SCHOOL/YOUTH VIOLENCE


| Bulletins | Related Websites | Media Articles (General) |

| San Ramon/Las Lomas High School Incident (9/11/98) | Chicago Incident (8/10/98) |
| Sacramento Case -- Juvenile Restraining Orders (8/98) |
| Antioch, California Incident (6/6/98) |
Springfield, Oregon Incident (5/21/98) |
| Edinboro, Pennsylvania Incident (4/24/98) | Jonesboro, Arkansas Incident (3/24/98) |


BULLETINS

Early Warning, Timely Response -- A Guide to Safe Schools, a joint project of the U.S. Office of Education, the U.S. Department of Justice, and the National Association of School Psychologists, has been just released. The entire text is available for browsing or download by clicking on the title link.  An annotated guide, with extensive references is also available online.  In addition, the guide is also available in Spanish.


RELATED WEBSITES

Juvenile Violence -- Links and Resources
Washington Post
Recent School Shootings -- A Timeline
Washington Post
Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention
OJJDP provides Federal leadership, through a comprehensive, coordinated approach, to prevent and control juvenile crime and improve the juvenile justice system.
Violence and Discipline Problems in U.S. Public Schools: 1996-97
NATIONAL CENTER FOR EDUCATION STATISTICS
Justice Policy Institute
The Justice Policy Institute, a project of the non-profit Center on Juvenile and Criminal Justice, is a policy research arm body which promotes effective and sensible approaches to America's justice system.
American Bar Association Juvenile Justice Center
Dedicated to working in partnership with other ABA entities, bar associations, and local and state advocacy groups to monitor and influence juvenile justice policy and practice.
Children and Firearms Safety
Fact sheet from the American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry.
National Alliance for Safe Schools
Training and technical assistance organization dedicated to the promotion of a safe and orderly educational environment.
Pacific Center for Violence Prevention
Policy center for the California Wellness Foundation's Youth Violence Prevention Initiative. Includes information, news, and legislation on firearms and alcohol, among other issues.
Partnerships Against Violence Network (PAVNET)
A virtual library of information about violence and youth-at-risk, representing data from several different Federal agencies.
Violence Prevention: Solutions Before Problems
An article from Global Childnet
Not One More
Our Children are dying everyday, victims of random acts of violence that could have been prevented. This page is dedicated to Samar El-Okdi and all children and families that have been victims of violence. As the debate rages on as to whether it is a Constitutional Right to Bear Arms, children and teens will be killed or injured in incidents involving firearms. In order to prevent these deaths and injuries two areas need to be addressed, gun safety and the causes of juvenile violence.

MEDIA ARTICLES

Baby Beating Suspect Turns 9 Amid Child Crime Debate
Oakland Tribune, 9/27/98

A Richmond boy -- charged with attempted murder in the 1996 near fatal beating of a month-old baby -- celebrates his ninth birthday this week in a Contra Costa County group home for emotionally troubled children.

Suspects in Beating Arrested
Contra Costa Times, 9/26/98

Seven San Ramon Valley High School students already facing expulsion from school were arrested Friday, two weeks after the boys beat a Las Lomas High senior, police said.

More information on this incident.

Fremont Considers Police Presence in Middle Schools
San Jose Mercury News, 9/21/98

A 12-year-old girl, angry at her boyfriend for breaking up with her, brought a loaded .357-Magnum revolver onto a Fremont junior high school campus last year.  The incident at Hopkins Junior High, one of the city's most upscale schools, ended peacefully. But it highlighted the challenge educators face in trying to maintain a safe environment.

Teacher Brandishes Knife in Class
Sacramento Bee, 9/11/98

A veteran teacher at Albert Einstein Middle School was placed on paid administrative leave after brandishing a pocketknife during a class, officials said Thursday.

Schools Striving to Prevent More Violent Episodes
Contra Costa Times, 8/31/98

Going to class will be a little more like boarding an airliner for many U.S. students this year as educators try to prevent another year of bloodshed in America's schools.

For They Know Not What They Do?
Time Magazine, 8/24/98

When and how do children know right from wrong? And how can we devise a punishment to fit their crimes?

Tip Leads to Arrest of Armed Student at School with Loaded Weapons
Contra Costa Times, 8/30/98

A tip from a parent led police to arrest a 16-year-old student who allegedly threatened to kill an assistant principal and arrived at school with loaded weapons in his car.

Stockton Teens Forced to Keep Clear of Friends
Sa. Jose Mercury News, 8/30/98

Thyda Bun says all he wants is the freedom to walk down the street with his friends, to play volleyball and hang out at the park. But the police say he and his ``friends'' are members of the Original Bloods, a gang that has terrorized a west Stockton neighborhood by firing shots in the air, marking turf with graffiti and robbing cars and homes.

Who's Meaner Than Mean Kids?
Adults Bent on Retialiation

Jinn Magazine, 5/22/98

A series of high-profile school site killings by young boys -- including the latest shooting spree in a Springfield, Or., high school cafeteria -- have precipitated a more predictable horror: proposed legislation to try 10 year olds as adults and apply the death penalty to 11 year olds. It is as if a handful of problem children -- "mean kids" we call them -- are absolving adults of having to deal with the problems of children.

