E-mail updates
Follow on Twitter
Subscribe to RSSAn Alabama state senator and a representative who have been in touch with the family of the 5-year-old boy being held hostage in a bunker discuss the case.
The family of an Alabama boy abducted from his school bus and being held in an underground bunker is "holding on by a thread," a state representative said Thursday as the hostage drama stretched into a third day.
The boy, a 5-year-old named Ethan, is receiving necessary medication and appears to be calm and doing well, a state senator said.
A source close to the investigation told NBC News on Thursday that authorities had also managed to get crayons and coloring books to the boy.
The child was kidnapped Tuesday after school when a man stormed the bus and presented a note demanding that two children be handed over to him, the source said. When the driver refused, the man shot and killed him and grabbed the boy, authorities said. Twenty-one other children on the bus were able to escape.
On Wednesday, a source close to the investigation identified the suspected gunman to NBC News as Jimmy Lee Dykes, 65, of Midland City, describing him as a loner and a survivalist who "does not trust the government" and holds "anti-American views."
Hostage negotiators were still talking to the man in his bunker through a PVC pipe, but after a second night ended with no sign of progress in negotiations, Alabama state Rep. Steve Clouse told the TODAY show: "We are all just hoping this can come to a safe end."
He said the boy's family was "holding on by a thread."
The Dothan Eagle quoted a neighbor, Michael Creel, as describing the bunker as a "homemade bomb shelter," roughly 4 feet wide, 6 feet long and 8 feet deep and covered by several feet of sand. James Arrington, police chief in neighboring Pinckard, where the bus was assaulted, told reporters Thursday that Dykes had been known to stay in it for as long as eight days.
Alabama state Sen. Harri Anne Smith told TODAY that negotiators had delivered medication that the boy needed, provided by his mother, and that he was believed to be calm and doing well. His mother has "taken comfort in that," she said.
In the remote town of Midland City, just north of the Alabama-Florida state line, people prayed for the boy's safe release.
"Right now, the whole town seems like they're just in a mourning stage," convenience store manager Carl McKenzie told NBC station WSFA of Montgomery. "I would go take that child's place if I could, just to get him out of danger."
Bus driver praised
Authorities offered no hints to the gunman's motive. Clouse said the kidnapping appeared random.
Hostage negotiators have been talking to Jimmy Lee Dykes, 65, who is alleged to have abducted a kindergartner from his school bus Tuesday. NBC's Gabe Gutierrez reports.
Read more: Hostage suspect was loner, missed court appearance
The gunman burst onto the yellow school bus about 3:40 p.m. Tuesday, authorities said. When the driver, Charles Albert Poland Jr., 66, tried to stop him from taking children off the bus, he was shot and killed. The source close to the investigation told NBC News that four spent bullets were found at the scene.
Read more: Slain bus driver remembered as hero
The county school system said 21 students had made it off the bus safely and praised Poland as a fallen hero. But the gunman made off with the one child, possibly because the boy fainted during the siege, according to WSFA.
Clouse said gratitude was being expressed for Poland's actions, telling TODAY: "He started the day as a bus driver and ended it a hero."
Linda Williams, a county tax clerk whose cousin was married to Poland, described him to NBC News as "a good Christian man" who was active in church.
"It says in the Bible the meek will inherit the Earth," brother-in-law Melvin Skipper told the Eagle. "He was the meekest man I knew."
Poland's neighbor Hilburn Benton told the newspaper that Poland refused to accept payment for work on his yard two years ago. "He told me, "You're my friend and you're my neighbor. I'm not charging you a dime,'" Benton recalled.
Suspect faced previous charges
Dykes had been due in court Wednesday morning to face a misdemeanor charge of menacing James E. Davis Jr., a neighbor who accused him of firing a pistol at his truck Dec. 10. The Montgomery Advertiser reported that the dispute was over a makeshift speed bump.
Dale County Board of Education
Charles Albert Poland Jr., who had driven a school bus for Dale County, Ala., since 2009, was shot and killed.
Rhonda Wilbur told WSFA that Dykes was a longtime source of concern in the neighborhood because "he has been like a time bomb waiting for him to go off." Wilbur told reporters that Dykes had beaten her dog to death with a lead pipe.
