SCHOOL-RELATED DEATHS, SCHOOL SHOOTINGS, & SCHOOL VIOLENCE INCIDENTS

2004-2005 School Year Incidents
Identified by National School Safety and Security Services, Inc.*
Cleveland, Ohio

Note: This page and the work represented herein is copy-protected and reflects the proprietary in-house research conducted by National School Safety and Security Services.  It may not be reproduced or otherwise used in any form without the advanced written permission of Kenneth S. Trump, President of National School Safety and Security Services.

* School-related deaths, school shootings, and school crisis incidents have been identified through print and electronic news sources, professional contacts, and other nationwide sources, by Kenneth S. Trump, President, National School Safety and Security Services, Inc. (Cleveland, Ohio). This is not presented as an exhaustive list or as a scientific study.  Additional incidents may be added pending review of additional items on file and new information received during the course of the school year.

For purposes of this listing, the 2004-2005 school year is considered to be from August 1, 2004, through July 31, 2005. In addition to school-related violent deaths, this page provides a sample of school shootings that did not result in death and a sample of other incidents of school-related crime, violence, and crisis situations. 

For purposes of this monitoring report, school-related violent deaths are homicides, suicides, or other violent, non-accidental deaths in the United States in which a fatal injury occurs:
 

1)  inside a school, on school property, on or immediately around (and associated with) a school bus, or in the immediate area (and associated with) a K-12 elementary or secondary public, private, or parochial school;
 

2) on the way to or from a school for a school session;
 

3) while attending, or on the way to or from, a school-sponsored event;
 

4)  as a clear result of school-related incidents/conflicts, functions, activities, regardless of whether on or off actual school property;

Identified School-Related Violent Deaths:  2004-2005 School Year

Total Deaths:  39

Breakdown by Type:
Shooting:                       24
Suicides:                        4
Murder-Suicide:             2
Fight-Related:                2
Stabbing:                       6
Other:                             1
 

August 19, 2004:  Greenwood, MS

A 15-year-old male high school student received a shotgun wound to the neck and later died from the incident which occurred in a park around 7pm.  The incident occurred after the victim left a school function honoring school athletes at a nearby school stadium.  A 17-year-old male was subsequently taken into custody. Family members stated that the incident stemmed from a conflict with another male student at the high school and that this ongoing conflict, which reportedly involved groups of young males, had also been reported to school officials this year and last year.  Three high school students and four middle school were arrested for fighting the next morning on their respective campuses, although initial reports could not confirm whether or not the fights were related to the killing on the prior night.

August 30, 2004:  Maywood, IL

A 22-year-old male brother of a high school student was killed in a possible gang-related shooting in a high school student parking lot while waiting to pick up his brother around 2:30pm.  The victim was reportedly standing outside his vehicle when he began quarreling with another male non-student in another car, at which time the second man reportedly pulled out a gun after exiting his car.  The two reportedly struggled and the victim was shot once in the chest.

September 5, 2004: Benton City, WA

A 44-year-old male middle school coach and teacher was found stabbed to death in the middle of the school hallway.  Police indicated that the victim had been stabbed once in the abdomen and bled to death. The victim was found by the school's principal and another teacher after the victim's family had reported him missing.  Reports indicate that the victim had returned to the school to collect video footage of its first football game of the season. Police reported no indications of a break-in at the school and no indications that the victim had struggled with his attacker.  A 14-year-old male and a 16-year-old male were subsequently arrested.  Police believe the 16-year-old may have encouraged the 14-year-old, who was found with a fresh gang tattoo at the time of his arrest, to kill the teacher to raise his status in the gang.  The 16-year-old was also accused of stealing items from the victim's truck, while the 14-year-old was charged with first-degree theft for confronting another teen near the school earlier that day and demanding money.

September 14, 2004:  Memphis, TN

A 15-year-old male, eighth-grade high school student died after a fight in a high school restroom.  Six teenagers were subsequently charged with homicide.  Prosecutors reported that the incident allegedly involved a gang initiation in which the victim had agreed to fight, but the fight got "out of hand" according to reports.  Three suspects charged are 13 years old, one is 14, and two are 15.

October 7, 2004: Newburyport, MA

A 15-year-old male high school student shot and killed himself outside of his high school around 10:00pm.  The male was reportedly despondent after a falling out with a female student.  He had attempted unsuccessfully to visit the female, who lived across the street, prior to the suicide. A total of five shots had been fired prior to his body being found on the steps of his high school. The school's superintendent held an assembly about the incident and made counselors available to students.

October 16, 2004: Houston, TX

A 19-year-old male was reportedly shot and killed by a school police officer around 1:45am on an elementary school campus.  The officer indicated that he shot the male, who he encountered attempting to pry open an outdoor vending machine on campus, after the male threatened to shoot him and then reached in his pocket. The male was later found to have had a screwdriver in his pocket.

October 20, 2004:  Hayward, CA

A 32-year-old male was shot and killed in the parking lot of an elementary school around 9:55pm.

November 1, 2004:  Horseheads, NY

A 16-year-old male high school student reportedly committed suicide by driving his car into the side of his high school.  Sources indicate that the incident was reportedly connected to the suicide of a friend from another high school earlier in 2004.

November 17, 2004: Hempstead, NY

A 17-year-old high school student was stabbed to death two blocks from the school during a lunch hour altercation with six to eight youths.  Police were investigating whether the incident was gang-related. 

November 22, 2004: Philadelphia, PA

An 18-year-old former student was shot and killed, and two current female students were injured, in a shooting outside of a North Philadelphia high school.

December 10, 2004:  Nine Mile Falls, WA

A 16-year-old male high school junior shot himself in the head and later died in an act of suicide committed at the high school's entryway around 1:20pm during a school day.  The school was placed in lockdown and students were later released.  A canister holding fireworks, shotgun shells, and rifle cartridges was found in a backpack belonging to the student around 3:30pm.