13-Year-Old Slashing Victim is Allowed to Switch Schools
Chicago Tribune, 8/25/98

The 13-year-old girl whose face was severely slashed by fellow pupils at Arai Middle School in May has been given a chance to make a fresh start on Tuesday with new classmates and teachers at the Walt Disney Magnet School, school officials said.

Grant Bankrolls Study of Teens in Abusive Relationships
Oakland Tribune, 8/21/98

ALAMEDA -- An Alameda-based center dedicated to stopping violence against youths and women has been awarded $240,000 to research the ways the state can best help teen-agers involved in abusive relationships.

Boys With Absentee Dads Twice As Likely to be Jailed
Washington Post, 8/21/98

SAN FRANCISCO, Aug. 20—Young men who grow up in homes without fathers are twice as likely to end up in jail as those who come from traditional two-parent families, according to a new study released today.

Boy Admits to Shooting to Kill When He Fired at Daly City Principal
S.F. Chronicle, 8/19/98

A 14-year-old Daly City boy acknowledged yesterday that he tried to kill his principal when he brought a .25-caliber pistol to school in March.

Boy Pleads No Contest to Attempted Murder
San Jose Mercury News, 8/19/98

The Daly City middle school student who brought a gun to campus and fired it at his principal pleaded no contest Tuesday to attempted murder and use of a firearm.

The Power of their Peers
Time Magazine, 8/24/98

A book argues that parents have little influence. Provocative. But true?

Toddlers' Height May Be Pivotal in Evolution of Bully
Oakland Tribune, 8/18/98

Tomorrow's school bullies could be visible today -- as the slightly taller tots in play school. American scientists who monitored the development of more than 1,000 children for eight years claim that early in life there are warning signs of later violence and aggression.

Lawyers Face Unique Obstacles in Defending Children Accused of Violence
Washington Post, 8/17/98

It is a world of unexplored legal ground, raising a battery of questions for defense lawyers. Do young children always understand the charges against them? Can they assist in their own defense? What happens when parents and lawyers have different definitions of the child's best interest? If children are too young for juvenile detention centers, where should they be held? If they confess to crimes, have they knowingly waived their right to remain silent?

Girl's Murder Focuses Light on Hidden Spectre of Sibling Abuse
Washington Post, 8/14/98

ESCONDIDO, Calif.—Stephanie Crowe was, her pastor recalls, a vivacious, bright and popular 12-year-old girl, "the center of attention," volunteer of the year for her work at the local library, and "just like a little angel." Her brother Michael, say prosecutors and police, was the kind of 14-year-old who enjoyed reading about medieval torture. He dressed in black and took his meals in his room, where he kept a stack of tabloid magazine articles about the O.J. Simpson murder trial. And he harbored an intense sibling rivalry that became a "pure hatred," one friend said, for his sister Stephanie.

Girl's Rape Part of U.S. Trend -- Child Suspects in Sex Crimes
Cincinnati Enquirer, 8/14/98

"It just seems that the victims are getting younger and younger," said Lt. Stephen Luebbe, commander of the Cincinnati Police Division's personal crimes unit. "And the perpetrators are getting younger and younger."

Two Girls' Plight May Trigger Revision of Law -- Legislators Seek Restraining Order Change
Sacramento Bee, 8/12/98

Three legislators, responding to a case involving three Sacramento-area children, will introduce a measure this week to require judges to hear petitions for restraining orders in cases in which minors are accused of harassing other children.

Previous articles

Spate of Child Crime Draws Media Debate
S.F. Chronicle, 8/12/98

Less than a week after an 11-year-old boy was charged with shooting and killing his teenage neighbor in Antioch two months ago, the editors of the Contra Costa Times decided to print the name and school photo of the suspect. And yesterday, after the boy was convicted in juvenile court of involuntary manslaughter instead of the more serious murder charge, the paper ran a front-page photo of him. The San Jose Mercury News, which is owned by the same company, ran the same photo.

Arkansas Boys Face Hearing in School Slayings
Time Daily, 8/10/98

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (Reuters) - Two Arkansas boys ages 12 and 13 will appear before a judge Tuesday who will decide whether to find them guilty in the murders of four classmates and a teacher that shocked the country.

Boys, 7 and 8, Accused in Girl's Death
Chicago Tribune, 8/10/98

The pals are just 7 and 8, but prosecutors call them brutal killers. The youngest murder defendants in city history are accused of attacking an 11-year-old girl with rocks, suffocating her with her panties and molesting her, all for her shiny blue bicycle.

Click here for continuing coverage of this story.

Schools Security Chief Reported Slashing
Chicago Tribune, 8/7/98

A Chicago Public Schools official said Thursday he filed a report of the May slashing incident involving Arai Middle School students to several central school board administrators two days after it occurred.

Board to Expel Teen, Mother in Slash Case
Chicago Tribune, 8/6/98

Chicago School Board members moved Wednesday to expel a 13-year-old who attacked a schoolmate, to remove her mother from her post as president at the local school council and to quickly conclude an investigation of any preferential treatment the school principal may have dealt the student.