In addition to the county sheriff's department, the FBI and a SWAT team were on the scene. A woman answering the phone at the Midland City Police Department said the FBI had taken over and that local police were no longer involved. Authorities ordered people living nearby to leave during the standoff.
Schools in Dale County and the nearby city of Ozark were closed for the rest of the week. Dale County schools said counselors would be available to help students, including those who were on the bus.
M. Alex Johnson, Gabe Gutierrez, Isolde Raftery and Alastair Jamieson of NBC News contributed to this report.
The Dothan Eagle via AP
A man boarded this stopped school bus in the town of Midland City, Ala., on Tuesday afternoon and shot the driver when he refused to let a child off the bus. The bus driver died.
Leave a Comment:
i live not very far from this tragedy. this was not a domestic dispute, and the school bus driver was killed by a lunatic who wanted to take children off of the bus. not his children, just children. he took one and now is holding this child hostage. the other children on the bus are traumatized at the events that took place today. the school bus driver made an attempt to get this person away from the children and lost his life defending them.
this is not a gun issue. this is a psychopath issue. he has past mental issues and was willing to use whatever weapon necessary to carry out his "mission"
i am a gun owner and will continue to be one...... this tragedy today makes me more determined to keep my gun to try and protect myself, my family, my friends anyone else who cant defend themselves.
this person is mentally unstable. the gun was just the weapon he chose to create this disturbance, he would have caused serious injury or death if he had a knife too, BECAUSE HE IS MENTALLY DISTURBED. THE GUN DID NOTHING WRONG EXCEPT BE IN THE HANDS OF THIS STUPID PERSON.
just sayin'
Until we as a nation address the real problem,,, people,,, we will get no place at all. Nut cases and "bad guys" could give rats a$$ about any laws passed. Ban this ban that, it will make no difference. We need to address the main problem,,,, people.
MNJL170: Make that insane people who do not have a mental institution to be admitted into. Build more insane asylums! Put Americans to work, building them and working them. Think how nice it would be if you never had to encounter another nut in your everyday life.
The school bus driver was fatally shot. The man has taken a 6 year old as a hostage. This isn't his child. He is a 65 year old man. He has the child in a bunker in his back yard. SWAT, FBI and even the bomb squad are there. This isn't a domestic incident as some had evaded to. This is an adult and a child. Right now I don't care about gun control! I care about the safety of that child! The helicopters are still flying over head so I don't think there has been a solution by authorities as of yet.
Another psychotic Liberal with a gun and, as usual, the remaining liberals blame the gun.
Few liberals have bunkers. Ban handguns.
Ban liberals with guns without bunkers.
@Takenaka,
Please, oh Yoda, tell us how you plan on getting criminals to comply. I await your pearls of wisdom.
whoa i live 10 minutes from there
Surprised? LOL! It's Alabama! The want children to carry assault rifles! They want to repeal the Affordable Healthcare Program so that Black people can't afford to have insurance. They should put the bed of the truck in the front! That is their mentality!!! This is not news!!!
Yep, it's ALL about them Black Folk.
you are ignorant. this type of violence is rare in Alabama. and no, we do not want any children to carry assault rifles, and the reason we want the affordable healthcare program appealed is due to the lack of employment to PAY for the program. there are many unemployed people in this state due to businesses moving to 3rd world countries instead of keeping them here in the usa. all of us Alabamians do not drive trucks, we have cars, and motorcycles too. the mentality here is for the most part Christian, but we do have some that do not believe that way either and they are not bad people either.
sounds like you are the one who has the problem. and yes, this is news down here to us.
The human capacity to commit violence is unencumbered by a lack of means to do so. Banning certain implements will not deter an individual, or group of individuals from harming others if that is their intent. As the UK's disarmed but still violent society illustrates, merely banning guns is not the solution.
The UK is now considering a ban on kitchen knives!! Their gun ban didn't solve their problem.
Can't make this stuff up - Google it.
mpa- I herd about that. Almost pissed my shorts laughing. I herd NY is also restricting the use of knives as well.
Cracked my wife up when I told her about it - she thought I was joking at first.