December 13, 2004: Union City, NJ

An 18-year-old male high school student was fatally stabbed about four blocks from Emerson High School, allegedly by two adult males using a martial arts type sword with a 15-inch blade.  The victim, an alternative education program student from the high school, was stabbed in the chest and pronounced dead at the hospital.  A 15-year-old male high school student also was injured in the altercation, suffering a broken bridge of his nose and a cut across his face.  The 15-year-old had reportedly just been dismissed from school and met the 18-year-old victim, who was under a home instruction program at the time, about three blocks away from the school.  A SUV pulled up and the altercation ensued, with other students running back to notify school officials, who were the first on scene. Two adult suspects, ages 19 and 20, were subsequently apprehended. Police stated that it was not stranger-upon-stranger violence and were investigating the incident as possible gang-related.  Police and school officials discussed gang activity and related issues at a press conference after the incident.

January 4, 2005:  Denver, CO

A 17-year-old male high school student was stabbed to death in a high school cafeteria fight around 1:30pm. A 16-year-old male student suspect was arrested, according to reports.

January 5, 2005:  Philadelphia, PA

An 18-year-old, non-student male was shot in the head outside of a Philadelphia vocational high school as students were dismissed from school.  The victim died the next day. Many of the school's 1,600 students were taken to the school's auditorium right after the shooting as the school's safety plan was engaged.  Once police secured the outside area, students were reportedly released.

January 27, 2005:  Highland Falls, NY

A 7-year-old Catholic elementary school student was found stabbed to death in the school's restroom.  Her father was subsequently arrested. No motive or weapon was found at the time of the report.

February 22, 2005:  Hartford, CT

A 15-year-old male honor student was shot and later died while walking home from a high school basketball game.  The victim was reportedly walking home about about 10 other people, primarily girls.  The victim's sister said that a car pulled up to the group and shots rang out as the victim neared the driveway of his sitter's home.

February 24, 2005:  Long Beach, CA

One student was killed and another student was shot while walking from their high school around 1:15pm toward an area with a collection of restaurants.  Police reported that a group of about a half-dozen students were walking down the street when they encountered a group of gang members near a motel.  Words were reportedly exchanged and shots were fired, with the two students being struck. School officials were planning to have counselors available at the school.

February 26, 2005:  Delray Beach, FL

A police officer reportedly shot and killed a 16-year-old male outside of a school dance at a secondary school for students with behavior problems.  Reports indicate that the male was driving erratically and drove onto campus.  According to newspaper reports, an eyewitness claimed that police stopped him at the gate, but the driver did not respond to an officer's request for his license, and then the officer told him to get out of the car. The officer reportedly stepped back and looked like he was going to grab his gun, at which time the teen drove forward into a courtyard toward the gym where several girls were standing.  Police pursued the car, which rounded a corner with two officers in pursuit, and three shots rang out according to the witnesses' story in the newspaper.

February 28, 2005:  Prentiss, MS

A 16-year-old male alternative school student was found shot to death on a street about 3 miles from his school.  The superintendent indicated that he had taken the bus to school but never showed up inside the school building.  According to reports, he suffered four gunshot wounds to the chest and abdomen.  The school is located in a mobile home on the property of Prentiss High School.

March 2, 2005:  Cumberland City, TN

A 47-year-old female school bus driver was shot and killed around 6:15am while driving a school bus carrying approximately 20 students ranging from kindergarten to 12th grade. The bus reportedly drove into a utility police and crashed afterwards, but nobody was injured.  The district's superintendent reported that an older student on the bus was not able to get his foot on the break, but was able to steer the moving bus into the utility pole to bring it to a safe stop.  A 14-year-old male high school freshman student suspect was taken into custody. The gun used was said to be a .45-caliber handgun. The suspect reportedly had been one of several students reported to administrators by the driver for chewing tobacco on the bus.

March 16, 2005:  Pittsburgh, PA

A 16-year-old male 9th grade high school student was shot in the head and torso, and killed in a drive-by shooting while sitting in a Geo Tracker vehicle outside of his school around 2:00pm.  Two other students in the car were injured and ran into the school after the attack.  The school went into a lockdown for two hours, according to reports.  A 17-year-old was subsequently arrested while police continued to look for the AK-47 used in the shooting.  The attack reportedly stemmed from an ongoing conflict between youth from two rival neighborhoods.  

March 18, 2005:  Los Angeles, CA

A 15-year-old female high school student was shot in the head while awaiting a ride home from her aunt near the gates at her high school. The girl later died. Police believe that she was the unintended target in a gang-related shooting.  An 18-year-old male was subsequently arrested in connection with the shooting. 

March 21, 2005:  Red Lake, MN

A 16-year-old male high school student allegedly shot and killed five students, a teacher, a security guard, and himself at his high school. Seven others were reportedly wounded. The student is believed to have also killed his grandfather and grandfather's female companion.

March 23, 2005:  Indiana, PA
A 51-year-old male was shot and killed by police outside of a senior high school building after 2:00pm.  Police had reportedly been called due to a man walking in the area of the school with a gun.  School officials indicate the man had been buzzed into the school after indicating he was seeking an employment application.  He went to the office and then was directed to the district's administration center.  Upon leaving the building, he was confronted by police, at which time he reportedly pulled out what appeared to be a 9mm handgun and pointed it at a police officer, who shot him.  The male was shot a second time as he allegedly went to get the gun again.  The male later died.  The gun was subsequently found to be a pellet gun. School officials said the school went into lockdown.  Counselors were made available the next day for students.

April 9, 2005:  St. Charles, IL

A 53-year-old police sergeant collapsed and died of a heart attack while chasing a student suspect who was one of five high school seniors arrested and charged for attempted burglary at the school.  According to reports, the students were planning a senior prank of stealing a golf cart and plunging it into the school's retention pond.  Upon "forcibly" entering the school's sports center around 1:20am in the morning, a custodian saw the suspects and notified police.  They fled, but two returned to get bolt cutters left behind.  The suspect ran and reportedly ignored the sergeant's command to stop, and the officer collapsed and died during the chase.

April 12, 2005:  New York, NY

An 18-year-old male high school student was stabbed to death while awaiting a train to school at a Bronx subway.  Two fellow students were also stabbed while trying to escape the attack by a group of men.  Police said the incident may be gang-related.

April 22, 2005: Hempstead, TX

The body of a 38-year-old male high school principal was found in his car, which was found around 9:10pm parked alongside a highway, after the male threatened to commit suicide following accusations of sexual misconduct by a 17-year-old former student at another school.  School officials indicated that the male had strongly denied allegations, but was concerned that going through the process of responding to the allegations would be damaging, according to reports.