Off-Campus Knife Attack Prompts Investigation
Chicago Tribune, 8/5/98

The facial disfigurement of a 13-year-old Chicago public school pupil during an off-campus knife attack by two schoolmates has prompted an investigation by administration officials into the school's response to the incident, including whether favoritism was shown to one assailant because her mother is the local school council's president.

Four Youngsters Accused of Torturing Learning Disabled Teen
Contra Costa Times, 8/1/98

TOLEDO, Ohio -- Four boys allegedly hog-tied and tortured a 15-year-old learning-disabled acquaintance, using a broom stick, a fly swatter and a belt to beat him, according to a sheriff's department report.

Study Finds Fewer School Shootings
Los Angeles Times, 7/29/98

WASHINGTON -- The number of school shooting deaths across the country was lower during the past school year than five years ago, but the horrific nature of several of this term's shootings and heavy media coverage left the opposite impression, a private study said today.

The full text of the report can be accessed by clicking here. I found it on the website of the Justice Policy Institute.

Teen arraigned in stabbing of 9-year-old boy he was babysitting
Contra Costa Times, 7/28/98

A 17-year-old accused of repeatedly stabbing a 9-year-old with a hunting knife was arraigned Monday for the slaying of the boy he was baby-sitting... (Police Chief) Lewis said (suspect) George had mentioned to police the shootings at Thurston High School in Springfield that left two students dead and 22 wounded.

America Under the Gun
Time Magazine, 7/6/98

Crime may be down but the unimaginable carnage of recent schoolyard violence highlights the fact that the easy availability of guns still has devastating consequences. But in a nation that cherises both the right to bear arms and the notion of peaceful coexistance, what can be done?

Of Arms and the Boy: All Kids Battle Demons -- Why did these 5 lose?
Time Magazine, 7/6/98

Violence Lessons
Abusive behavior begins at home. First, the children fear it. Then they copy it.

Story: Claudia Glenn Dowling, Photographs: Donna Ferrato
Mother Jones Magazine, July/August 1998

Photographer Donna Ferrato met Ernie and Brianna in February 1997 while documenting programs for troubled families. For more than a year, Ferrato and I accompanied this family as the mother, Brenda Shores, tried to get help for her children through an innovative program near their home in Vermont. We talked with their father, Ernie Cushman Jr., in prison. We followed them to the courtroom while they negotiated visitation. We attended a summer camp with kids for whom dialing 911 is the most important skill they have learned in childhood. Brenda and Ernie agreed to talk to us for the sake of other children who have witnessed violence.

Clinton: Keep Kids From Getting Guns
Sacramento Bee, 7/9/98

Standing with a sobbing mother whose daughter was shot to death in a Jonesboro, Ark., schoolyard, President Clinton appealed Wednesday for tough new laws to restrict children's access to guns.

Clinton Endorses Gun Access Bill
Associated Press, 7/8/98

Taking aim at a leading contributor to youth violence, President Clinton is endorsing a bipartisan Senate bill on restricting children's access to firearms and taking executive action to strengthen current gun laws.

Student Discipline Starting Earlier
Contra Costa Times, 7/6/98

An outbreak of shootings by troubled high-schoolers and middle-schoolers marred the last school year. But most teachers will tell you that violent words and deeds show up as early as kindergarten.

Patterns Emerging in Attacks at Schools
Arkansas Online, 6/15/98

While precise answers may be elusive, the recent attacks share a remarkable number of traits. The first of the rural, multiple-victim student shootings, here in Moses Lake, looks in many respects like a road map of what was to come. From this case and interviews with police officers, prosecutors, psychologists and parents of the attackers -- as well as the boys' own words -- several patterns emerge...

2nd Teen Found Guilty In Baseball Bat Attack -- Foster City beating caused serious injury
S.F. Chronicle, 6/13/98

A 15-year-old Foster City boy was found guilty yesterday of assault with a deadly weapon for his role in the brutal baseball bat beating of another teenager last month. The teenager was tagged as the accomplice of another Foster City youth who led the attack against the 14-year-old boy.

Girls' Crimes Looking More Like Boys'
San Jose Mercury News, 6/7/98

Teenage girls increasingly are at the center of conspiracies to commit serious crimes, although the trend has been largely ignored amid the recent spate of school shootings and violent crimes by boys. While arrest rates for boys are flat, those for girls have increased significantly, national crime statistics show.

SONOMA COUNTY -- Youth Pleads Not Guilty To Terrorism Charges
S.F. Chronicle, 6/4/98

What Makes Kids Kill? (Jon Katz)
HotWired Magazine, 6/4/98

Why is it that William Bennett, the media's anointed Morals Czar and the self-appointed protector of children's values, isn't on TV expressing outrage at the ease with which kids can get pistols, rifles, and assault guns? Where's Bob Dole, who campaigned for the presidency by decrying violent imagery from Hollywood? Why the silence from Senator Joseph Lieberman of Connecticut, who calls regular press conferences to denounce the violence on Jerry Springer's talk show? And from Senator James Exon of Alaska, who labored to protect America's young by conceiving the Communications Decency Act? Why condolences from Bill Clinton, but no raft of bills and proposals to control the sale and movement of guns whose only purpose is to kill people?

