Pickerington Area Taxpayers Alliance

Gun Battle Forces School ...

Sure hope the kids weren't scared because it can't happen here - right?

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Gun Battle Forces School Into Lockdown
Nov 20 2006 5:40PM
Reported by Penny Moore

A school in northeast Columbus was in lockdown and more than a dozen shots were fired at Maloney Park behind St. Stephens Community Center at the corner of Joyce and 17th Avenues.

Four people were shot in the park. One was still there when police arrived and the other three injured people fled, and were found later.

It must have been quite a gun battle. Cones mark the spot where spent shells lie. They were even found at a business across the street.

Mike Gatton says, ''I heard probably 15 to 20 loud noises.''

A car in the business parking lot was hit.

''I heared ricochet and ducked back down. I walked out the door and saw four or five SUVs,'' says Gatton.

Those SUVs and the suspects were rounded up nearby.

Sgt. Kevin Corcoran says, ''Six people were detained and one gun was recovered.''

Nearby Duxberry Elementary was under lockdown.

Student Thaija Hathcock says, ''We had to lock our doors and close the windows and sit in our seat quietly.''

Hathcock says they practiced what to do in a lockdown situation just last week.

A mounted policeman and dogs combed the area for evidence. It was a large scene and it will take awhile for police to sort it all out.

One officer told 10TV the injured man on the scene said he came to the park to buy weed and some people shot him.

There is no word on who the other injured people are or what their condition is.

Public schools

Correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe all of these incidents of violence have occurred at public schools. Wouldn't that be reason enough for parents to seriously consider putting their kids in private school? Certainly, some private schools are prohibitively expensive. But others, like Catholic schools, are reasonably priced.

Another huge advantage, after safety, is that private schools are run by educators, not politicians.

If someone like Lisa Reade tried to tell a private school administrator what to do, they would politely show her the door!

Showing her the door

I think we, as responsible parents, should show her the door anyway. Though she disavows them, you read her postings on here daily. Her and her levy buddy.

Who was the only board member to be at Central when the drill was cancelled? Reade.

This board presidency went to her head. She believes she has power. She and her enablers need to go. The board president is responsible for only one thing more than the other board members and that is running the meeting and if you attended the last meeeting you will have no doubt that the meetings are totally and completely out of control. Pretty soon even the reporters will need supplemental pay to have to sit there at the meetings.

It is time for her and her enablers to be restrained.

I am not sure

if I agree with your entire post but the board meeting WAS very wacky and out of control. I can't imagine that was a normal occurance.

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