First guns, then knives, then large sodas, then every other freedom we once enjoyed in this country. All because our politicians are too interested in campaign funds and re-elections to do what is right. It's not a gun problem folks, it's a human problem. People are violent, that's why people in England, Mexico, Australia, Brazil, and all the other gun ban countries just keep right on killing each other.
Some folk are clueless, uninformed Fox news junkees! Nobody ever said that banning assault weapons would solve or end the problem of gun violence. Any effort to "reduce" gun violence should be welcomed by civilized people who have half the intelligence of a fish!
No empirical study of the effectiveness of gun laws has shown any positive effect on crime. To the dismay of the prohibitionists, such studies have shown a negative effect. That is, in areas having greatest restrictions on private firearms ownership, crime rates are typically higher, because criminals are aware that their intended victims are less likely to have the means with which to defend themselves.
As a civilized person, I would recommend that everyone should be locked up. That would "reduce" gun violence. BTW - I am sure you have half the intelligence of a fish, as demonstrated by your (il)logic.
Daniel,
Too bad you never watch FOX.
Daniel,
Why embrace legislation that has no purpose but to limit the mulitude of potential law abiding legal owners with a ban that will not have a significant positive impact in reducing gun violence?
Dan, we are all very sorry you were born with a brain of a fish.
Reducing gun violence? Like maybe putting a stop to the revolving doors on our prisons? Shouldn't you be more worried about the repeat offenders and gang members who are committing 95% of the crimes first and foremost?
LET ME SEE IF I HAVE THIS CORRECT.......
Obama and you other libs want stricter and stricter gun laws for law abiding AMERICANS. But, you and he have no problem sending twenty F16 fighter jets and 200 Abram Tanks to Egypt.
Liberals are not hypocritical.........They're phonies!!!!
Apparently MSN will pump any story into its headlines whether or not they have any facts about the story or not.
Anything to divert attention away from their Mesiah.
This article sounded like the ramblings of a five year old.
This story has also been reported on CNN and even FOX, but you single out MSN. Why? Could it be because you're biased? Would you feel better if this crime had never been reported by the news media?
DAMN NOT AGAIN . . . Greensboro Alabama . . . was Forrest Gump hurt????
A courageous bus driver was shot trying to prevent a man from kidnapping children, and as of right now the gunman has not been apprehended and it's not known if the children have been abused, assaulted or even murdured, but somehow you think it's humorous, so you make a sick joke about it. WHY?
How did the man get on the bus in the first place? Did the driver let him on initially? I guess we'll find out more later.
Pray for the child taken, the bus driver and all the children involved. My hat is off to the bus driver for trying to protect the children.
This could be your kids. Our gun rights are more important than our youth? Or its just a couple of kids, that wont make a difference?
DLsteph,
So what are you suggesting?
I have never responded to one of these articles before but I could not help myself tonight. I have been a teacher and principal for 22 years and I am amazed by the fact that so many seemingly intelligent people have missed the fact that a man who was just doing his job is now dead and another group of kids has been needlessly terrorized. People go on and on about gun control, mental health, politics and hundreds of other opinions about meaningless rhetoric, and everyone seems to have missed the point of this story. We are a highly educated population of people who continue to take out our frustrations on our children! As horrific as each one of these types of events are, the numbers of dead and damaged are nothing compared to the thousands (tens of thousands) of kids who die each day at the hands of their parents, or to drug abuse, neighborhood violence, starvation, and poverty. As a nation we continue to spend millions of dollars on sporting events and actors' salaries and we slash funding for education, health care, police/rescue workers etc. What ever your political views, your heritage, skin color, religion, sexual orientation or the 100 other ways we find to dehumanize each other, no amount of legislation will end the violence we carelessly heap on our kids until we decide they are too precious to lose.
I am from the area that this is happening in and it is still going on almost 6 and a half hours later. Thats the reason there is not a complete story. We are just praying the child makes it out ok at this point. As for it being a child custody case, uh no. The shooter is in his 60s and a Vietnam vetern. There are more details on dothanfirst.com and wtvy.com.
On another note, I am all for my gun rights and I do have a permit to carry a concealed weapon. I dont think assault weapons are necessary, but I do believe I have the right to defend my kids if it came to that point. Regardless of what type of bans are put on guns, does anyone really think it is going to do any good? Criminals do not obey the laws now. Oh, thats right, with a gun ban, they are going to suddenly pay attention to that one law.