April 27, 2005: San Gabriel, CA

A 17-year-old male high school student, a popular school athlete, was shot to death about a block from his school around 1:56pm in the afternoon. The victim reportedly was shot following an altercation with four males in a van. Police later arrested a 23-year-old suspect.

May 17, 2005:  Lower Allen Township, PA

A 47-year-old male allegedly shot a 32-year-old female several times and then turned the gun on himself during an argument around 3:00pm in an elementary school parking lot.  The murder-suicide was described as resulting from "domestic violence" which did not result in direct harm to students or staff at the school.  The school was locked down and students were later released on the opposite side of the building according to reports.

July 18, 2005:  Newark, NJ

A 35-year-old male school police officer was shot in the head and killed around 1:30pm by one of two attackers who drove up in a reportedly stolen car as the officer and his partner attempted to break up two girls fighting near the high school's athletic field shortly after summer school dismissal.  His partner, who was shot in the finger, was treated and released from the hospital. This incident reportedly stemmed from a conflict that started in the neighborhood over the weekend.

July 24, 2005:  Brownsville, TX

A 15-year-old male was found beaten to death near the track area of a high school.  Two teen suspects, ages 17 and 18, were subsequently arrested. Police reportedly believe that two beat the victim with brass knuckles during a fight on the school's soccer field. One suspect reportedly stated that the victim stumbled back onto a goal post and held on to regain his balance, and the post fell and crushed his head. Autopsy showed he had a crushed skull and broken jaw.

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Sample of Reported 
School-Related Shootings Not Resulting in Deaths

A sample of school-related shootings occurring nationwide in the 2004-2005 school year not resulting in death is listed below.  It should be noted that this is only a sample and and is not intended to include all of the many incidents involving firearms confiscated but not used, and other weapons possession or use that occur in U.S. schools.  List includes individuals shot but not killed and firearms discharged in schools, on school campuses and buses, at school-sponsored events, to and from school involving students, and as a clear result of school-related incidents/conflicts.

Total non-death shooting incidents listed to date:  52

August 3, 2004:  Birmingham, AL
A 16-year-old male high school trumpet player was shot in the shoulder around 8:30am during a band camp break at his high school.  A 17-year-old fellow band member was taken into custody. Police said the shooter tossed the handgun over a fence where police later found it.

August 25, 2004:  Memphis, TN

A 16-year-old male high school student was arrested for allegedly opening fire on a 17-year-old male classmate.  The bullet reportedly missed the intended target and slammed into the bottom of the double doors in the lower level of the school.  Reports indicate that the suspect was allegedly involved in a fight with other students when another teen tried to intervene, at which time the suspect reportedly fired the shot. The school was placed in a partial lockdown according to reports. The suspect was arrested by members of the police gang task force. 

September 13, 2004: Cleveland, OH

A 14-year-old high school student was grazed in the leg by a bullet while walking home from school.  Police had no suspects.

September 15, 2004: Gary, IN

Two students were in custody and police were seeking a third male after a fight broke out in the commons area during a lunch period and a teen took a gun out of his waistband and fired it into the ceiling.  One of the teens arrested reportedly tried to hide the gun, a .380 semi-automatic handgun, in the bushes outside of the school as police were responding to the scene.  No one was injured.

September 15, 2004:  Cleveland, OH

According to reports, more than 250 students and adults filled the street around a city high school around 2:40pm.  As three students began to fight, shots were fired and the crowd ran.  A 16-year-old student was found on a tree lawn with a bullet wound in his thigh and a 17-year-old student walked up to police with a bloody index finger and reported he had been shot.

September 17, 2004:  Cleveland Heights, OH

A 23-year-old male and a 17-year-old male were shot around 11:30pm following a high school football game involving a number of fights.  The victim's injuries were not life-threatening, according to reports.  Police reportedly called in 18 police cars to handle fights during and after the game.

September 29, 2004:  Baltimore, MD

An unknown individual fired a gun as students evacuated the school due to a fire, which was one of at least 15 fires set in the school in recent weeks.

October 1, 2004: South Bend, IN

Two people were shot as spectators left a high school football game stadium. Both parties were taken to the hospital.

October 21, 2004: Baltimore, MD

Two teenage brothers, ages 16 and 19, were shot outside of a complex housing a city middle school and a high school.  The incident reportedly stemmed from a conflict over a girl.

October 25, 2004:  Philadelphia, PA

A 15-year-old high school freshman was shot in the back with a .22-caliber bullet while standing in the middle of an after school street brawl that was the third day of such fighting.

November 2, 2004:  Knoxville, TN

Three suspects were arrested after a shootout between the occupants of two cars near a magnet high school.  The school resource officer reported hearing shots and calls came in from the area for about 16 minutes reporting same. Police found an abandoned van used by the three captured suspects, containing two semiautomatic rifles, ski masks, dark clothing, cocaine, methamphetamine and marijuana.  A machine-gun style weapon was found snagged on the fence, according to reports. 

November 10, 2004:  Salinas, CA

A male high school student was approached by three males and shot while across the street from the school around 4pm as he was walking home.  Police believe the incident was gang-related.

November 12, 2004:  New Orleans, LA

A school security guard shot a 16-year-old male student in the foot after reportedly observing him smoking marijuana under a tree outside the high school during class time. She reportedly approached him, he became aggressive, and then reached under his jacket for what she believed was a weapon, at which time she drew her gun and fired at him, striking him in the foot.

November 15, 2004: Gary, IN

A 28-year-old mother of an elementary school student was shot while picking up her child outside of the school.  Reports indicate that she was not the intended target, but was struck when gunfire erupted between two men in the area. 

November 16, 2004:  Beaufort, SC

A 20-year-old male was shot twice outside of a high school gym around 6:30pm as a practice basketball game between two schools was being held inside the gym.  The suspect fled through the gym, which had about 50 individuals present, and left the area.

November 16, 2004:  Birmingham, AL

A 20-year-old male was shot on a street outside of a high school near the end of a high school basketball game.  A female had reportedly told some males that another man had slapped her in the face.  The males drove by moments later and shot the victim in the stomach, according to reports.  The suspect was apprehended by police on scene.