What Makes Children Kill
Washington Post, 5/27/98

"I hate you!" a boy hisses at a former friend. "I'm gonna kill you!" the preschooler shrieks at the parent so cruelly insisting she get dressed before going outside. "I wish you were dead!" the teenager storms. Children spew out their fury all the time, and adults ignore it or plumb it for meaning or punish it as an act of disrespect, depending on their philosophies of child rearing. They do not, however, think the murderous fantasy will become reality.

The Television Footage is Always the Same... (Lee Quarnstrom)
San Jose Mercury News, 5/25/98

I suppose many of us cannot admit that this same tragedy will happen again and again at campus after campus around the country. But it will. This is an epidemic, a plague, and acting like these are isolated incidents that won't happen locally is like saying we can't get AIDS.

Clinton Asks for Crusade Against Juvenile Violence
Los Angeles Times, 5/24/98

...the president described the rash of school massacres as "more than isolated incidents" and declared: "We cannot ignore these conditions."

Clinton's plea for his legislation highlighted anew the sharp philosophical differences between Democrats and Republicans over how best to combat juvenile crime. The GOP proposals, including one bill already passed by the House, are tougher than Clinton's but ignore prevention programs--a contrast that the president and congressional Democrats are quick to point out.

Boy, 11, Arrested for Taking Gun to School (El Sobrante, CA)
S.F. Chronicle, 5/22/98

Special Report -- Reform Camps
Stockton Record, 3/15/98

The Record's special report on wilderness/isolation camps where San Joaquin County juveniles often are sent.

As Kentucky Town Mourns, Movie Suggested as Basis for Boy's Attack
Washington Post, December 6, 1997

PADUCAH, Ky., Dec. 5—As a saddened community gathered today to mourn its dead, prosecutors suggested that the diminutive ninth-grader accused of killing three of his classmates may have based his attack on what he saw in a movie.

A Bible Belt Town Searches for Answers
Washington Post, 10/22/97

PEARL, Miss., Oct. 21—Bob Menefee always made sure he inspected his daughter Christy's dates, and there was nothing, really, about Luke Woodham that put him off. The boy was quiet, and it seemed odd that his mother always accompanied the couple, but his manners were nice. He called Menefee "sir" so often that the older man jokingly told him to stop. Now, Menefee is struggling to understand how this boy who stood so politely in his living room, who dated his daughter for a mere three weeks last year, could have walked into Pearl High School on the morning of Oct. 1 and calmly shot Christy and another girl to death, wounding seven others. Police say that Woodham already had fatally stabbed his mother, Mary, in her bed before he left for school. He was indicted in the three killings this week.


San Ramon/Las Lomas High School Incident (9/11/98)

High School Contained After Threat
Contra Costa Times, 10/2/98

A threat of retaliation against San Ramon Valley High School students prompted administrators to keep students on campus Thursday, nearly three weeks after the savage beating of a Las Lomas High senior.

Six Teens Must Stay in Juvenile Hall
S.F. Chronicle, 10/2/98

Six Danville teenagers accused of brutally beating a student from a rival school after a football game three weeks ago must remain in Juvenile Hall for the time being, a juvenile court referee ruled yesterday.

Eight Teens Charged in Attack on Boy
Contra Costa Times, 10/1/98

The Contra Costa County District Attorney's Office filed felony charges Wednesday against eight teen-age boys in the savage beating of a Las Lomas High School senior last month at San Ramon Valley High.

Suspects in Beating Arrested
Contra Costa Times, 9/26/98

Seven San Ramon Valley High School students already facing expulsion from school were arrested Friday, two weeks after the boys beat a Las Lomas High senior, police said.

More Students May Face Expulsion as a Result of Attack
Contra Costa Times, 9/22/98

Five more San Ramon Valley High students face expulsion for their role in the beating of a Las Lomas student two weeks ago -- bringing to eight the number of students who may be kicked out of school for the attack.

Students Learn from Violent Episode
Contra Costa Times, 9/20/98

Sending letters to their peers at Las Lomas High School and to the victim of an attack by their classmates was the culmination of a reflective week for San Ramon Valley High School students. A week born of a horribly violent act, and ending with an offer of reconciliation and introspection. One that forced teen-agers to explore their worst fears and deepest insecurities. A week that saw the toughest kids in the school cry, and the youngest worry about their safety.

Expulsions Probable in School Fight -- Students could be charged in brawl at Danville game
S.F. Chronicle, 9/19/98

Eight San Ramon Valley High School students suspended for their alleged role in the savage beating of a student from a rival school will likely be expelled and some have confessed to the attack, school officials said yesterday.

Expulsion Sought for Three Connected to Beating
Contra Costa Times, 9/18/98

San Ramon Valley High School Principal Dave Lorden asked Friday that three of his students be kicked out of school in connection with the beating of a Las Lomas High boy last week.  A senior whose video was seized by Danville police says his tape deals only with aftermath, not the whole fight as officials reported.

Students' Fight Video a Shocker
Contra Costa Times, 9/18/98

San Ramon Valley High School students suspected of brutally beating a student from a rival school last week apparently spent the day videotaping themselves partying before recording the beating, police said Thursday.

Ugly behavior at game preceded brutal attack
Contra Costa Times, 9/18/98
The attack on a Las Lomas High School student after Friday's football game with San Ramon Valley High was the brutal finale to a game marred by taunts and eggings by an unruly band of Danville students, according to witnesses.