$100 says this idiot is a life-time NRA member.
Repeal the 2nd amendment TODAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Make gun ownership a privilege, not a right . . . just like driving a car.
87% of Americans over the age of 16 are eligible to drive a car, but it's NOT guaranteed. You MUST prove you are capable of the responsibility of driving a motor vehicle. Only then can you drive.
The same should apply to gun ownership!
The sizable majority of Americans 'need' to drive more than they 'need' a gun, but simply have little resistance to the fact that driving is a privilege . . . not a right!
You should not be given a gun simply because you are lacking in your manhood and feel the need to feel powerful!
Possies!
Dust,
Let's repeal your first amendment right. With your analogy, you are insinuating that a lack of expertise is leading to these crimes. Do you mean you should be able to shoot before you can own a gun? I have both a big dick and many guns, so, there goes another one of yuor theories - IDIOT!
Dustbuster, please provide some kind of proof whatsoever to support your emotional rant. I don't think we'll be making any changes to the Constitution based on the rambling hysterics of a guy on the internet who is afraid of guns.
Dustbuster . . . FYI it is already a privilege NOT A RIGHT to own a gun in my state.
1. Handgun Safety Certificate, obtained by passing a written test, is required for handgun purchases.
2, Handguns sold by dealers must be "California legal" by being listed on the state's roster of handguns certified for sale.
3. Private sales of firearms must be done through a licensed dealer.
4. All firearm sales are recorded by the state, and have a ten-day waiting period.
5. California has no provision in its state constitution that explicitly guarantees an individual right to keep and bear arms.
Of course this doesn't matter as the nut bags will find a way to buy and use a gun anyway . . . so grow up and face the facts . . . we don't live in a godly society . . . too many liberals made it what it is today.
If you want to repeal the 2nd Amendment, then I'll start a movement to repeal the 1st, 4th, 5th, 6th, 7th and 8th Amendments to the Constitution, you liberals can't have your cake and eat it too.
And you're going to get criminal to comply......how, exactly?
Another freak with a gun. Gee, do restrictions who own them really seem so obscene? I think not. it is time for America to join the 21st century and go for the greater good. I do not care a whit for one's own civil liberties. The Gun Loving Community had almost,10 years to come up with restrictions that could have stuck. They did nothing, as usual. Children are dying because this country cannot come to terms with the fact we need restrictions on who sells and who owns these weapons. Am I the only one who feels this way? Or does everyone believe anyone and everyone should get a gun if they want it? Are we really this so self-absorbed a society where our right to own a weapon cancels human (children's) lives? If we are so decrepit, I want out.
We have restrictions, there are over 20,000 gun laws in this country. Please educate yourself.
Bye Maz - You won't be missed!
Maz- May I suggest you move to Mexico where it is illegal for citizens to own guns. I am sure you will feel perfectly safe and secure. Following your logic children in Mexico must not get killed by violent means as they have made it impossible for citizens to have guns.
"I do not care a whit for one's own civil liberties."
I gotta go with Hoops - we won't miss you. Can you find several thousand who support that statement and take them with you? Maybe each of them will be able to do the same.
Voila! Better country.
Control your hysteria folks, violence happens in every country. This type of thing has been happening forever, but now you have liberal, gun-grabbing websites that like to post every story they can find on the internet to fuel your fear. The truth is that violent crime has been decreasing in the United States for decades. The truth is you have a .04% chance of getting killed by a gun in this country if you aren't a gang member or a convicted felon.
We have 315 million people in the country, we aren't all going to get along all the time and some people are going to do bad things. More gun control won't have any affect upon violent crime, so let's all just simmer down and use some logic and start using some logic for a change. Like life sentences and the death penalty for violent felons and institutionalizing the dangerously mental ill.
Almost all of the stories like this one involve a repeat offender, restraining orders, and other long histories of crime and violence, it's funny how those parts of the story never get reported on here. Is it because the gun-control advocates are afraid that if we put all the criminals in jail where they belong nobody will go along with their gun-grabbing schemes?