November 17, 2004:  Apopka, FL

A 14-year-old male middle school student was arrested for firing a gun in a boy's restroom. The bullet reportedly ricocheted off the bathroom floor and went into the wall of a female student restroom.  No one was injured.

November 19, 2004:  Jacksonville, FL

A 19-year-old male high school student accidentally shot a fellow student, who was one of four individuals in the car on the way to school, in the leg.  The 19-year-old driver dropped off the victim, a 9th-grade male student, in the parking lot.  Police and medical officials responded.  The students originally told police they were victims of a drive-by shooting but it subsequently found out that this was not true.

December 8, 2004:  Uniontown, PA

A hunter's stray bullet went through a wall of an elementary school and into a classroom filled with third-graders.  The bullet struck a backpack.  No students were injured.

December 9, 2004:  Montgomery, AL

A 14-year-old male junior high school student was shot in the face, allegedly by another 14-year-old male student, after an argument broke out while walking near an elementary school.  The victim ran to the elementary school and banged on the door for help, and the principal called police and paramedics.

December 13, 2004: Lake Charles, LA

An 18-year-old male high school student told police that an unidentified, hooded and masked black male got into his car and shot him in the leg as he was leaving school around 12:30pm.  The student victim, a senior, reportedly attends only a half-day of regular classes.  The shooting reportedly occurred in the teachers' parking lot next to where construction crews were working.  Police had limited information and were investigating at the time of the report.

December 17, 2004:  Brookville, OH

Gunshots were fired around 10:00am in front of a high school.  One bullet hit the top of the school's front doorway and two others hit an air conditioner in a window.  No one was injured and officials enacted a lockdown.  Police believe the shooting was done as a diversion to distract attention away from a bank robbery which subsequently occurred a few miles away.

December 30, 2004:  Greenville, NC

Shots were fired in a high school parking lot following a basketball tournament game and the offenders took off in a car.  Deputies caught up with the car several blocks from the school.  Three teenagers, two guns, and ammunition were taken into custody.  More than a dozen gunshots were fired in a Burger King parking lot two days prior after youth left a basketball game at the same high school. 

January 18, 2005:  Alvin, TX

A sixth-grade male elementary school student accidentally fired a .22-caliber semi-automatic gun he was carrying in the classroom, grazing himself in the leg.

January 20, 2005:  Hartford, CT

An 18-year-old male shooting victim staggered into an elementary school and then left when confronted by a school security guard.  The male was reportedly shot while walking into the school, according to reports.  The school was put into a lockdown for 30 minutes past their regular dismissal time.

January 26, 2005: Peoria, IL

A 15-year-old male high school student was arrested for shooting at another freshman in the school's hallway around 9am.  The school went into a lockdown as police searched room by room for three hours, when the suspect was found at a house near the school.  Students told reporters that the incident was gang-related and reports indicate that the two may have had an ongoing conflict.

January 26, 2005:  Spring Branch, TX

A stray bullet struck an elementary school custodian who was working late at the school.  The bullet was lodged in her back.  According to reports, the custodian saw a confrontation between two groups of individuals around 10:00pm on the school playground.  Police indicate that firearms discharge calls in the area are not uncommon.

January 27, 2005:  Barstow, CA

An elementary school went into lockdown after a 17-year-old male allegedly discharged a .45-caliber gun at a passing car while 600 students were outside in a fire drill.  No students were injured.  Police suspect the incident was gang-related.

January 28, 2005: Racine, WI

A 16-year-old male reportedly fired four shots toward a crowd of students at a high school talent show, in plain view of a police officer, and then ran from the police officer who ordered him to stop.  The shooting happened after 8:15pm as a talent show let out. The incident may have been gang-related.

February 3, 2005:  Hermitage, VA

At least one shot was fired from a car outside of a high school.  Two students who had been caught with weapons in their two respective high schools, one with a gun and the other with a knife, were arrested in connection with the shooting.

February 4, 2005:  Atlanta, GA

A 15-year-old pregnant female high school student was taken to the hospital after being accidentally shot in the neck outside of a high school.  Her brother, who is not a student at the school, reportedly dropped the gun.

February 8, 2005:  Boston, MA

A gun fell out of the pocket of a high school student and discharged upon landing on the second floor hallway.  No one was injured.  A teacher who came out into the hallway to investigate saw a student pick up the gun and run from the area with another student.

February 18, 2005:  Rio Rancho, NM

A 17-year-old male high school student was arrested for allegedly firing gunshots into the home of the school district security chief.  The chief believes the incident may have been in connection with the suspect's car having been towed from the high school parking lot after the suspect allegedly ignored repeated warnings to move his vehicle from the assigned parking lot of another person at the school.

February 22, 2005:  Lansdowne, VA

Two teens were shot while walking less than a mile from the school around 7:00am. A 16-year-old high school male was shot twice in the back and hospitalized in critical condition.  A 14-year-old high school male was shot in the hip. Five schools in the area were locked down as police searched the neighborhood and school officials searched the high school for suspects.  School officials made counselors available at the schools.

February 26, 2005:  Fairfield, CA

Police responded to calls for shots fired and over 100 people involved in a disturbance at a restaurant parking lot where residents and students had retreated following a basketball game.  Police reportedly recognized the individuals involved as the same who they had dealt with earlier in the evening at the basketball game.  No one was injured.

March 15, 2005:  Columbus, OH

A 7-year-old second grade student was shot in leg with a gun he had brought to school in his backpack, according to reports. The student was allegedly showing the gun to another student at the time it discharged.  Approximately 15 students and a teacher were in the classroom at the time of the incident. The student's brother, age 24, was later charged in connection with leaving the .45-caliber semi-automatic handgun accessible to the student.

March 17, 2005: New Orleans, LA
A 16-year-old male school student was shot in the leg in a high school hallway as he was a bystander to a conflict between individuals from two rival neighborhood groups.  A 15-year-old male student was later arrested. The victim's injuries were reportedly not life-threatening.

March 21, 2005: New York, NY

A 15-year-old male Brooklyn high school student shot himself in the leg with a .45 caliber gun while handling it in his classroom, according to reports.  The student then allegedly tried to convince students to not tell the teacher as blood dripped down his leg. 

