I wrote this recently and thought I'd share, it's long, but feel free to comment on it if you'd like:
When an atrocious event happens like a school shooting, responsibility definitely lies in the hands of the perpetrator and if that person does survive, he or she should receive justice. However, does anyone else share the blame? Below consists a narrative of a fictional school shooting where the perpetrator survives. Following the narrative is the testimony of the shooter and the closing arguments of both the defense and the prosecutor in the trial deciding whether the defendant is guilty of several counts of murder, or innocent due to insanity.
*All names, towns, and places in this story are fictional and any representational of an actual town, place, or person is purely coincidence.*
Student shoots and kills four in cafeteria
by Bob Johnson
(AP) Jamestown, SD - The residents of the small town of Jamestown tonight are mourning the loss of four high school students, while the shooter is in police custody. Three others were injured and are being held overnight at a local hospital with minor gunshot wounds.
The shooting happened at around 11:30 this morning as a bulk of the students at Jamestown High School were eating lunch in the school cafeteria. Victims names have not been released, but the shooters name is Scott Byron, an 18-year-old senior at the school.
Details about how the event took place are already starting to emerge. The shooter, armed with a pistol, entered the cafeteria during the middle of what is the first of two lunch periods at the school, aimed his gun, and fired it at close range towards a number of students. A teacher, very near where Scott was firing, tackled him from behind and demobilized him.
He walked in with a coat on, took the gun out, and just started firing, said one eye-witness who wished not to be identified.
Questions still remain about how the gun was purchased, how the shooter got it into the school, and the motive behind the shooting is still a mystery.
Im shocked, Im just shocked, said Mary Skinner, a mother of two Jamestown students and also an English teacher at the school. Scott always seemed to be a very kind young man, and was an excellent student.
As to how Scott was able to get the gun into the school, few security measures are in place.
We lock the doors during the day, but we have no metal detectors or security guards, a janitor at the school told the Associated Press. He could have brought the gun in at the beginning of the day, put it in his locker, and got it at lunch. We lock the doors to keep other people from getting in, but no security really exists once students are inside.
Prosecutors are expected to file charges against Scott Byron tomorrow.
We are prepared and expect to be filing four counts of first-degree, premeditated murder against Scott Byron, County Prosecutor, Michael Bush, said i a statement.
Memorial ceremonies for the fallen are expected to take place later in the week, and all three of Jamestowns schools will be closed until next Monday. A makeshift memorial is already starting up as flowers and pictures are being placed by teary-eyed students, parents, and teachers at the entrance to the school.
Along with the tears are the questions, questions that many think will be answered, but many arent sure if they are prepared to hear them from a student, now turned school-shooter, whom many of them knew and liked.
Cameras were not allowed in the courtroom for the trial, but the courtroom was packed with family-members, news-media, and curious onlookers. The task set before the prosecutor was to prove that Scott Byron had planned in advance, and unmercifully shot and killed four students. The task set before Steve Madison, the defense attorney, was to try to convince the jury that Scott Byron was a troubled teenager who battled demons and needed treatment and rehabilitation and not a life sentence in prison.
Neither side disputed the facts of the case. The trial, up to the point of Scotts testimony, had consisted of the defense calling psychiatric witnesses and the prosecutor calling rebuttal witnesses. Rarely has a someone who has gone on a shooting spree at a school survived to trial, and the entire state, if not the nation, was tuning in to hear, and hopefully get an answer to the question of why?
Scott Byron looked nervous as he sat on the witness stand. He seemed gloomy, sad, and almost refused to look anywhere but straight down at his own hands. Mr. Madison approached the stand and starting questioning his witness. After a few How are you doing? questions to get Scott comfortable, Mr. Madison started with the more pressing questions.
Scott, Mr. Madison probed, Did you hold something against the students you fired at in September at your high school?
Not any one person specifically, Scott replied.
So why did you try to shoot them?
I think I was just frustrated, I snapped, I dont know. It was stupid, Im incredibly sorry to the families.
You said you were frustrated? Mr. Madison asked, Why?
I just got sick of putting up with everything, Scott replied.
What do you mean by everything?
The teasing, Scott said in an almost inaudible whisper.
Can you describe the teasing? Mr. Madison asked.
