» By David Harris
Staff Writer
During January, there were public shootings in several parts of the country.
On Tuesday, Jan. 14, a 12-year-old boy opened fire on students in the school gymnasium at Berrendo Middle School in Roswell, NM.
Two students were wounded: 13-year-old Kendal Sanders and an 11-year-old boy. Before anyone else could be harmed, social studies teacher John Masterson confronted the young man.
Masterson was able to convince the seventh grader to lower the .20- gauge shotgun.
Sanders suffered injuries to her right shoulder. That evening she underwent surgery. The 11-year-old boy was in critical condition after suffering injuries to the neck and face.
The accused shooter was apprehended and taken in custody by a state police lieutenant.
On Friday, Jan. 24, a South Carolina University student, 20-year-old Brandon Robinson, was shot. He was in a verbal argument with 19-year-old Justin Bernard Singleton outside of a resident hall. The argument turned deadly when Singleton shot Robinson in the neck. Robinson died that afternoon in the hospital, and Singleton was charged with the murder.
On Friday, Jan. 31, four other men were charged in connection to the shooting as accessories to murder. The four suspects were identified as 23-year-olds Darius Frazier and Raymone Sinclair Reed, 22-year-old Kevin Alonzo Winningham, and 27-year-old Shannon Deandre Davis.
The men were arrested and charged. Two of the men were released on bail, and the other two remain in custody.
On Saturday, Jan. 25, 19-year-old Darion Aguilar killed two employees and himself at a mall in Maryland.
The victims were 21-year-old Brianna Benlolo and 25-year-old Tyler Johnson. Both were employees at a shop that sells skateboarding gear.
Aguilar’s mother said her son was a gentle person. But after the Howard County Police Department did an investigation of Aguilar’s personal journal, it is believed he might have been unhappy with his life.
Aguilar wrote about needing the help of a mental health professional. Also within the journal he expressed thoughts of suicide, hatred of others and an apology to his family for what he was planning to do on Jan. 25.
On Friday, Jan. 31, a planned school shooting was averted at Kenwood High School.
The night before, the Clarksville Police Department was alerted by an anonymous caller of a student planning to bring a gun to the school. The police then contacted the suspected student and his father.
The student confessed to the plan and admitted to being in possession of a firearm. The student has not be identified, but has been detained. After further investigation, the principal of Kenwood High will decide what disciplinary action to take.
“Everybody has the ability to get guns nowadays, even if the laws are cracking down” said Etenia Mullins, senior english literature major. “But they don’t see the consequences in their actions of owning the gun.” TAS