Two Schools Say Beating is 'Isolated'
Contra Costa Times, 9/16/98

Four days after San Ramon Valley High School students severely beat a Las Lomas High School senior, the 17-year-old boy remains hospitalized with a shattered leg and head injuries, and no arrests have been made.

School administrators labeled as isolated the incident -- in which two Las Lomas teens were attacked in the San Ramon Valley High quad after a football game. But parents and students said the beating wasn't the only fight that took place at or near the school that day.

Fan Beaten in Danville School Fight
Contra Costa Times, 9/15/98

Detectives and San Ramon Valley High School administrators Monday were still investigating a brutal brawl that left a Las Lomas High student with a shattered leg and concussion following Friday night's football game.


Sacramento Case -- Juvenile Restraining Orders (8/98)

Two Girls' Plight May Trigger Revision of Law -- Legislators Seek Restraining Order Change
Sacramento Bee, 8/12/98

Three legislators, responding to a case involving three Sacramento-area children, will introduce a measure this week to require judges to hear petitions for restraining orders in cases in which minors are accused of harassing other children.

Boy, 11 Arraigned in Stalking Case
Sacramento Bee, 8/5/98

In a case that prosecutors characterize as highly unusual, an 11-year-old Sacramento County boy was arraigned on felony charges Tuesday after he allegedly stalked two classmates in June and threatened to kill them for rebuffing his advances.

Youth's Pursuit Frightens 2 Girls: Are Authorities' Hands Tied?
Sacramento Bee, 7/25/98

Last month in suburban Sacramento, an 11-year-old boy allegedly chased down a classmate in a neighborhood park, punched her in the head, then told her he was leaving to get a gun so he could kill her. That same day, said the family of another girl, the youth left phone messages for their daughter, threatening to slash her throat, hang her and drag her behind a car "so your face will burn off onto my tires." "This will teach you to be rude to other people," the voice concludes on copies of the answering-machine tape.


Chicago Incident (8/10/98)

Cops Ignored Clues that Case was Weak
Chicago Tribune, 9/5/98

Four weeks ago, when the Chicago police made two South Side boys among the youngest murder suspects in America, the question was how, at that age, they could have committed such a brutal crime. Now, the question is how police ever could have arrested them.

Charges Dropped Against Two Boys
Chicago Tribune, 9/5/98

In an embarrassing and stunning reversal, Cook County prosecutors dropped charges Friday against two young boys accused of murdering 11-year-old Ryan Harris after learning that tests showed the presence of semen on her underwear.

Murder Case Against Chicago Youngsters Dropped
San Jose Mercury News, 9/5/98

At a hastily arranged court hearing Friday, prosecutors dropped the murder case against two boys, ages 7 and 8, after an analysis of the 11-year-old victim's underwear turned up evidence of semen, which the boys are almost certainly too young to have produced.

Kids' 'Competence' a Tender Issue for the Courts
Chicago Tribune, 8/30/98

It was envisioned as a kinder, gentler system, one that would focus on saving children rather than seeking retribution from them. But 100 years after passage of the nation's first juvenile justice act, the complicated legal jargon and adversarial tenor traditionally reserved for adult court has permeated the halls of Juvenile Court.

How Cops Got Boys to Talk
Chicago Tribune, 8/30/98

In detailed fashion--including describing each piece of furniture in the interrogation room-- the police reports relate how the investigation of Ryan's death turned to the two boys, who are now among America's youngest murder suspects.

No More Kid Stuff
Time Magazine, 8/24/98

Is murder now child's play? Two boys, ages seven and eight, are charged in the death of an 11-year-old girl .

Mental Tests Ordered for Boy Suspects
Chicago Tribune, 8/29/98

In what is apparently an attempt to take decisive control of the Ryan Harris slaying case, a Cook County Juvenile Court judge Friday ordered psychiatric examinations for two boys accused in the 11-year-old girl's death.

The Uncertain Course of Juvenile Justice
Chicago Tribune, 8/28/98

Two cases that involve the murder of children by children have raised concerns over the lack of formal procedures for charging juveniles with felony crimes in Chicago. Even though police say there were confessions in both cases, charges were only brought against the children in one of them.

Young Suspects Become Freer
Chicago Tribune, 8/21/98

As defense lawyers and prosecutors squared off in court to fight a legal war on several fronts, a Juvenile Court judge Thursday ordered two boys accused of the murder of 11-year-old Ryan Harris removed from electronic monitoring restraints.

Competency Tests Sought for Young Subjects
Chicago Tribune, 8/20/98

Prosecutors in the case of two boys, ages 7 and 8, accused of the murder of 11-year-old Ryan Harris filed a motion Wednesday asking for a court-ordered examination of the youths to determine their competency to stand trial and understand Miranda warnings.

No More Kid Stuff
Time Magazine, 8/24/98

Is murder now child's play? Two boys, ages seven and eight, are charged in the death of an 11-year-old girl.