They joked about my Tourettes Syndrome. They always called me tick boy, because my I cant always control my face. And then theyd make mocking gestures at me that mimicked what I did.
How long has this been going on? Mr. Madison asked.
Since kindergarten,
Did anyone ever physically abuse you?
Sometimes. Many times, during lunch, a bunch of guys would push me into the corner and throw elbows at my stomach, ribs, and legs. They never really hurt me bad, but they did it almost every day for awhile.
Did these students do anything else to you? Mr. Madison asked.
There was an equipment closest in the hallway were we went to hang out after lunch, and a lot of the times they threw me in there when the door was unlocked. Theyd then stand by the door so I couldnt get out.
How did those two actions make you feel?
Well, Scott replied, the elbowing wasnt so bad. I just wish they wouldnt have done it so often. The closet sucked though.
Why? Mr. Madison asked.
I hated being alone, in the darkness. It was like they werent accepting me. I guess, either way they werent really accepting me, but to be cut off from everyone, from being able to go anywhere, I couldnt stand it. At least after they elbowed me, I could walk some place else. I couldnt go anywhere when I was in the equipment closet.
Mr. Madison thought for a second and then continued his questioning.
Scott, this question is tough, but I need an honest answer. Have you ever thought of suicide?
Yes.
Why? Mr. Madison asked.
I was sick of the pain. I was sick of being alone.
Did you have any friends, Scott?
Well, Scott replied, I considered the people I hung around with as friends. I mean, at least they talked to me sometimes. Then, a few teachers were really nice to me, and my parents and siblings
So, the people you called friends, were the same people who put you in the closet and threw you into the corner and elbowed you?
Yeah, Scott said.
Did anyone ever see you being teased or physically abused? Mr. Madison asked. Did any adult ever see anything or do anything?
The adults, teachers and the principal, saw it at the school. Sometimes, when it was really obvious they stopped it. But otherwise, they never did much. Like I said though, the teachers were usually really nice to me. I just wish they would have punished some of the other kids.
So you wanted discipline for the students who hurt you?
Yeah. I didnt think it was right that they could do anything they wanted to me without getting into trouble.
Were you planning on killing yourself the day you fired at the other students? Mr. Madison asked.
Yes. I actually bought the gun for that reason. I wasnt going to hurt anyone else. Just shoot myself.
Why, Mr. Madison asked, did that change?
They day before I was going to, well you know, a couple of kids saw me talking to a girl that one of them liked. After I got done talking to the girl they ripped into me pretty bad, and then they ganged up on me and both gave me what is called a titty-twister.
Would you describe for the jury what a titty-twister is?
Scott replied, Its when a person, in that case two, grab a hold of your nipples with their fingers and twist them as hard as they can.
How long do they twist? Mr. Madison asked.
It depends, sometimes its shorter and sometimes its longer.
How long did they twist on that day? Mr. Madison asked.
A pretty long time. It had to have been a minute or so.
Did anyone see the kids doing this to you?
Yeah, Scott said, a group of students were around and an aid who was on after-school duty.
Did anyone try to stop them?
No, Scott replied, finally the aid, who saw the entire thing, came over and told the boys that Id been picked on enough for one day.
Is that when you decided to take other students with you to the grave? Mr. Madison asked.
Yeah. Scotts voice started to crack as tears filled his eyes. I didnt want to hurt anyone, but I didnt want them to hurt anyone else either. No one helped me, I thought if I was gone they would pick on someone else, and I didnt want that. I thought that if I at least made a point, that maybe people wouldnt bully anymore. I know Im wrong now, and Im really sorry, but I didnt know where else to go, who to talk to. I just wanted everything to stop.
Mr. Madison nodded at Scott and said that he had no further questions. The courtroom was silent. The judge nodded towards the prosecutor, Mr. Bush, and he got up and started his questions.
Scott, Mr. Bush asked, Is this the first time you have thought about killing other people besides yourself?
No.
Can you tell us when those other times were?
Ive thought about it a few times, Scott said. I dont remember exactly when.
But you werent thinking of killing others when you got the gun?
No, Scott replied, I only wanted to hurt myself.
How much time elapsed from the event that took place that you described to Mr. Madison, to the time you entered the school with your gun and started shooting?
I dont know exactly, Scott said, maybe about 20 hours or so.