March 24, 2005: Detroit, MI

An 18-year-old male high school student was shot in the stomach in an alley across the street from his school and then ran to the school for help around 11:00am, according to reports.  The school went into a lockdown.  Students were subsequently dismissed as they only had a half-day of school scheduled that day.

March 24, 2005: Memphis, TN

A 17-year-old female high school student accidentally shot herself in the forearm with a gun when she reached into her purse around 10:00am while in a classroom.  No one was injured.

March 31, 2005:  Los Angeles, CA

A 40-year-old male painting contractor was robbed and shot in the upper arm outside of a LA high school around 9:45am.  The suspects were not believed to be students, according to reports.

April 6, 2005:  New Orleans, LA

A 16-year-old male student was shot in the neck outside the gates of his high school around 1:00pm, according to reports.  The student, who reportedly had left school without permission, was reported in critical condition at a New Orleans hospital.  Reports indicate that the student was shot after arguing with some people who pulled up in a car. The school went into lockdown and police were on scene.

April 7, 2005:  Canton, TX

A 45-year-old father of a high school football team quarterback was arrested after allegedly shooting the team's 37-year-old football coach/athletic director and attempting suicide. The male allegedly went to the school after classes began and shot the coach in the chest with a .45-caliber gun, according to reports. He reportedly then fled the area with numerous weapons in his vehicle and was subsequently apprehended in the woods after attempting to slit his wrists and with a puncture wound in the thigh. The suspect reportedly had been banned from the school following past confrontation with coaches.

April 13, 2005: New York, NY

A 12-year-old female walking with her younger brother past an elementary school around 3:00pm was shot in the buttocks when a stray bullet, intended for a nearby 25-year-old who was also shot twice.

April 15, 2005: Milwaukee, WI

Two males, one 17 and the other 19, were shot in an after-school shooting which occurred a block away from the school.  A 17-year-old was later taken into custody.  Dozens of students were in the area at the time of the shooting.

April 24, 2005: Minneapolis, MN

Police arrested three male teens after one allegedly fired a shot at the officer during a chase near a high school. School officials reportedly had observed an individual point a gun out of a car outside of the high school and told the police sergeant, who pursued the vehicle.  The occupants fled, the officer caught one suspect, and the other suspect then fired at the officer, who returned fire. 

April 27, 2005: Philadelphia, PA

A 7-year-old male elementary school student was shot in the head by a stray bullet while leaving his elementary school and getting into his stepfather's car.  The student was hospitalized and reported in stable condition at the time of this posting. Police were searching for suspects.

April 27, 2005:  Reserve, LA
Two junior high school students were arrested after a 15-year-old accidentally discharged a .25-caliber handgun in a classroom.  The male claimed that he thought that the gun, which was reportedly given to him by a 14-year-old male student, was a cigarette lighter.  Police said the gun was small and resembled a cigarette lighter.

May 13, 2005:  Anderson, SC

No charges were filed after a student accidentally discharged a school resource officer's gun while the officer was attempting to do a demonstration on how difficult it would be for someone to get the officer's gun from his holster.

May 16, 2005: San Antonio, TX

A bullet went through a storage room window of a middle school as shots were fired outside between adults involved in a dispute unrelated to the school.  No students were injured.

May 19, 2005:  Summerlin, NV

A school police officer reportedly fired one shot at a car driven by two adult non-students in a high school parking lot after the officer was allegedly nearly run down by the auto, which the drivers reportedly refused to stop at the direction of police.  No students were injured.

May 26, 2005:  Rio Grande City, TX

An elementary school campus was locked down after a parent saw a man walking a couple blocks from the school with a gun and a shot was subsequently fired near the school.  Police arrested a 30-year-old male and found drugs in the home during a search.

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Sample of Other Reported Higher-Profile 
School Crime, Violence, and Crisis Incidents in 2004-2005

Total incident listing to date:  272

August 12, 2004:  Richmond, TX

The father of a second-grader faces a misdemeanor charge of making a firearm accessible to a child after a teacher found a loaded .380-caliber semiautomatic pistol in a pocket of the student's backpack. The father reportedly stated that he had put it in the backpack and forgot it was in there.

August 14, 2004:  Hartford, CT

A 53-year-old male school district electrician, who had been suspended without pay by his supervisor earlier in the week, confronted his supervisor at 7:15am in the woods behind the district's buildings and grounds offices with a loaded Colt AR-15 semiautomatic assault rifle.  The gun was loaded with more than 30 rounds in the clip and one in the chamber, and the suspect had more ammo in his pocket and truck, according to police.  The supervisor and several other employees subdued and held the man until police arrived.

August 17, 2004:  Kernersville, NC

A total of 16 high school students were arrested for a racially charged brawl which occurred in the high school's parking lot.  A deputy assigned to the school and teachers broke up the incident.

August 18, 2004:  Albuquerque, NM

A 15-year-old male high school student was arrested in connection with the stabbing of a 9th-grade male student shortly after lunch.  A 5-inch pocket knife was found near the scene and was believed to be the weapon used in the attack. Reports indicate that the victim and suspect were reportedly members of rival gangs.

August 18, 2004:  Littleton, NC

A 17-year-old male student was stabbed by a 14-year-old student using a small knife in the student parking lot after school let out for the day.

August 20, 2004:  Centennial, CO

High school staff members alerted their school resource officer that a 15-year-old male student had admitted making improvised explosive devices at his home.  Deputies searched the home and found 11 devices ranging from "M-80" homemade firecrackers to two larger explosive items.  The teen was arrested on suspicion of possession and manufacturing an explosive device and reckless endangerment.

August 25, 2004:  Pembroke Pines, FL

A high school and a middle school went into lockdown for approximately 45 minutes as police searched for suspects from a robbery at a nearby bank.

August 26, 2004:  Fayetteville, NC

Two elementary schools and one high school were put into lockdown after shots were fired in a neighborhood subdivision.  Outside activities were canceled for the rest of the school day.  One suspect was apprehended.