Agree with everything you said, but I would also add, that this particular individual was a Vietnam Vet, possibly suffereing from PTSD. More help (mental and physical) need to be given to vets. As a disabled combat vet myself, I can tell you that most VA Hospitals are undermanned and ill equiped to deal with the mental illness of returning combat vets. They're getting better, but not quickly enough. I am sure there are still many Vietnam vets suffereing in silence from mental illnesses originating from combat.
there are a lot of details missing in this story ... more info is needed to find out what is going on . however the man that shot the driver is wrong obviously and the child in question is in serious danger it appears . that is the main focus ...... note that there is no hysteria on guns or politics, the mental state of the man and the safety of the child is what should be the main concerns
You are totally right. All of us, myself included, are so sensitized to gun violence right now that everything quickly escalates to arguing about the rights to own guns and mental health. We don't know the whole story. I do feel so sorry for the family of the bus driver. I know everyone does. And I agree, we should be focusing on the child here - praying they are safe.
He didn't have a knife; He had a gun. A gun made it easier for him to go and kill an innocent man protecting a child. The man with the gun is the problem. The man had a gun and used it to kill someone else. For everyone who is going to use the 2nd amendment as a shield, I think you MUST remember that under the Declaration of Independence, "all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.--That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, --That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its owers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness." If we the people decide that we can no longer be safe or happy with the current gun laws, we can vote to change them. The Constitution also allowed for slavery and we changed that. Sometimes things have to evolve and easy and free access to weapons may be one of many things that has to change for people to feel safe. It's not the only thing but we cannot pretend things are working the way they are.
Seattlegirl, please educate yourself on the effects of removing guns from societies around the world throughout history. It always leads to more death, sometimes millions of deaths through genocide. At the very least, the removal of guns just leads to more deaths from knives, bats, and fists.
If you want a safer society, let's hear your solutions to battling the 1.5 million gang members responsible for 80% of the gun violence in this country? The cops and politicians don't have an answer, obviously...what are your ideas to stop gang violence and repeat offenders which together are the source of 95% of all violent crime?
You are correct that things are not working they way they should but that is not the fault of Legal gun owners.
When the system that is in place isn't working the way it should maybe that is the first step, fixing the current system, and once the system is working with the current laws, then if those laws are inadequate change them.
When you can show that the system is working, the laws are being enforced, and its the Laws that are not working, then you can blame it on the laws.
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2013/01/29/gun-debate-lawmakers-eye-troubled-background-check-system/
Can someone help me - I'm trying to understand how gun shows regulate gun purchases - are there different rules by state? I've heard quite a lot that gun show purchases because waiting periods do not apply to private owner sales are exempt from oversight. I'm researching but would welcome anyone's experiences with this.
Seattlegirl just rambles . . . she doesn't think . . let loan educate herself. Maybe because her state just legalized marijuana andshe is too busy stuffing her brain hole with pot. If she read some of the posts above she might understand that dumping the 2nd Amendment is not the answer . . . like I said girl , , , it is NOT A RIGHT in my state and but a privilege given to law abiding citizens. You sound like your in junior college trying to make a point by cutting a pasting from your text book . . .
YES When Mr Obama begins taking away our fundamental rights . . . and becomes the dictator that we know he is going to be . . . then it is time we take back our country as then "that" THAT FORM OF GOVERNMENT is certainly destructive to the American people . . .
SO please give it a rest!
Really? This is a forum where anyone can post and share opinions and information. I appreciate your lecture and can certainly applaud your ability to use bold text and all caps. Way to go.
Your rights are a priveledge - you earn them by living here, serving in the military, paying taxes, and voting. We all are empowered and strengthened by them.
I am not advocating repeal of the 2nd ammendment, just welcoming debate on how we as Americans can help our society be safer and more productive. And because you brought it up, I didn't vote to legalize marijuana in Washington.
Seattle girl -
I'd like to think that that you are sincere, and only lazy enough that you won't use your search engine to do your "research."
Of course gun shows regulations differ by states, as do almost all gun laws. There are more than 26,000 gun-related laws in this country. Waiting periods are required in some states for some purchases - instant background checks via the NICS alleviate this requirement in other places. Private sales are not covered by the background check requirements in most places.
BTW: Life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness does not equalte with "feel" safe. That is the primary purpose of the 2nd amendment. Do the research and read what the founders intended when they put that into the Constitution - not that you will care, I'm sure.
