7th Grader Charged In Gun Incident In Cold Spring

April 13, 2011 11:09 PM

(credit: CBS)

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COLD SPRING, Minn. (AP) — A 13-year-old seventh-grader at Rocori Middle School in Cold Spring has been charged with second-degree assault after prosecutors alleged he pointed a loaded handgun at another student.

The St. Cloud Times reports the boy was charged Wednesday in Stearns County. Because he is a minor, few details of the case are public.

The incident happened before 9 a.m. Tuesday. Students told the principal about seeing a gun. She opened the student’s locker and found the pistol. She found ammunition in a backpack.

Rocori Superintendent Scott Staska says the boy is expected to be expelled.

In 2003, two students were shot and killed by another student at Rocori High School. The shooter remains in prison.

7th Grader Charged In Gun Incident In Cold Spring

Hadenoughyet?

So he “pointed a loaded handgun at another student” and then puts it in his locker and goes to class????

Seems that CCO has done another great job of typical factless reporting, big surprise.

Seems to me the kid needed some attention, so he chose to get it the wrong way, obviosly if he wanted to hurt someone he clearly had the chance to do so. After he “pointed a loaded handgun at another student” I cant’ believe he would put in in his locker and go to class. 13 years olds with “parents” are not murderers.

Cold Spring/Rocori obviously has some serios bully issues, which they apparently decided to ignore before and after the 2003 incident.

Praying for this youn man.

Scott, I don’t think you need to expell him, he’s in jail, but thanks for the late effort.

Rusty Shackelford

You are the problem. School up honey, and get some life education. Only expelled? He should be in Totem Town until he is 18. Tell us Prof. “Hadenoughyet” Did you study under Diana Baumrind or Mary Ainsworth? Or are you just some overly compassionate LIBERAL who wouldn’t know good parenting if it bit her?

Rusty Shackelford

“Praying for this young man.”
This is always a cop out line used to portray you have the moral high ground. Keep it to yourself “Hadenough”.
Brerwster

What this LIBERAL hang up you have?, The Republicans could care less about you unless your pulling in a million a year!

dphilips

I totally agree .
Rusty Shackelford

Funnny they tricked you into believing this.

MinnesoteProud

As someone who grew up in a very strong and devote Republican family, and realizing the ignorance that is associated with this party, I for one was never tricked into believing anything. And if we are talking about being tricked, I’m sure you are one of them that listen to that “blow-heart” Limbaugh, and his arrogance. I am so tired of the Right-wingers claiming to be superior after 8-years of “fool me once, airhead Bush”. Just think about this, we wouldn’t be in the position we are in, if “they” didn’t drive our country into the ground. Record surpluses to record deficits in 8 years. Hum.

Sounds Like You’re The Mom…

Just because you can’t fathom that the student would put the gun away in his locker and go onto class doesn’t mean it’s not true and bad reporting.

And it doesn’t mean that this kid is innocent because he didn’t “hurt” anyone. It’s called assault with a deadly weapon when you point a firearm at someone and it’s againest the law.

You’re totally naive with the statement about 13-year-olds with “parents” are not murderers. Did you forget about Columbine? Those kids had parents too.
WHAT?????

Hadenoughyet?
Yes Scott did have to expel this kid. It is a MN state law that if a kid brings a weapon to school that they have a min penalty of 1 year expulsion. If you read the original story you would have also found out that the kid he pointed the gun at was a good friend of his and he had a statement that he had no idea why this kid did this as he had never had problems with him before. Also being a juvinal, WCCO cannot get all the facts so what are you crying about?

snowman

Most of you Minnesotans are nothing but a bunch of gun loving, banjo playing hillbillies. You get what you deserve

MinnesotaProud

Banjo playing hillbillies? Where do you get your information? Not only is Minnesota near the top of the list when it comes to Education, graduation rates, and higher education, making us more intelligent than most of the country, but we are mid-westerners and we can kick the sh1t out of anyone who comes our way, east coast to west coast.
Curious

So where are you from snowman?