August 26, 2004:  Greenville, SC

A 12-year-old female middle school student got into a fight with a 14-year-old female student after getting off their school bus.  As the 12-year-old was reportedly dragging the 14-year-old around the ground by her hair, the 14-year-old reportedly pulled out a pocket knife and stabbed the 12-year-old in the buttocks.  The 14-year-old was arrested and confined in a juvenile facility while the 12-year-old was recovering from the injury at home.

August 26, 2004:  Melbourne, FL

A 16-year-old male student was arrested for stabbing a classmate twice in the abdomen.  Witnesses told police the two students, who were enrolled on campus at an adult education program, got into a fight outside the faculty lounge when the stabbing occurred.  Teachers and other students broke up the fight and the suspect fled, but was later apprehended and pointed police to the woods behind the school to find the weapon used in the stabbing.

August 27, 2004:  Fargo, ND

A 37-year-old male was arrested after reportedly being apprehended in possession of a 9mm semi-automatic handgun while in front of a high school shortly after the school's dismissal.  A contracted school security guard, who was unarmed, observed the male and was able to subdue him with the assistance of a passer-by.  The suspect's intentions were unknown at the time of the report, although the guard said that he had seen the man on the school campus earlier in the day.

August 27, 2004:  Greensboro, NC

A high school principal broke her hip while trying to break up a fight among three students after a high school football game.  Three students, all girls, were subsequently charged with misdemeanor offenses.  The school district also tightened security by assigning a police officer with each principal during games, restricting food and beverage items from being brought into games, and establishing rules that visitors are subject to search.

September 1, 2004:  Warr Acres, OK

A 25-year-old male was arrested for possession of a concealed weapon, trespassing on school property, resisting arrest, and assault on a police officer. The male reportedly signed in at a high school office and then went to a school art room where he insisted on sitting in on a class.  The teacher questioned him for several minutes to get him away from students and then another teacher followed him until campus police caught up with him in a hallway.  The male reportedly began fighting as they attempted to escort him from campus, during which time a lockblade knife fell from his pocket.  He was subsequently arrested and taken into custody.

September 3, 2004: Greensburg, PA

A 48-year-old male was arrested after entering a high school locker room claiming he was a cheerleading coach there to learn new routines.  The suspect, who reportedly had a fixation for 13-years for a former cheerleader, dresses as a woman and uses the name of the former cheerleader, according to reports.

September 7, 2004:  Geneva, OH

A 32-year-old male opened fire with over 50 rounds in a downtown area near an elementary school as children made their way to school and adults were heading to work.  No children were injured and the school reportedly went into lockdown.  Three adults were injured by the gunfire before the victim turned the gun on himself.  Police report that a search of the home turned up a cache of weapons.

September 7, 2004:  Middleton, WI

Police evacuated the high school after a report of a suspicious device around 9:15 am after staff and students found a plastic soda bottle taped to the underside of a cafeteria table. School officials said there was obscene language written on the tape that held the bottle in place. Teachers staff and students were kept in the sports stadium for approximately two hours until an all-clear was given. The bomb squad had been contacted and they determined the bottle to be empty and not dangerous.

September 7, 2004: Wilmington, DE

A 41-year-old male bank robbery suspect was apprehended and arrested by police after running into an open Catholic elementary school cafeteria filled with third and fourth-graders during a student lunch period.

September 7, 2004:  Ukiah, CA

A suspected bomb with a note attached was found by a middle school custodian upon his arrival for the opening of the school building.  The device, which was treated as a real bomb, turned out to be a carbon dioxide cartridge with a watch wrapped around it and wires protruding.  Over 40 students were transported to another school for breakfast until the bomb squad determined it was not a live bomb.

September 8, 2004: New Albany, IN

A 17-year-old male high school football player was stabbed several times while on the way to his bus stop in the morning.  The teen reportedly had five stab wounds. The teen reportedly knew his assailant, who was arrested.

September 10, 2004: Simi Valley, CA

A sheriff's department bomb squad safety removed a pipe bomb from an elementary school after it was discovered around 10:45am by a school custodian.  Police said that school officials had moved the bomb, which was one-inch in diameter of metal pipe, to an area away from classrooms.  The bomb never exploded and students were not evacuated.

September 10, 2004: Duluth, MN

A 17-year-old male was arrested for stabbing a high school senior outside a high school football game as the game was finishing up.  The victim was reportedly stabbed in the face, arm and abdomen around 7:45pm. The suspect did not attend any area high schools, according to reports.  The victim was expected to make a full recovery.

September 13, 2004:  Lawrenceville, GA

Two males, ages 12 and 15, were arrested and charged with possession of a hoax explosive device and disruption of a public school after a school resource officer (SRO) found a suspicious device which appears to be batteries wrapped together with buttons attached sitting on a low wall between two buildings outside of the high school.  The building was evacuated and the bomb squad responded.  The device turned out to be a fake.

September 13, 2004:  Corona Del Mar, CA

A male high school student was allegedly stabbed around 11:45am.  Police believe the incident took place in a restroom, but additional details were not available at the time of the report.  The victim reportedly had a 3-inch cut on his cheek.

September 13, 2004: Chula Vista, CA

A 23-year-old male wanted for attempted murder of his girlfriend was tackled by an elementary school teacher and then arrested by police as he fled from police during a chase.  The suspect was involved in a car chase with police and then fled by foot to the elementary school, where he was then subdued.

September 13, 2004: Los Angeles, CA

A 14-year-old high school male was allegedly beaten and stabbed in the face with a blunt object after school around 3pm.

September 16, 2004:  Clinton Township, MI

A 17-year old male high school student who said on the Internet that he planned to bomb his high school was reported to police by a 16-year-old female. A police search of the suspect's home reportedly found instructions for making a bomb and videotapes of him with assault weapons.  Police showed weapons and ammunition, Nazi flags and books about white supremacy and Adolf Hitler that they said they found during the search. The suspect's 52-year-old father was charged for concealing stolen weapons and a 33-year-old family friend, who allegedly gave the boy bomb-making instructions, was charged by police, who report finding explosives, weapons, and drugs in his home.

September 17, 2004: West Palm Beach, FL

A fight at a high school football game, which reportedly started when one girl accidentally bumped into another, escalated to involve as many as six people, and delayed the game about 20 minutes. School police used pepper spray to get the situation under control. Three people were arrested.

