[In the Air]

So today I pick up DD at school from the car pool line just like almost every other day. This day she was one of the first ones out, jumped into the car and off we went. I get home to find out less than 5 miinutes after I left, a woman approached the other students and teachers acting threatening and when confronted by staff pulled a gun out and started waving it at the teachers and students. The school went into lock down and the police came and got the woman. Thank god, nobody was hurt. I just cannot get my head around the fact that there were probably 20 cars lined up right where it happened, full of mothers and fathers. I know for a fact that if I had seen this all happen I would have gone into crazy Momma bear mode and tackled me some crazy person... this is south carolina, I am surprised that no one simply pulled their gun out and shot the woman dead...

[In the Air]

http://www.live5news.com/story/20962...chool-official

[microbovine]

Sounds like the school handled the situation well and now that crazy woman is in jail.

Your child will be safer going to school today. They might have counselors available as well.

[ThoroughbredFancy]

Who just thinks, "I have a gun, best go to a school with it and do xyz." Obviously these people are mentally unstable but it's just ridiculous. I'm glad to hear that no one was hurt, the school handled it well, and the crazy lady is detained.

[In the Air]

There were police outside today at drop off. I am sure the woman must be mentally ill, who does this kind of stuff if they aren't.

[spacytracy]

Wow, how scary. I would be very freaked.

[tle]

No one else would have pulled a gun because schools are "gun free zones".

Glad the situation concluded with no one getting hurt.

[In the Air]

Gun free zone or not, this is the deep south.. just saying...

[caballero]

No one else would have pulled a gun because schools are "gun free zones".

Not necessarily. In our state it is legal to be armed while dropping off or picking up kids, so long as you stay in the car.

Anyone who is legally armed in that situation and who witnesses some crazy person waving a gun around and threatening people has a moral obligation to step in and intervene to end what is legally defined as assault with a deadly weapon in every state.

You might get arrested by some overzealous cop, or not. But even if you do there is always that doctrine of competing harms to fall back on.

[JanM]

In this day and age, that woman is lucky the police got there when they did. After 9/11, and mass shootings many people don't wait for help, but go after attackers.

[wanderlust]

Am I the only one shocked that they actually granted her bail? She pulled a loaded gun out, attempted to shoot the headmaster, and only by the grace of god (allah, the universe, etc) it was jammed. That's otherwise known as attempted murder, right?

[happymom]

Will this gun culture continue to dominate life and death in this country?

[caballero]

Will this gun culture continue to dominate life and death in this country?

Will this automobile culture continue to dominate life and death in this country?

That's actually more accurate than your melodramatic exaggerations.

[happymom]

caballero

Will this automobile culture continue to dominate life and death in this country?

That's actually more accurate than your melodramatic exaggerations.

Sadly, typical response....

[caballero]

Sadly, typical response....

I feel sorry for people like you. Powerless in the face of violence so you look for scapegoats and fantasy solutions.

[In the Air]

Talked to some of the other kids and Moms today. One of my older working students was in the front of the car pool line picking up another one of my students. They saw the crazy lady as younger student was getting in the car and when she pulled out the gun, older student hit the gas and they got out of there. poor little kid had nightmares all night.

Seems the same woman was removed two years ago at the same school when she was harrassing students. She told the kids that she was staging a protest because the school did not admit Black and Irish people.. I believe we have both...

[SerenaGinger]

She told the kids that she was staging a protest because the school did not admit Black and Irish people.. I believe we have both...

Well, my daughter is 1/16th Irish and she went to Ashley Hall, as a preschooler, but that still counts, right?

We don't live in Charleston anymore, now we are zoned for a high school where two students were murdered and burned to death last year

[JanM]

It amazes me how many people get bail, or low bail for offenses that should keep them behind bars until trial. Especially because this woman did the same thing before.

A local case with a high school student plotting to kill others and had bomb making kits in his room resulted in low bail, and so he's at home with an ankle monitor. I am amazed that someone like that is sitting on his useless butt watching tv and playing video games, and I bet won't get much of a sentence either. Of course, since he'll be tried as an adult, then I bet he won't enjoy his jail and prison time.

[happymom]

caballero

I feel sorry for people like you. Powerless in the face of violence so you look for scapegoats and fantasy solutions.

Thank you for your kind sympathy, but there's no need to feel sorry for me. My personal world is not governed by fear.

Perhaps, instead you could spare your sympathy for the victims of a gun culture.

[ccoronios]

What exactly is a "gun culture", happymom? Is it your next door neighbor, who happens to be a skilled neurosurgeon and enjoys hunting or target shooting? Is it me - a 67 yo woman - who owns a couple of handguns, shoots very infrequently, but enjoys target shooting occasionally? Is it a friend, who owns many, is a fabulous dog trainer and hunting guide?

Or is the "gun culture" the parents who encourage/enable/foster violent games - video or otherwise; who depend on these unsupervised/unexamined (so they'd know what kind of game it is) activities to keep their children amused and out of their way from the time they're babies? Who are more concerned with being their kids' BBF than with being their parent, so couldn't possibly tell the kid "No, you're NOT sitting in front of the TV/computer - you're going outside." Or better yet, "No, WE'RE not sitting in front of the computer/TV - we're going on a hike/to a museum/to a historic site/natural site (Howe's Caverns comes to mind). Bring your camera and let's go."

Whose fault it this "gun culture?" What drugs are we feeding our kids? Does anyone READ the possible side effects? Or, having read them, is it just another case of "oh, scare tactics" "won't happen to me/my kid?"

Guns don't kill people. PEOPLE KILL PEOPLE.

Carol