In those 20 hours or so, did you ever think about not killing other people after you had decided to do so?
No, Scott replied.
Were you planning your shooting in that time? Mr Bush asked.
Yes.
Would you describe your shooting as well thought-out?
I dont know, Scott said. I knew what I was generally going to do. It didnt take a lot of planning.
Just to clarify, you went into the school that day with the intent to kill as many students as possible and yourself?
Objection! Mr. Madison yelled. Dont answer that Scott.
Your honor, Mr. Bushed said, the facts in evidence are not disputed. This goes entirely to the defendants state of mind during the shooting.
Ill allow the question, the judge replied. Please answer the question.
Yes, Scott replied.
I have no further questions, Mr. Bush said.
The next day, Steve Madison looked into the eyes of the jury and began his closing.
A horrible thing happened with Scott Byron walked into Jamestown High School and shot and killed four students. Nothing is going to bring those four young adults back from the dead, and included in that nothing, is causing more harm to a life already deeply damaged. Scott Byron doesnt need, or deserve, to spend the rest of his life behind bars. He needs help, he needs help. He is mentally ill and should be treated as such.
Think of your own children. What would you feel if you knew that one of them was being mercilessly abused both verbally and physically? What would you feel if you knew that one of your children was being locked in a closet during his lunch hour by the same students that your child called friends? What would you feel if, instead of your children or someone you know well, it would have been you in that situation?
Scott Byron has pain in his heart that I dont think any of us can comprehend. He has been rejected, not because of anything he has done, but just because of the fact that he was born a little differently than his peers. And not only has he been rejected by his peers, he has also been rejected by the authority figures at the school. The same authority figures that should have, and had a responsibility to, help Scott out.
You heard all heard the testimony of the principal. He admitted that no action had ever been taken against any of the students that they knew were teasing Scott. The reason? Scott didnt complain. Why didnt Scott complain? Because he knew it would only lead to more teasing. And really, when something is happening in your childs school, whether someone reports it or not, dont you want authority figures who take action anyway, especially when they know what is happening?
Regardless of what school administration did or did not do, and regardless of what other students did to Scott, no person should ever harm another person. Scott, in his right mind, knows that as well. And, after the fact, when hes not under the influence of tremendous pain, he is incredibly sorry for what he did. Isnt the knowledge that he ended four lives punishment enough?
Scott Byron is a good person who made a huge mistake that was driven by years and years of built up pain and teasing. He snapped. Could any of us say we wouldnt have done the same at some point? I know I get a temper when I play video games, and I definitely get a temper when Im driving in rush hour traffic. Can we, at the very least, have some compassion and a little bit of understanding as to why Scott did what he did? If you do, you will not send him to rot in prison. If you do, you will get Scott the help he needs.
After Mr. Madison took his seat, Michael Bush took his turn.
Today, as a jury, you are faced with a difficult decision. Is Scott Byron guilty of murdering four people, or was he innocent due to insanity? The question must be asked though: are any of us ready to say that someone who pre-thought out his shooting rampage, as innocent of any responsibility for the crime?
Scott Byron is an intelligent young man who knows the difference between right and wrong. He is a man who, seemingly, knows that what he did is wrong and knew what he was doing was wrong when he committed the act. He admitted himself that he had originally only planned to kill himself, but instead decided to kill other people. His motive? It can only be said that his motive was revenge.
The defense has done a good job of trying to blame everyone but the person who is responsible. The school is not at fault for Scott Byron killing others. And while I will admit that the abuse Scott Byron received was deplorable, it cannot be the reasons that you find Scott Byron guilty. Everyone remembers high school, and everyone had a horrible time in high school for one reason or another.
Scott Byron knew what he was doing, knew the difference between right and wrong, and pre-thought out his actions before he committed his crime. The law says he is guilty. Saying hes innocent is a great injustice for the parents of the students killed and the community. You have a duty to uphold the law, and the law says that Scott Byron is guilty of four counts of murder."
Questions to ponder:
What would your verdict be? Guilty or Innocent by reason of insanity?
Would you hold the school responsible for the events that took place?
Would you hold any of the students responsible for the events that took place?
How could school security have prevented the event in regards to security measures not in place beforehand?
