Drizzt
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Shots scare school kids; gun was fake
ARRESTED: After firing from van at school, suspects shot at motorist, police say.
By Tataboline Brant
Anchorage Daily News
(Published: January 18, 2003)
Three West High School boys were arrested Thursday after they fired a fake gun at children playing during recess at Chinook Elementary School, police said.
No one was injured in the incident, but police say the juveniles -- aged 16, 15 and 14 -- also fired the fake firearm at a woman in a car who was stopped at an intersection in South Anchorage.
It was unclear Friday if the gun was a toy cap gun or a starter pistol used for races. It made a loud pop when it was fired but did not release bullets, said police spokesman Ron McGee, who had not seen the weapon. The officer who recovered the gun could not be reached.
The incident at Chinook Elementary occurred around 12:30 p.m. while six classes, mostly fifth- and sixth-graders, were outside playing, police and school officials said.
A red van pulled up to the school, at 3101 W. 88th Ave., to an area where 10 to 20 kids were playing football. Police say the driver of the van pointed what looked like a gun at the children and fired about three times and then drove away.
At least 11 students saw the vehicle, police said. One boy told police he heard one of the suspects yell "Get Down!" He described the weapon as a short barrel revolver "cap gun," McGee said.
Another student told police the weapon looked more like "a popper gun" than a revolver, McGee said. "She said it was kind of scary."
A third student said the suspects fired 20 times, reloading at least once, McGee said.
It's typical to get varying accounts from children, he added.
No adults saw the apparent weapon, said Anchorage School District spokesman Roger Fiedler. When the kids reported the incident, everyone was taken inside and police were called, he said. Chinook did not go into lock-down.
"I'm sure this was a frightening experience for the kids but the word they were giving to the teachers was that it was a pop gun" -- not a real gun, Fiedler said.
School officials called as many parents as they could before the end of the day to let them know what had happened, Fiedler said.
About the same time police heard from school officials, a woman called saying someone in a red van had fired a gun at her while she was stopped at a light on Dimond Boulevard, McGee said. The woman told police she entered the Dimond Mall parking lot where the boys drove past her car again and fired the gun in the air, McGee said.
A short time later, an officer spotted the suspected van, a Mazda MPV, near Tudor Road and Minnesota Boulevard. The vehicle was pulled over in the parking lot of Spenard Builder's Supply without incident, McGee said.
The 15-year-old passenger told police that the other two boys picked him up at West High around noon and that they already had the fake gun, McGee said.
At least one of the boys said the fake gun was purchased at the Carrs on West Northern Lights Boulevard, McGee said. The boys also removed the front license plate from the Mazda MPV and covered the rear one, he said.
The 16-year-old driver, the boy suspected of firing the gun, was charged with 14 misdemeanor counts of fourth-degree assault and taken to McLaughlin Youth Center, McGee said. The two other boys were each charged with one count of fourth-degree assault and released to their parents.
Fiedler said the three West High teens could face long-term suspension or expulsion. "It's a pretty serious thing they did and we're taking it seriously," he said.
http://adn.com/alaska/story/2479250p-2526090c.html
now that is absolute stupidity....
ARRESTED: After firing from van at school, suspects shot at motorist, police say.
By Tataboline Brant
Anchorage Daily News
(Published: January 18, 2003)
Three West High School boys were arrested Thursday after they fired a fake gun at children playing during recess at Chinook Elementary School, police said.
No one was injured in the incident, but police say the juveniles -- aged 16, 15 and 14 -- also fired the fake firearm at a woman in a car who was stopped at an intersection in South Anchorage.
It was unclear Friday if the gun was a toy cap gun or a starter pistol used for races. It made a loud pop when it was fired but did not release bullets, said police spokesman Ron McGee, who had not seen the weapon. The officer who recovered the gun could not be reached.
The incident at Chinook Elementary occurred around 12:30 p.m. while six classes, mostly fifth- and sixth-graders, were outside playing, police and school officials said.
A red van pulled up to the school, at 3101 W. 88th Ave., to an area where 10 to 20 kids were playing football. Police say the driver of the van pointed what looked like a gun at the children and fired about three times and then drove away.
At least 11 students saw the vehicle, police said. One boy told police he heard one of the suspects yell "Get Down!" He described the weapon as a short barrel revolver "cap gun," McGee said.
Another student told police the weapon looked more like "a popper gun" than a revolver, McGee said. "She said it was kind of scary."
A third student said the suspects fired 20 times, reloading at least once, McGee said.
It's typical to get varying accounts from children, he added.
No adults saw the apparent weapon, said Anchorage School District spokesman Roger Fiedler. When the kids reported the incident, everyone was taken inside and police were called, he said. Chinook did not go into lock-down.
"I'm sure this was a frightening experience for the kids but the word they were giving to the teachers was that it was a pop gun" -- not a real gun, Fiedler said.
School officials called as many parents as they could before the end of the day to let them know what had happened, Fiedler said.
About the same time police heard from school officials, a woman called saying someone in a red van had fired a gun at her while she was stopped at a light on Dimond Boulevard, McGee said. The woman told police she entered the Dimond Mall parking lot where the boys drove past her car again and fired the gun in the air, McGee said.
A short time later, an officer spotted the suspected van, a Mazda MPV, near Tudor Road and Minnesota Boulevard. The vehicle was pulled over in the parking lot of Spenard Builder's Supply without incident, McGee said.
The 15-year-old passenger told police that the other two boys picked him up at West High around noon and that they already had the fake gun, McGee said.
At least one of the boys said the fake gun was purchased at the Carrs on West Northern Lights Boulevard, McGee said. The boys also removed the front license plate from the Mazda MPV and covered the rear one, he said.
The 16-year-old driver, the boy suspected of firing the gun, was charged with 14 misdemeanor counts of fourth-degree assault and taken to McLaughlin Youth Center, McGee said. The two other boys were each charged with one count of fourth-degree assault and released to their parents.
Fiedler said the three West High teens could face long-term suspension or expulsion. "It's a pretty serious thing they did and we're taking it seriously," he said.
http://adn.com/alaska/story/2479250p-2526090c.html
now that is absolute stupidity....
