Over the years I’ve been hearing a lot of gun talk, you know people with guns who shouldn’t have guns, people who should have guns which should be confiscated all shooting each other and others like it’s the ‘So you think you can shoot?” season finale. Am beginning to think either I watch too many violent movies, or the world is turning into one only there are no cuts. Where was I? right, guns.
So all this talk got me curious and I found myself digging around a gun topic that rather intrigues just as much as it worries me. School shootings, a world of teachers, parents, and students with guns. Apparently, this isn’t a 21st-century disaster, records of school shootings go way back to the 70s.
Anyway, I found a few absurd reasons that instigated a school shooting and here are 8 of them:
A tamed sparrow
In 1856, a certain schoolmaster from Florence, Alabama was the proud owner of a pet sparrow which he would literally kill for or is it die for or maybe both. In fact, he threatened to kill his students if they harmed the little birdy. Unfortunately, a young boy did step on the bird killing it.
Though he was afraid to go to school the next day due to the earlier issued threat, he still went. All appeared well until after classes when the schoolmaster took the boy somewhere private and strangled him to death. Where do guns come in? Well, the boy’s father couldn’t take that seated so he walked to school and shot the headmaster, killing him. Two deaths that day, one for a bird the other for a son.
A note
Professor Wilson a principal to an all-girls union school back in 1872 was shot and critically injured by 17-year-old Thomas McGiffin when he refused to deliver a note for him to a young lady he might have fancied in the school.
Thomas was the son of Colonel Philo Norton McGiffin a famous folk hero to the United States Naval Academy. Too bad back then it wasn’t as easy as sliding into the DMs a man might not have been shot had it. So what do you think the note said? ‘hey’ ‘booty call at the usual side of the fence?’ who knows?
Refusal to write on a slate
Am sorry what? My thoughts exactly at first. So this teacher from Indiana shot at a boy from close range when he refused to write on a slate. And no this wasn’t during the stone age but the late 80s, so I don’t get the slate either.
Luckily the teacher missed, Charles Gregory wasn’t just a bad teacher but a bad shot as well. He was later arrested.
A Pen
No, no, it was not just a pen but a fountain pen! that caused Linda Lipscomb her life in 1968. Her assailant Blanche Ward claimed Linda threatened her with a razor over the pen and while they argued, a gun went off. Gun versus razor, doesn’t seem much like a fair fight.
Dishes
As if it couldn’t get any more petty, in 1918, a professor at the Lincoln Institute in Missouri was shot by Theodore Martin the school’s superintendent since they couldn’t agree on which dishes to use at a certain social. Professor Romeo West died from the three to five shots Theodore fired. Must have been one hell of a function, too bad none got to attend.
A hat
Portland Junior High School, in 1985 saw thirteen-year-old Floyd Warmsley shoot and injure secretary Lynn Haddad and killing janitor David Bangston after he was suspended for refusing to remove his hat while at school.
Floyd must have really loved fashion and wasn’t pleased when someone tried to mess with his style.
Water balloons
When honor student Nathaniel Brazill was suspended for throwing water balloons in 2000 at Florida, instead of staying home he went back to school and shot dead not just any teacher, but his favorite! a Mr. Barry Grunow. Not cool man, your favorite teacher? Not so honorary after all.
Music
In Memphis, Tennessee a teenager from Hamilton High School was shot and slightly injured by a schoolmate when they argued over rap music. Mmm, thank heavens for headphones I can just play my music in private without having to discuss it with who could be potential killers.
Well, there you have it. I just hope a time will come when school shooting will be a thing of the past.