Jake Bolan

BESIDES the bullying problems both face to face and on social media, HOW the hell did this boy get a gun?? Parents are required to lock their firearms so children can’t access them.
This boy definately need some help, hopefully he will get proper care, This event will haunt him the rest of his life. So Sad.
Chris K

Good thing he was white or this board would have all kind of nasty welfare comments.
John St. Cloud

MN Law says if you bring a weapon to school or have it on school property you are automatically expelled for a year. Once you get expelled this goes on your permanent record. I doubt any school in Minnesota will allow this kid to enroll in their school with an expulsion by weapon mark on his record. I am glad no one got hurt from his actions.
Ellen

It started when another boy “accidently” bumped into him. The kid pulled the gun and said do you want to try that again? That boy promptly reported the gun to the principal. Mostly likely it was not an accidental bump, but ongoing bullying that was the root of the problem. It’s very sad that this kid went to drastic measures to feel safe in school. This will likely cause him problems far down the road, and schools need to worker harder at monitoring. Most bullying occurs in hallways and bathrooms, and the victims don’t dare to report it because they fear nothing will be done about it and as a result things will get worse. We should ALL be thankful he didn’t shoot anyone or himself….as happens many times. That young man needs counseling, and bullies have to be addressed. The law requires a one-year expulsions for bringing a weapon to school, and most likely by now he realizes what a terrible misake he made. I am pro-gun, but they do need to be kept away from kids. I hope this young man can get past this serious mistake in judgment.
And bullies need to realize that most school shootings are the end result of chronic bullying and the helplessness that the victim feels.

momoffour

Ellen…I think you got it exactly right!! My son attends this school and he and many of the other kids I know from this school have said this boy has been bullied alot. Unfortunately none of these kids feel safe enough to step in and help for fear of being bullied themselves. I absolutely think this boy needs to punished for bringing a gun to school and putting the lives of his classmates at risk. That being said, this child has had a rough life in and out of school. I truely believe that he only intended to scare the bullies with the gun. He does need some help and some counciling and hopefully can turn his life around. It’s a very sad day when a student thinks that bringing a gun to school to protect themselves in their only option. This district administration always says they take bullying seriously, especially after the 2003 shooting, but it seems the only time they really seem to want to do anything about it is when an incident like this happens! I commend the middle school principle for acting quickly. We as parents and community members need to take more responsibility for other parents who don’t give a crap what their kids do and demand that this school administration actually do something productive against bullying! I know many of the teachers at these schools and they do their best to stop the bullying but because of laws and kids who think they can do anything, these teachers don’t have many options. The state government needs to step up us well and make it easier for teachers to deal with the bullies in our schools. What that is, I don’t know. I just know that something needs to be because I truely fear for the lives of my children in these schools. Unfortunately I think alot of school are like this, they just don’t get the attention that Rocori does because of the 2003 shooting in our high school.

Mom in TC

I question the notion that this boy never intended to do anything with the gun, except scare people, when they found ammunition in this backpack. Granted if he really wanted to do something immediatetly, he would have had the gun already loaded. But the fact that he was carrying ammo makes me think, at a minimum, that he wanted to have the option to use it should he decide to.

Mallkom Shuhbozz

…or have to

Victim Du Jour

Public education is a form of child abuse.

momoffour

So I’m abusing my child by sending them to a public school instead of a private school? Could you explain your comment more please?

Victim Du Jour

Kids go to public school and get bullied for not thinking like liberals.

momoffour

My kids go to public school and think like respectful, thoughtful people and they don’t get bullied.

MinnesotaProud

I went to both private and public school (private elementary / middle school and public High school) and there was far more bullying going on in the private school. So your statement is quite the opposite. And before you say anything, I didn’t go to some rural schools, they were both among the largest schools in the Metro (Located in North Metro to be exact). There were far more drugs and thug-wannabe’s in the private schools, because they came from wealthier families and thought they were untouchable. Your theory is based on factless opinion, and my children will definitely be going to public schools. You learn more about life and social interaction in and how to be a better/stronger person being with people from all walks of life than you do with people of your own race and social class.

crusc78

The hillbilly comment made me laugh out loud this a.m. THANK YOU, snowman! Now I best gets to mah wittlin’ and not flossin’!
stewart nickaboine

that is wun cool kid