Lawyers Face Unique Obstacles in Defending Children Accused of Violence
Washington Post, 8/17/98

It is a world of unexplored legal ground, raising a battery of questions for defense lawyers. Do young children always understand the charges against them? Can they assist in their own defense? What happens when parents and lawyers have different definitions of the child's best interest? If children are too young for juvenile detention centers, where should they be held? If they confess to crimes, have they knowingly waived their right to remain silent?

Capacity to Understand To Be the Test for Boys
Chicago Tribune, 8/16/98

In a case that in so many ways is groundbreaking--from the suspects' ages to the conditions of their home confinement pending trial--there are aspects of the Juvenile Court process that should be standard for the 7- and 8-year-old boys charged with murder.

Police Question Others in Ryan Harris Slaying
Chicago Tribune, 8/16/98

One week after two boys, ages 7 and 8, were charged in the slaying of Ryan Harris and police declared the case closed, the investigation appears very much open, as detectives continue to bring in people for questioning.

Boys' Murder Trial Raises Questions of Credibility, Conduct
Washington Post, 8/16/98

South Side Chicago residents find it incredible that two neighbor boys, ages 7 and 8, are charged with murder. But for the lawyers involved, the case has raised questions about how to deal with murder defendants so young that no law has been written yet to tell the courts where and how to detain them.

Authorities Pull Out All Stops to Monitor Young Suspects
Chicago Tribune, 8/15/98

The 7- and 8-year-old boys charged in the slaying of 11-year-old Ryan Harris became the first suspects in Cook County -- juvenile or adult -- to be placed on a voice-verification system that phones their home to confirm their presence whenever the electronic-monitoring system they wear is tripped off.

Young Suspects Sent Home
Chicago Tribune, 8/14/98

After six hours of often rancorous proceedings, a Juvenile Court judge late Thursday ordered a 7- and an 8-year-old charged with murder to be released to the custody of their families -- but only after custom-made electronic monitoring bracelets were strapped to their tiny ankles.

Anguish Grips Mom of 7-year-old Held in Killing
Chicago Tribune, 8/13/98

As she sat waiting with her 7-year-old son in the Wentworth Area police headquarters in Chicago Sunday night, the boy's mother already knew something was not right. But that awareness became acute and fear descended upon her when the boy asked to go to the bathroom.

Fight Looms Over Boys' Confessions
Chicago Tribune, 8/12/98

As a Juvenile Court judge struggles to decide where to keep two boys charged in the slaying of 11-year-old Ryan Harris, a legal battle is shaping up over whether their statements to police will be admissible.

Child Murder Suspects Held for Psychiatric Tests
CNN, 8/12/98

Two boys, ages 7 and 8, accused of murdering and sexually molesting an 11-year-old girl so they could steal her shiny blue bike, have been ordered to undergo psychiatric evaluation.

Boys, 7 and 8, Accused in Girl's Death
Chicago Tribune, 8/10/98

The pals are just 7 and 8, but prosecutors call them brutal killers. The youngest murder defendants in city history are accused of attacking an 11-year-old girl with rocks, suffocating her with her panties and molesting her, all for her shiny blue bicycle.

Chicago Boys, 7 and 8, Charged With Murdering 11-year old Girl
New York Times, 8/11/98

CHICAGO -- In a case that has sent chills across this city, two boys, ages 7 and 8, have been charged with murdering an 11-year-old girl -- striking her with a rock, sexually molesting her and suffocating her with her own underwear -- apparently to take the bright blue bicycle she had been riding, the police said on Monday.

Boys' Arrest Puts Legal System in Quandry
Chicago Tribune, 8/11/98

The arrest of two Chicago boys for murder has thrust the nation's oldest juvenile court into uncharted territory, forcing it to wrestle with questions as large as how children so young might commit so brutal a crime and as small as where to keep them for the night.

Statistics: Children Committing Murder
Chicago Tribune, 8/11/98

Since 1965, there have been more than ten children in Chicago accused in homicides ranging from beatings to shootings. Nationally, at least 15 children aged nine or younger were murder offenders since 1991.


Antioch, California Incident (6/6/98)

Judge Delays Antioch Boy's Sentencing
Faulty probation report stalls penalty in neighbor's killing

S.F. Chronicle, 9/23/98

Instead of getting the emotional closure they had hoped for from a long-awaited sentencing hearing, the families of a slain Antioch boy and his convicted 11-year-old killer learned yesterday that they will have to make another unwelcome trip to court.

Sentencing Delayed in Shooting of Antioch Boy
S.F. Chronicle, 9/9/98

A judge agreed yesterday to postpone the sentencing of an 11- year-old Antioch boy convicted of manslaughter, but ordered the youth's mother to stay away from witnesses in the case amid allegations of threats and harassment.

Sentencing Delayed
Contra Costa Times, 9/5/98

The sentencing for 11-year-old Joshua Almaguer-Mendez, found guilty of involuntary manslaughter in the shooting death of his teen-age neighbor, will be delayed until later in the month, according to prosecutor Hal Jewett.

Antioch Boy to Hear Fate at Hearing Tuesday
S.F. Chronicle, 9/3/98

An 11-year-old Antioch boy characterized as a vengeful ``sniper'' in the shooting death of a playmate may not deserve to be sent to the California Youth Authority, a prosecutor said yesterday.

