Another school tragedy narrowly averted in West Virginia
While the details about the tragic murder of
two journalists in Virginia continue to unfold, new details have emerged of a tragedy that was narrowly averted in
nearby West Virginia:
A 14-year-old boy held 29 students and a teacher at gunpoint in a West Virginia high school classroom on Tuesday afternoon before he released them after negotiations and surrendered, authorities said.
The boy's teacher, presumably unarmed, was able to de-escalate:
Barbour county schools superintendent, Jeffrey Woofter, credited the teacher for maintaining control when classes were about to change and praised the Philippi police chief for talking the suspect into giving up.
Woofter said the teacher talked the boy into not allowing the next group of students to enter the classroom.
“The teacher did a miraculous job, calming the student, maintaining order in the class,” Woofter said. He did not give the teacher’s name.