crazy will find a way!
ReplyDeleteAttention whore.
ReplyDeleteI wholeheartedly support the scrawny picked-on kids fighting back.
ReplyDeleteDoing it with so imprecise a weapon as pipe bomb is not cool. Anyone familiar with DOOM knows how hard it is to "wield" a chainsaw.
He was over-laden with weapons. One sword to castrate his former tormentors would have been enough.
I commend him on not bringing a gun. If you want to put your enemy down, it's best to look him in the eye from inches away.
"Crazy will find a way," and without adequate strictures on how gets access to firearms, it often takes the easy way out.
Imagine all the jerks who barricade themselves into places trying to commit suicide with something requiring some effort, like a bowie knife.