Some more research to do. How many state mental institutions are there in Washington? However many the state has they should double it. Every state should. Soon people would start to see a reduction in the "crazy" factor evident in all these killings.
Seattle- What you can do is mentor an at risk youth. Get your community involved in cleaning up gang graffiti. Say not to pot and other drugs and encourage others to do the same. Encourage strong family values and if you want get a gun. If you chose not to carry a gun that is ok to. Make sure that if you witness a crime you go and get a good person with a gun and be willing to testify in court as to what you witnessed.
Seattle girl (you must be very young) -
Our rights are not a privelege! By definition. Educate yourself. It is nearly free.
mpa-4893349 - I'm not sure what I posted that seems incincere or to give the impression that I am disinterested or lazy. And if only I were very young still - To be honest, as I wrote, I am online researching gun show laws and regulations, but I thought that I would post the question here as it seems there are gun owners on this forum who may have this knowlege readily available especially about their own states. Thank you for sharing your experiences with this -that was what I was hoping to find out.
I do know that the Declaration of Independance is not intended to guarantee the right to feel safe. My statement was that if people no longer feel safe, they may choose to support legislation which changes the laws potentially including those around gun purchase and ownership. And I do feel it is a priveledge to be born to this country, to serve for this country and the rights and freedoms we have. That is what I meant.
Tigerlove, What evidence do you have to back up your preposterous accusation that President Obama is going to take away your fundamental rights? Can you please tell us of even one occasion in the history of America when the federal goverment attempted to take away all the guns from it's citizens? Also, to you and all the others who are belittling Seattlegirl, instead of hurling disgusting insults at those you disagree with, why don't you try being gentlemem for a change and disagree without making personal attacks against those you disagree with.
Seattle -
Backpeddling a bit there. Reread your first post. It is pretty clearly an argument for changing the 2nd.
mpa, I like the way you try to belittle seattlegirl's post, but you wouldn't know a search engine if you tried to put gas in it.
TAKE responsibility for the children you raised. sapred the rod and spoiled the child. school equal blame rules. gay marriage movies on TV. the roghts of the ONE out way the rights of everyone else. DOES IT MATTER what he used to kill the driver with? At least the driver was man enough to stand up to him and deny him to protect the kid's'. Self rightious Americans self centered and greedy has become the can't me me population
Seattlegirl,
And what of the millions of us who will never shoot another human? The law is not a deterent but rather an administrator of justice.
I'm a gun owner. I would never shoot another person either. I'm not advocating taking every gun away - I'm just saying it's time to be open to talking about all of our options to see what we can do to keep ourselves and our families safe. I know that as long as there have been people, there have been people hurting others. The internet and the 24 hour news cycle gives us so much more access to information and also can make it seem like we live in a much more dangerous world than we actually live in. But, my little girl is 6 months old - I'm new to parenting and to having someone helpless who relies on me to protect her and now find myself trying to figure out whatever I can to keep her safe.
Seattlegirl, you and your family have a .04% chance of getting killed by a gun. That's the statistical risk in the United States as long as you're not in a gang or a violent felon. You are at a much higher risk of getting killed by dozens of other events.
I have kids too, and I want this country to be safer. But safer means not living under a government that's grown too powerful and corrupt, that's why we can't give up our 2nd Amendment rights. Safer also means punishing criminals for their acts not law-abiding citizens. The lack of prosecutions, the light sentencing, and the early paroles for violent felons that have become commonplace in the United States is disturbing and dangerous.
But even with our lax criminal justice system and 1.5 million gang members roaming the streets selling drugs and committing 80% of the crime in the country we are still experiencing a steady DECREASE in violent crime in the United States over the last several decades. The internet and those with agendas are trying to make this seem like a bigger issue than it really is, and are trying to use every last story they can dig up to use as propaganda. It's the duty of intelligent, law-abiding citizens to see through this farce and demand that their rights not be infringed and that the criminals in this society get punished for the crimes not the victims.
Jefersonian3 - I definitely agree with you that the lack of prosecutions, sentencing and lack of parole for violent felons is very disturbing and dangerous. I sincerely hope that we can see some serious reform of how we treat violent and repeat offenders in the near future.
