Shooting at Pine Bluff, AR junior high school

Yesterday, there was a shooting at Watson Chapel Junior High in Pine Bluff, Arkansas. This wasn’t a school shooting in the traditional sense. And yes, I wish there wasn’t such a thing as a ‘traditional’ school shooting, but this is where we find ourselves.

According to reports, one 15-year-old shot another 15-year-old in a crowded hallway of the school. The shooter was apprehended on a nearby street while the victim was taken to a hospital in Little Rock. The victim had mistakenly reported as having passed, but is now believed to be in critical condition. Both suspect and victim have not been named. The suspect could potentially be charged as an adult.

Pine Bluff police have said that this was a targeted attack. Now, I don’t know a lot about Pine Bluff, but from what I’ve seen it’s a small city with big-city problems like drugs, gangs, and violent crime.

Police have purposely not stated what type of gun was used in the attack, but I think the media is asking the wrong question. Even if it was a ball and musket used in the attack, it’s my opinion that it should be reported, or at least asked where the gun was obtained. Then, whoever provided the suspect with the gun, whether knowingly or not, should also be charged as an accessory to the crime.

Too often the adults who allow these guns to fall into the hands of children face little to no repercussions and that needs to change.