September 17, 2004:  Marshfield, MA

A 17-year-old male high school student was arrested for plotting a Columbine-style massacre in his school in April of 2005.  The plan included detonating explosives and killing students, teachers, police and firefighters. Police found evidence of one test explosive detonated in the woods near the suspect's home and a "shopping list" of guns and ammunition at his home. The search also reportedly found diagrams of the school, including exits he would block to prevent escape, and web site information about weapons dealer, bombs and explosive devices. 
 

September 21, 2004:  Pittsburgh, PA

A 9th-grade high school male was reportedly slashed on his arm during a fight by a 16-year-old male student who had slipped a knife past school security by taping it on his leg.  The suspect was arrested and the victim was treated and released from the hospital.

September 22, 2004:  Bellingham, WA

High school classes were canceled and students were sent home after students and school staff were forced to evacuate the school around 12:30pm due to a suspected pipe bomb found on school property.  The 6 to 8 inch cylindrical object, found in the school commons, was later found by police to contain no explosives.

September 22, 2004:  High Point, NC
A female, acting high school principal was hit in the head and knocked unconscious while trying to break up one of two fights in the high school cafeteria around 1:40pm.  The administrator was treated and released at the hospital.  The victim was the third school district administrator injured while breaking up fights this school year.

September 22, 2004: North Charleston, SC

A riot broke out during the first lunch period around 11:00am in a high school cafeteria.  Two injuries were reported and approximately 20 students were arrested after as many as 40 students fought in a cafeteria with over 250 students.  The school's resource officer called for backup, triggering a response from approximately 60 police officers. Officials report that the incident appeared to stem from a conflict between "rival neighborhood groups." An 18-year-old student was arrested earlier in the morning for having a loaded shotgun in his car.  This followed an argument the afternoon before involving two males from the rival groups in a parking lot which was broken up by school officials.

September 22, 2004:  Carthage, MO

Two 15-year-old male vocational school students were arrested after a 9-mm gun, two loaded magazines of ammunition, a pellet gun, two knives and a pair of brass knuckles were found in a bag in a school locker around 1:30pm during the school day.

September 22, 2004:  Union City, CA

Approximately 50 teenagers engaged in a brawl on the way home from a local high school around 3:35pm.  Witnesses reported bats and sticks were used, although one reported that someone brandished a firearm.  No guns were found.  The principal reported no serious injuries, although some received bruises.  Police and school officials beefed up security the following day and there were no reported incidents.

September 25, 2004: Flint, MI

A fight broke out at a high school football homecoming game and continued outside of the stadium.  One man was stabbed and taken to the hospital. 

September 27, 2004: Framingham, MA

An ongoing argument between two high school male students escalated into a physical confrontation on a street near the school around 2:00pm during which time one student stabbed the other in the stomach.  A custodian was the first to report the fight and several staff members assisted in breaking it up.

September 27, 2004:  Humble, TX

One high school female, a senior, allegedly cut the throat of a female high school junior with a box cutter during an altercation in the school commons area.  The victim suffered a "superficial cut" to the throat, according to school officials, and was taken to the hospital. The senior reportedly resisted arrest but was taken into custody.

September 27, 2004:  Chester, PA

Police arrested 28 students at a high school where a riot broke out around noon in the cafeteria and spread throughout the halls as additional individuals from two rival "groups" jumped into the fight.  Police were called and reinforcements from other nearby towns were called in to stop the riot.  Classes were canceled for the rest of the school day and hundreds of students were sent home early.

September 27, 2004:  Bruce Township, MI

A 16-year-old female high school student was allegedly stabbed in the back with an 8-inch kitchen knife by her 16-year-old boyfriend, a non-student at the school. The victim was initially unaware that she had been stabbed until a teacher saw the knife sticking out of her back, according to reports. The male fled the building and the school was put into a lockdown.  The suspect was caught in a field about an hour later and subsequently charged with attempted murder.

September 30, 2004:  Raleigh, NC
An 18-year-old high school male was allegedly stabbed outside of the school by a 16-year-old male student.  The victim went back to the campus for help and was taken to the hospital.  The suspect was subsequently arrested.

October 1, 2004: Cedar Park, TX

Two high school male students, ages 15 and 16, were arrested after another student reported to school officials that the two planned to "re-create" the Columbine massacre at their suburban high school.  Police arrested the two males after they failed to show up to school.  The plan reportedly was to occur at a school pep rally and specific students had been named, according to police.  One male had access to a shotgun and both claimed to have access to other weapons.

October 4, 2004:  Waverly, OH

Police report that a 17-year-old high school male took a rope to the second floor, tied it to the stairwell, and then jumped off in a suicide attempt. Teachers were in the area and were able to get him down quickly, according to reports.

October 4, 2004: Winsted, CT

A middle school was locked down after an adult female called the State Mental Retardation Office threatening to shoot students at the school. Police said the woman was angry because her child was unable to go to school.

October 4, 2004:  Indianapolis, IN

A 28-year-old female parent was arrested for possession of a 38-caliber handgun with seven rounds of ammunition in her purse upon entering an alternative school to escort her 17-year-old niece to a teacher conference.  The woman was stopped entering the school because the principal had drafted a letter barring her from the school due to alleged past threats to students at a bus stop.

October 8, 2004:  Everman, TX

Two off-duty police officers were injured after asking two adults to put out a cigarette or leave the stadium at a high school football game.  One of the suspects, a 25-year-old male, was arrested after fighting with the officer. About 100 to 150 others became involved before additional police arrived and were able to regain control.  The two officers received bruised ribs and one was bitten on the arm, according to reports.

October 11, 2004:  Folsom, CA

Police detonated a 5-inch pipe bomb which was found on a middle school football field by a student and taken to the office.  The principal evacuated the office and then took the device outside.  No one was injured.

October 11, 2004:  St. Paul, MN

A 16-year-old male high school student was arrested after threatening to bring guns to school and shoot staff members and students.  Students found information on the plot in the suspect's planner, which was left on a desk in a math class, and reported it to adults, who notified the police.

October 13, 2004:  Ville Platte, LA

A fight between a high school student and another student, a family member, began around 7:45am.  One student was stabbed in the upper torso with a 3-inch bladed knife and was sent to the hospital with minor injuries. At least two people were arrested, according to reports.