Jeffersonian, I agree about the lack of punishment for felons. There's a case here that brings that to mind. A drunk driver ran a stop sign and hit another car, flipping it into a canal. The driver in the water was still alive, but trapped in his car. The other driver ran off, eventually coming to a farm, where he received aid and called for assistance. The other driver died and the drunk driver was charged with Vehicular Homicide. After a long trial, he was sentenced to jail time. Guess where he's doing his time?........In his multi million dollar mansion. Sure wish I could do about two or three years there. Yes, prosecution and punishment need to be addressed.
Has any noticed that, at the bottom of the news clip, "this is a breaking story" and that they should check back for further details?
Most of the comments I am seeing are based on speculation and personal rhetoric. Let's wait for the facts before making observations.
David Noah: Isn't anyone worried about the child? Everyone's just focusing on the guns.
Well, yes, the driver could have been attacked with a knife, but it is possible to defend yourself against a man with a knife. But a man with a loaded gun? Not very likely, is it?
Which would you, as an unarmed bus driver, prefer to be attacked with? A knife, or a loaded gun pointing at you?
But hey, this isn't all about guns, and we shouldn't make it appear that way. I believe a handgun is legitimate for self-defense in certain situations. But we have to consider: even if the bus driver was carrying a handgun in a holster, he/she might not be able to extract it and aim in time to disarm a man with a gun. And having bus drivers with AR-15s? Not a good idea. Some crazy kid might get the rifle and hurt himself and others. Or, for that matter, an adult intruder might grab it before the driver could, and then we might have an Adam-Lanza type of slaughter of a bus-full of kids. If the bus driver is driving the bus as it should be driven, he/she can't be holding an AR-15 at the same time.
We should be trying to find practical ways to protect kids riding school buses, and any way you look at it, it sure as hell wouldn't be easy...unless every school bus has an armed individual "riding shotgun," and where the hell would the money come to finance that?
We ought to be talking about realistic options instead of thinking up excuses for either the killer or the "tool" he used.
You think Obamas kids ride on a school bus without armed protection.
Are you kidding me, Obamas kids ride in a limosine to school, with armed guards. The rest of us have to ride the bus, or worse yet, the little bus.
Y'all just plain ass dumb for saying that. Talk about sheep.
Why are you singling me out?
You know as well as everyone else that as soon as a story where a gun is used the Anti Gun crowd will flock to it in a heart beat demanding the Second Amendment to be changed, ban all guns, confiscate them etc. and attacking anyone that opposes them.
Would you like to talk about the 114,000 unborn children that are aborted every Month in the U.S.A or the Tens of Thousands of people killed In Mexico's war on Drugs every year and the root cause is Americas illegal Drug Addictions?
How does one show sympathy for one child, or 20 children killed by a manic with a gun, without acknowledging the 100,000's of thousands of children's lives that are ended each month without there choice and the tens of thousands of people killed each year in Mexico because America refuses to secure its borders and enforce its immigration laws.
Is my sympathy supposed to be selective?
You do realize the only way to open the door is from the inside,while you are in transit. Just an observation.
Baronbig -
Most of us know enough to go to other news sources when there is breaking news in order to get more information. I've found that a Google search usually will provide a link to a local source that actually still goes after facts and presents a far more informative account of what is going on.
jks1, the bus was at a stop to let a child off.
Headkick, Of course they don't, and neither do the children of any member of congress, or most, if not all executives of business. Your argument has NO MERIT!!!!!!!
Oh would you people just give it a rest....I am so sick and tired of all you anti-gun morons jumping on the bandwagon every time some idiot uses a firearm in a manner other than what is legal. I live less than 10 miles from this location where the incident occured and it is still ongoing at this point. Law enforcement has not released any information concerning this incident as it is still an active investigation.
For the record the NRA has nothing to do with this incident. Secondly you morons who are so anti-gun, feel free to turn yours in at any time, as for me a mine....it will NEVER happen. I AM a responsible gun owner so to whoever said there is no such thing, your an idiot.
To the one who mentioned "Obama giving the order to kick in doors and take weapons by force" and this also applies to anyone else thinking about "kicking in" my or another other gun-owners door. That door is locked for your protection, NOT mine...you kick it in and you have made yourself fair game....