How do we prevent school shootings in the future? More security? More awareness? Ect... ?
When an atrocious event happens like a school shooting, responsibility definitely lies in the hands of the perpetrator and if that person does survive, he or she should receive justice. However, does anyone else share the blame? Below consists a narrative of a fictional school shooting where the perpetrator survives. Following the narrative is the testimony of the shooter and the closing arguments of both the defense and the prosecutor in the trial deciding whether the defendant is guilty of several counts of murder, or innocent due to insanity.
*All names, towns, and places in this story are fictional and any representational of an actual town, place, or person is purely coincidence.*
Student shoots and kills four in cafeteria
by Bob Johnson
(AP) Jamestown, SD - The residents of the small town of Jamestown tonight are mourning the loss of four high school students, while the shooter is in police custody. Three others were injured and are being held overnight at a local hospital with minor gunshot wounds.
The shooting happened at around 11:30 this morning as a bulk of the students at Jamestown High School were eating lunch in the school cafeteria. Victims names have not been released, but the shooters name is Scott Byron, an 18-year-old senior at the school.
Details about how the event took place are already starting to emerge. The shooter, armed with a pistol, entered the cafeteria during the middle of what is the first of two lunch periods at the school, aimed his gun, and fired it at close range towards a number of students. A teacher, very near where Scott was firing, tackled him from behind and demobilized him.
He walked in with a coat on, took the gun out, and just started firing, said one eye-witness who wished not to be identified.
Questions still remain about how the gun was purchased, how the shooter got it into the school, and the motive behind the shooting is still a mystery.
Im shocked, Im just shocked, said Mary Skinner, a mother of two Jamestown students and also an English teacher at the school. Scott always seemed to be a very kind young man, and was an excellent student.
As to how Scott was able to get the gun into the school, few security measures are in place.
We lock the doors during the day, but we have no metal detectors or security guards, a janitor at the school told the Associated Press. He could have brought the gun in at the beginning of the day, put it in his locker, and got it at lunch. We lock the doors to keep other people from getting in, but no security really exists once students are inside.
Prosecutors are expected to file charges against Scott Byron tomorrow.
We are prepared and expect to be filing four counts of first-degree, premeditated murder against Scott Byron, County Prosecutor, Michael Bush, said i a statement.
Memorial ceremonies for the fallen are expected to take place later in the week, and all three of Jamestowns schools will be closed until next Monday. A makeshift memorial is already starting up as flowers and pictures are being placed by teary-eyed students, parents, and teachers at the entrance to the school.
Along with the tears are the questions, questions that many think will be answered, but many arent sure if they are prepared to hear them from a student, now turned school-shooter, whom many of them knew and liked.
Cameras were not allowed in the courtroom for the trial, but the courtroom was packed with family-members, news-media, and curious onlookers. The task set before the prosecutor was to prove that Scott Byron had planned in advance, and unmercifully shot and killed four students. The task set before Steve Madison, the defense attorney, was to try to convince the jury that Scott Byron was a troubled teenager who battled demons and needed treatment and rehabilitation and not a life sentence in prison.
Neither side disputed the facts of the case. The trial, up to the point of Scotts testimony, had consisted of the defense calling psychiatric witnesses and the prosecutor calling rebuttal witnesses. Rarely has a someone who has gone on a shooting spree at a school survived to trial, and the entire state, if not the nation, was tuning in to hear, and hopefully get an answer to the question of why?
Scott Byron looked nervous as he sat on the witness stand. He seemed gloomy, sad, and almost refused to look anywhere but straight down at his own hands. Mr. Madison approached the stand and starting questioning his witness. After a few How are you doing? questions to get Scott comfortable, Mr. Madison started with the more pressing questions.
Scott, Mr. Madison probed, Did you hold something against the students you fired at in September at your high school?
Not any one person specifically, Scott replied.
So why did you try to shoot them?
I think I was just frustrated, I snapped, I dont know. It was stupid, Im incredibly sorry to the families.
You said you were frustrated? Mr. Madison asked, Why?
I just got sick of putting up with everything, Scott replied.
What do you mean by everything?
The teasing, Scott said in an almost inaudible whisper.
Can you describe the teasing? Mr. Madison asked.