Joshua Could Get 14 Years
Contra Costa Times, 8/12/98

An 11-year-old Antioch boy found guilty of involuntary manslaughter Monday could get a longer sentence because a gun was involved, a Juvenile Court judge announced this morning.

11-Year-Old Convicted of Manslaughter -- No `malice' found in Antioch shooting
S.F. Chronicle, 8/11/98

Saying there was no evidence that an 11-year-old acted with malice when he fatally shot an Antioch playmate, a Contra Costa County judge rejected murder charges yesterday, instead convicting the boy of involuntary manslaughter.

Experts Say Juvenile Prison Sentence Unlikely
Contra Costa Times, 8/11/98

Judge Lois Haight is unlikely to sentence 11-year-old Joshua Almaguer-Mendez to juvenile prison but very well could send him to the Contra Costa boys' ranch in Byron for six to nine months, juvenile crime experts said Monday.

Antioch Boy Guilty in Playmate's Death
S.F. Examiner, 8/10/98

A Contra Costa County judge found an 11-year-old Antioch boy guilty of involuntary manslaughter Monday in the shooting of his 13-year-old neighbor.

Antioch Boy Awaits Verdict
Contra Costa Times, 8/9/98

Judge will rule Monday if Joshua Almaguer-Mendez should be held liable for the death of his 13-year-old neighbor.

Closing Arguments in Antioch Slaying
S.F. Chronicle, 8/7/98

An 11-year-old Antioch boy charged with murdering a playmate is either a lying, calculating killer or a ``shy, frightened boy'' guilty only of a mistake.

Boy, 11, Denies He Meant to Kill Teen
Contra Costa Times, 8/6/98

Joshua Almaguer-Mendez on Wednesday tearfully denied he intentionally shot and killed a teen-age neighbor with a scoped hunting rifle.

Boy Says Killing was Accidental -- Antioch Youth Takes the Stand
S.F. Chronicle, 8/6/98

An 11-year-old Antioch boy charged with murder was planning to play a friendly game of basketball with his alleged victim but saw his father's gun in a closet first, he testified yesterday.

Defense May Call Mendez to Testify
Contra Costa Times, 8/1/98

Defense Attorney William Gagen said that he might have his client, 11-year-old Joshua Almaguer-Mendez, take the stand in his own murder trail.

Slaying Suspect Not Violent, Psychologist Says
S.F. Chronicle, 8/1/98

An 11-year-old Antioch boy charged with murdering a playmate is immature for his age and may suffer from a learning disorder, but he is not violent, a child psychologist said yesterday.

Fatal Shot May Have "Tumbled"
Contra Costa Times, 7/31/98

Pathologist says the bullet that killed 13-year-old may have been hurtling sideways, supporting lawyer's theory that shooting was accidental.

Detective Says Boy Couldn't See Victim
Contra Costa Times, 7/30/98

A police detective testified Wednesday that the Antioch boy accused of deliberately killing his teen-age neighbor with a hunting rifle could not see the victim when the weapon was fired.

'No one was mad,' says brother
Contra Costa Times, 7/29/98

The brother of a teen-ager shot to death by an 11-year-old neighbor testified Monday that the neighbor didn't appear angry after horseplay in which he was shot with a BB gun.

Slain Boy's Mother Describes Son's Death -- Testimony at trial of neighbor, 11
S.F. Chronicle, 7/28/98

Worried about increasing crime in their Milwaukee neighborhood and the prevalence of guns in rural Wisconsin, Elizabeth Kiepert and her husband moved last August to Antioch for a ``happy and safe'' life in California. Less than a year later, their elder son, 13-year-old Larry Kiepert, was killed by a bullet from a high-powered rifle fired by a sixth- grade neighbor Larry had met just two weeks earlier.

Victim's Brother Saw No Grudge in 11-year old
Contra Costa Times, 7/28/98

The brother of a teen-ager shot to death by an 11-year-old neighbor testified Monday that the neighbor didn't appear angry after horseplay in which he was shot with a BB gun.

Kiepert's Brother Testifies
Contra Costa Times, 7/25/98

The younger brother of Larry Kiepert testified Friday how he, his brother and 11-year-old Joshua Almaguer-Mendez engaged in unsupervised horseplay with guns two days before Joshua shot Larry to death.

Brother Of Slain Boy Testifies -- Child describes gunplay with 11-year-old suspect
S.F. Chronicle, 7/25/98

Unaware of the dramatic impact of his testimony, a 9-year-old Antioch boy was the prosecution's key witness yesterday against his brother's 11-year-old accused killer.

Murder Trial Begins for Antioch Boy
S.F. Chronicle, 7/24/98

Handcuffed and shackled, an 11-year-old Antioch boy charged with killing a playmate was still enough of a child to enjoy coloring with crayons as his murder trial began yesterday.

Wrongful Death Suit in Shotting Case
S.F. Chronicle, 7/23/98

The parents of a 13- year-old Antioch boy who was fatally shot by another boy have filed a wrongful death lawsuit against the suspect and his family.

Boy , 11, Used Rifle Scope To Kill Teen, D.A. Says
S.F Chronicle, 6/12/98

An 11-year-old Antioch boy raised his father's deer rifle, propped the muzzle on a windowsill, aimed at the boy next door and pulled the trigger, a prosecutor said yesterday. The grade-school boy, who was charged with murder on Wednesday, may have been taking revenge on 13-year-old Larry Kiepert for an incident between the boys two days before last Saturday's fatal shooting, said Contra Costa Deputy District Attorney Hal Jewett.