October 14, 2004: Opa-Locka, FL

Two robbery suspects were arrested at a Catholic elementary school while trying to flee police.  One suspect was arrested outside of the school and the second was arrested after entering the school, causing 140 students to evacuate the building. The suspects reportedly shot at police before entering the school.

October 18, 2004:  Baldwin, KS

A 15-year-old male was placed in a mental health facility earlier in the month, according to this news report on October 18th, after police were alerts to his writings on the Internet which led police to believe he was planning a suicidal incident.  Police said he had written about creating a diversion to draw police out and then use pipe bombs, a shotgun and various firearms to carry out his intentions.  A student saw the information on a web site and alerted his parents, who in turn notified the school's police resource officer.

October 18, 2004:  Dover, NJ

A 17-year-old male high school student was stabbed in the abdomen with a small knife while in the boys' restroom around 7:25am by another 16-year-old student.  Most students were in the school cafeteria eating breakfast at the time of the incident. Subsequent news reports indicate that officials believe the entire incident was staged by the victim and suspect as a prearranged scheme to get attention.

October 19, 2004:  Deerfield Beach, FL

A 15-year-old male high school student was stabbed in the neck and chest with a screwdriver by another 15-year-old student during a fight in the high school's classroom around 11:30am. The victim was reportedly stabbed five times, once on either side of the neck, once on either side of the chest, and once on the right side of his back. The suspect was charged with attempted murder.  The victim was in critical condition at the hospital.

October 20, 2004:  Richland Center, WI

A 17-year-old male was arrested after reportedly pulling a knife and stabbing another student during a fight outside of a school. 

October 21, 2004:  Macon, GA

A 30-year-old elementary school teacher was arrested for beating the mother of a student in her classroom in front of 19 elementary students. The victim suffered a fractured nose, possible broken bone near her eye, and bruises.  The conflict reportedly began when the parent came to the classroom to give her child a note and attempted to enter the classroom as the teacher tried to stop her.

October 21, 2004:  Celebration, FL

A 15-year-old and a 17-year-old high school male got into a fight, reportedly over a girl, in the school's courtyard.  The 17-year-old reportedly threw a knife, belonging to the 15-year-old, and struck the 15-year-old in the thigh.  The 15-year-old was treated at a nearby medical center.

October 21, 2004:  Brooklyn, NY

A 41-year-old male science teacher was stabbed and received injuries to both hands while trying to break up a fight between two middle school female students.  A 14-year-old female special education student was taken to the police precinct in connection with the incident.

October 22, 2004:  Atlanta, GA

Law enforcement officials reported that a computer theft ring may be targeting schools in the Atlanta area.  Since June, 112 laptop and desktop computers, worth more than $150,000, were reportedly stolen from 30 area schools.

October 22, 2004:  Philadelphia, PA

Two students were arrested and 15 others were suspended in a total of three fights inside and outside a city high school between 8:15am and 11:00am.

October 22, 2004: Vista, CA

A teenage male was stabbed during a fight between 10 and 20 males and females which broke out at a homecoming football game around 7:40pm.  The fight reportedly occurred between school buildings and the parking lot.

October 22, 2004:  Fountain Valley, CA

Police and fire departments responded to calls for a fire in a high school boy's locker room after 3:30pm.  They found two small fires and a pipe bomb upon opening a smoking locker. Hundreds of students involved in after-school activities were evacuated and the bomb was subsequently disabled.

October 25, 2004:  Kingston, TN

Sheriff's officers responded to a high school and removed an combustible  device wrapped in tape with a fuse.  The school had to be evacuated and the device was removed.  Police also searched the home of the 15-year-old male high school student suspect.

October 27, 2004:  Salt Lake City, UT

Four high school students were arrested after police discovered a plot to kill students, teachers and parents at their high school.  Police said a search of the students' homes found that they had access to weapons and had downloaded bomb-making instructions from the Internet.  A hit list with 10 names was also found.

October 28, 2004:  Louisville, KY

Five high school students were arrested after elaborate notes and maps were found in an apparent plot to attack their school.  Classmates reportedly overhead the students talking about the plot and informed a teacher.

October 28, 2004:  Havelock, NC

An argument between two female high school students, ages 15 and 16, escalated into an attack where the 15-year-old reportedly stabbed the 16-year-old during a fight in front of the Child Development Center near the high school after school.

October 29, 2004: Philadelphia, PA
Police arrested 11 teenage girls, an 18-year-old male and a 39-year-old mother during a riot in a high school cafeteria and hallways stemming involving students from rival housing projects.

November 1, 2004:  West Hartford, NY

A 14-year-old female reportedly attacked a 15-year-old female student while on board a school bus, leaving injuries to the victim's hands.

November 1, 2004:  Irvine, CA

A 15-year-old male student was accidentally killed when a car, driven by a 73-year-old, drove into a poll and then crashed into a wall at the high school. The victim was waiting outside to picked up from school.  [Note: This incident is not included in the school-associated violent listing above as reports indicate it was accidental and not an intentional act of violence fitting the criteria listed above.  It is listed here, however, due to the crisis nature of the incident.]

November 5, 2004:  Clinton, TN

Police arrested nine male high school students over a week after an 8-month undercover police investigation into drug sales at a high school. 

November 5, 2004: Brooklyn, NY

A 15-year-old male high school student was stabbed in the neck with a kitchen knife by an unknown male assailant who fled the building after the attack in the school's gym class.

November 5, 2004:  Baltimore, MD

A 15-year-old female student was stabbed in the thigh as she walked out of a middle school restroom after 3:20pm.  Police said the incident appeared to be related to an ongoing neighborhood dispute.

November 9, 2004:  San Francisco, CA

Students and teachers were locked down in a middle school gym after a gunman, described as in his 20's, threatened to kill a teacher and robbed two employees.  The man had entered the school and said he was going to shoot a teacher who had allegedly struck his nephew.

November 9, 2004:  Jersey City, NJ

Three 15-year-olds and one 16-year-old, all high school students, were approached by a 16-year-old and a 17-year-old outside of the school.  Three of the students approached by the two were slashed with a sharp object before running into the building.  School security officials reportedly apprehended six individuals involved in the fight, which started across the street from the school around 8:20am.