They joked about my Tourettes Syndrome. They always called me tick boy, because my I cant always control my face. And then theyd make mocking gestures at me that mimicked what I did.
How long has this been going on? Mr. Madison asked.
Since kindergarten,
Did anyone ever physically abuse you?
Sometimes. Many times, during lunch, a bunch of guys would push me into the corner and throw elbows at my stomach, ribs, and legs. They never really hurt me bad, but they did it almost every day for awhile.
Did these students do anything else to you? Mr. Madison asked.
There was an equipment closest in the hallway were we went to hang out after lunch, and a lot of the times they threw me in there when the door was unlocked. Theyd then stand by the door so I couldnt get out.
How did those two actions make you feel?
Well, Scott replied, the elbowing wasnt so bad. I just wish they wouldnt have done it so often. The closet sucked though.
Why? Mr. Madison asked.
I hated being alone, in the darkness. It was like they werent accepting me. I guess, either way they werent really accepting me, but to be cut off from everyone, from being able to go anywhere, I couldnt stand it. At least after they elbowed me, I could walk some place else. I couldnt go anywhere when I was in the equipment closet.
Mr. Madison thought for a second and then continued his questioning.
Scott, this question is tough, but I need an honest answer. Have you ever thought of suicide?
Yes.
Why? Mr. Madison asked.
I was sick of the pain. I was sick of being alone.
Did you have any friends, Scott?
Well, Scott replied, I considered the people I hung around with as friends. I mean, at least they talked to me sometimes. Then, a few teachers were really nice to me, and my parents and siblings
So, the people you called friends, were the same people who put you in the closet and threw you into the corner and elbowed you?
Yeah, Scott said.
Did anyone ever see you being teased or physically abused? Mr. Madison asked. Did any adult ever see anything or do anything?
The adults, teachers and the principal, saw it at the school. Sometimes, when it was really obvious they stopped it. But otherwise, they never did much. Like I said though, the teachers were usually really nice to me. I just wish they would have punished some of the other kids.
So you wanted discipline for the students who hurt you?
Yeah. I didnt think it was right that they could do anything they wanted to me without getting into trouble.
Were you planning on killing yourself the day you fired at the other students? Mr. Madison asked.
Yes. I actually bought the gun for that reason. I wasnt going to hurt anyone else. Just shoot myself.
Why, Mr. Madison asked, did that change?
They day before I was going to, well you know, a couple of kids saw me talking to a girl that one of them liked. After I got done talking to the girl they ripped into me pretty bad, and then they ganged up on me and both gave me what is called a titty-twister.
Would you describe for the jury what a titty-twister is?
Scott replied, Its when a person, in that case two, grab a hold of your nipples with their fingers and twist them as hard as they can.
How long do they twist? Mr. Madison asked.
It depends, sometimes its shorter and sometimes its longer.
How long did they twist on that day? Mr. Madison asked.
A pretty long time. It had to have been a minute or so.
Did anyone see the kids doing this to you?
Yeah, Scott said, a group of students were around and an aid who was on after-school duty.
Did anyone try to stop them?
No, Scott replied, finally the aid, who saw the entire thing, came over and told the boys that Id been picked on enough for one day.
Is that when you decided to take other students with you to the grave? Mr. Madison asked.
Yeah. Scotts voice started to crack as tears filled his eyes. I didnt want to hurt anyone, but I didnt want them to hurt anyone else either. No one helped me, I thought if I was gone they would pick on someone else, and I didnt want that. I thought that if I at least made a point, that maybe people wouldnt bully anymore. I know Im wrong now, and Im really sorry, but I didnt know where else to go, who to talk to. I just wanted everything to stop.
Mr. Madison nodded at Scott and said that he had no further questions. The courtroom was silent. The judge nodded towards the prosecutor, Mr. Bush, and he got up and started his questions.
Scott, Mr. Bush asked, Is this the first time you have thought about killing other people besides yourself?
No.
Can you tell us when those other times were?
Ive thought about it a few times, Scott said. I dont remember exactly when.
But you werent thinking of killing others when you got the gun?
No, Scott replied, I only wanted to hurt myself.
How much time elapsed from the event that took place that you described to Mr. Madison, to the time you entered the school with your gun and started shooting?
I dont know exactly, Scott said, maybe about 20 hours or so.