Antioch Boy Charged With Murder -- Shooting of teen called intentional
S.F. Chronicle, 6/11/98

A shooting first described as a tragic accident turned into murder charges yesterday for an 11- year-old Antioch boy who prosecutors say intentionally fired a rifle at a boy playing next door.


Springfield, Oregon Incident (5/21/98)

Friends: Family Battled Suspect's Gun Obsession
San Jose Mercury News, 5/25/98

Teen Suspect Hit with Four Murder Counts -- 2nd Student Dies of Injuries; Five Bombs Found in Home (Springfield, Oregon)
San Jose Mercury News, 5/23/98

Articles from Eugene (Oregon) Register-Guard:

Judge Puts Hold on Kinkle Papers (8/8/98)

Court records detailing the search of Thurston shooting defendant Kip Kinkel's home and computer will remain secret until the state Supreme Court reviews an edited version of the documents that was to have been released Monday.

Warrant Records for Kinkle Case Will be Unsealed (7/28/98)

Court records detailing the police search of defendant Kip Kinkel's home and computer will be made public Aug. 10 barring further legal challenges, a Lane County judge has ruled.

Schools' Violence Programs Reviewed (7/4/98)

Are schools' attempts to prevent violence working? A new, comprehensive review of national anti-violence curricula suggests they are not. It says some widely used programs may be ineffective while others, based on solid research, may be difficult to ferret out of the rapidly increasing number of proposals vying for a piece of a $530 million pie. That's the amount of money the federal government spends each year on violence and drug abuse prevention in schools.

Criminologist Determines Pattern in Violent Teens (6/16/98)

Kip Kinkel appears to have much in common with troubled youths accused of gunning down fellow students in other communities, says a nationally known expert in childhood antisocial behavior.

Countdown to Tragedy (6/14/98)

Sunday, May 10 After a match, Bill Kinkel tells tennis partner Denny Sperry that he's encouraged by son Kip Kinkel's progress. Tuesday, May 19 Bill plays tennis with Chuck Vaughn while friend Berry Kessinger looks on. Kessinger says Bill seems composed...

For the complex challenges of today's families, schools may still be the last best chance (5/31/98)

Boy charged as adult on 4 counts of murder
Eugene Register-Guard, 5/23/98

Teen-agers' bravery earns praise amid the anguish
Eugene Register-Guard, 5/23/98

School, law officers defend decision to release Kinkel
Eugene Register-Guard, 5/23/98

Register-Guard Archive of Shooting Stories

Note: This archive includes all stories we have published relative to the Thurston shootings and their aftermath.


Edinboro, Pennsylvania Incident (4/24/98)

Teacher Slain at Dance; Student Held
Contra Costa Times, 4/26/98

Articles from Erie (Pennsylvania) Times-News

Friend: Suspect threatened to go to the dance "and kill some people" (4/26/98)

"It was a sad day for all of us" (4/25/98)

No motive offered in shootings (4/25/98)

Suspect wanted to make dance 'memorable', student says (4/25/98)

General McLane Teacher slain at dance (4/25/98)


Jonesboro, Arkansas Incident (3/24/98)

Two Boys Guilty of Ambush Killings
MSNBC, 8/11/98

A judge found two Arkansas boys guilty of the March 24 ambush killings at Westside Middle School on Tuesday, and then listened as the older boy issued an apology and said he intended to shoot over his victims’ heads.

Arkansas boys found guilty, sentenced to juvenile custody
CNN, 8/11/98

On his 14th birthday, Mitchell Johnson pleaded guilty to killing four classmates and a teacher and wounding 10 other people. Another Jonesboro boy, 12-year-old Andrew Golden, pleaded not guilty due to mental incompetence but still was found guilty by a judge at a juvenile court hearing Tuesday.

Accused Jonesboro school shooters go to trial
Chicago Tribune, 8/11/98

JONESBORO, Ark. (AP) -- Mitchell Johnson turns 14 today. There's no party planned. Instead, he and 12-year-old Andrew Golden were due in juvenile court to face trial on charges they gunned down four classmates and a teacher at Westside Middle School.

Arkansas Boys Face Hearing in School Slayings
Time Daily, 8/10/98

LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (Reuters) - Two Arkansas boys ages 12 and 13 will appear before a judge Tuesday who will decide whether to find them guilty in the murders of four classmates and a teacher that shocked the country.

Ambush in the Schoolyard
Arkansas Online, 3/25/98 to present

Page with links to stories in various Arkansas newspapers.

More stories related to the Jonesboro shooting
Chicago Tribune

Archive of stories

Two Boys Arrested in School Shooting
ArkansasDemocrat-Gazette, 3/25/98

Two boys firing guns Tuesday killed four students and a teacher and injured nine students and one teacher as the youngsters poured out a side entrance of Westside Middle School in response to a false fire alarm at 12:41 p.m. The two suspects, who have not been charged, are believed to be 11- and 13-year-old students at the school. Police arrested them as they reportedly ran away from the school.


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