School Shooting in Washington, DC

[Ideal08]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn...-2004Feb2.html

Two Shot at Ballou High School

By Justin Blum and David A. Fahrenthold
Washington Post Staff Writer
Monday, February 2, 2004; 2:33 PM


A 17-year-old at Ballou Senior High School student was fatally shot inside the Southeast Washington school this morning and an 18-year-old student was wounded, authorities said.

The incident occurred about 10:30 a.m. outside the school's cafeteria and authorities said they were seeking three suspects who were seen fleeing the scene, at least one of them armed with a silver handgun.

Police identified the dead youth as James Richardson, a junior who lived on the 500 block of Atlantic Street SE and who was a star running back on Ballou's football team. He died at 11:32 a.m. of a gunshot wound to the back after being taken to the Washington Hospital Center, police said. [Earlier reports said Richardson had been shot in the chest.]

The wounded teenager, a male whose name was not released, suffered a slight graze wound to the leg, officials said.

Both victims were shot with a handgun, according to police.

D.C. Police Chief Charles Ramsey told reporters gathered outside the building that police do not know how the gun was brought into the school, which is located at 3401 4th Street SE. He said the shootings appeared to be related to "an ongoing dispute" between "groups of young people."

Dozens of parents rushed to the school when they heard about the incident, some of them leaving their cars parked in the middle of 4th Street, and tried frantically to find out whether their children were safe. Police initially were not providing them with any information. But shortly after noon, parents were allowed to file into the school gym and authorities said they would brief them on the situation.

Jarvalin Cooper said her older daughter, 17-year-old Sherelle, called her on a cell phone from the school while the shootings were taking place. "I just heard a couple [of shots] and then threw on my clothes," she said as tears streaked down her cheek.

Cooper, a Takoma Park police dispatcher, said she raced to the school, flashed her badge and was allowed inside to check on Sherelle and her younger daughter, Chanelle, 15, who also attends Ballou.

Ballou's campus was closed for several weeks in the fall after mercury was taken from a science classroom and spread around the school. On the day the school reopened, a gunman fired shots on a neighboring street, causing students to scatter. The school has also been the scene of several fistfights during this school year.

"Too much has gone on at this school," said Josephine Franklin, who was anxious about her son, Dante, 16. "It seems like nobody cares about your children. Too many things, the mercury, the fights. How did they get a gun into this school? . . . What kind of education are these kids getting? How can you get an education when stuff like this happens all the time?"