In those 20 hours or so, did you ever think about not killing other people after you had decided to do so?
No, Scott replied.
Were you planning your shooting in that time? Mr Bush asked.
Yes.
Would you describe your shooting as well thought-out?
I dont know, Scott said. I knew what I was generally going to do. It didnt take a lot of planning.
Just to clarify, you went into the school that day with the intent to kill as many students as possible and yourself?
Objection! Mr. Madison yelled. Dont answer that Scott.
Your honor, Mr. Bushed said, the facts in evidence are not disputed. This goes entirely to the defendants state of mind during the shooting.
Ill allow the question, the judge replied. Please answer the question.
Yes, Scott replied.
I have no further questions, Mr. Bush said.
The next day, Steve Madison looked into the eyes of the jury and began his closing.
A horrible thing happened with Scott Byron walked into Jamestown High School and shot and killed four students. Nothing is going to bring those four young adults back from the dead, and included in that nothing, is causing more harm to a life already deeply damaged. Scott Byron doesnt need, or deserve, to spend the rest of his life behind bars. He needs help, he needs help. He is mentally ill and should be treated as such.
Think of your own children. What would you feel if you knew that one of them was being mercilessly abused both verbally and physically? What would you feel if you knew that one of your children was being locked in a closet during his lunch hour by the same students that your child called friends? What would you feel if, instead of your children or someone you know well, it would have been you in that situation?
Scott Byron has pain in his heart that I dont think any of us can comprehend. He has been rejected, not because of anything he has done, but just because of the fact that he was born a little differently than his peers. And not only has he been rejected by his peers, he has also been rejected by the authority figures at the school. The same authority figures that should have, and had a responsibility to, help Scott out.
You heard all heard the testimony of the principal. He admitted that no action had ever been taken against any of the students that they knew were teasing Scott. The reason? Scott didnt complain. Why didnt Scott complain? Because he knew it would only lead to more teasing. And really, when something is happening in your childs school, whether someone reports it or not, dont you want authority figures who take action anyway, especially when they know what is happening?
Regardless of what school administration did or did not do, and regardless of what other students did to Scott, no person should ever harm another person. Scott, in his right mind, knows that as well. And, after the fact, when hes not under the influence of tremendous pain, he is incredibly sorry for what he did. Isnt the knowledge that he ended four lives punishment enough?
Scott Byron is a good person who made a huge mistake that was driven by years and years of built up pain and teasing. He snapped. Could any of us say we wouldnt have done the same at some point? I know I get a temper when I play video games, and I definitely get a temper when Im driving in rush hour traffic. Can we, at the very least, have some compassion and a little bit of understanding as to why Scott did what he did? If you do, you will not send him to rot in prison. If you do, you will get Scott the help he needs.
After Mr. Madison took his seat, Michael Bush took his turn.
Today, as a jury, you are faced with a difficult decision. Is Scott Byron guilty of murdering four people, or was he innocent due to insanity? The question must be asked though: are any of us ready to say that someone who pre-thought out his shooting rampage, as innocent of any responsibility for the crime?
Scott Byron is an intelligent young man who knows the difference between right and wrong. He is a man who, seemingly, knows that what he did is wrong and knew what he was doing was wrong when he committed the act. He admitted himself that he had originally only planned to kill himself, but instead decided to kill other people. His motive? It can only be said that his motive was revenge.
The defense has done a good job of trying to blame everyone but the person who is responsible. The school is not at fault for Scott Byron killing others. And while I will admit that the abuse Scott Byron received was deplorable, it cannot be the reasons that you find Scott Byron guilty. Everyone remembers high school, and everyone had a horrible time in high school for one reason or another.
Scott Byron knew what he was doing, knew the difference between right and wrong, and pre-thought out his actions before he committed his crime. The law says he is guilty. Saying hes innocent is a great injustice for the parents of the students killed and the community. You have a duty to uphold the law, and the law says that Scott Byron is guilty of four counts of murder."
Questions to ponder:
What would your verdict be? Guilty or Innocent by reason of insanity?
Would you hold the school responsible for the events that took place?
Would you hold any of the students responsible for the events that took place?
How could school security have prevented the event in regards to security measures not in place beforehand?
How do we prevent school shootings in the future? More security? More awareness? Ect... ?
.
