WI - Armed Student Reportedly Holding High School Classroom Full of Hostages

[KaylynnCouture]

Presser Recap

-3:48pm dispatch center received a call from the high school principal reporting that a student acting alone was in a classroom was holding 23 students and 1 female teacher hostage. LE was notified, and state deputies and a number of other agencies responded.

-Male student was armed with a handgun, refused to release the other students. Was not willing to converse with law enforcement, but LE was able to speak with the teacher and determined no one was injured and no specific reasons were given.

-5 students were released first, debriefed, and they were only released because they had to use the restroom.

-Continued dialog with the teacher 'til 8:03 when officers heard 3 gunshots, went inside the classroom, and saw the suspect standing in front of the classroom.

-Suspect was injured in a self inflicted gunshot wound.

-Urgent care was provided to the gunshot victim. He has been transported to the hospital, condition is unknown.

-15 year old sophomore, regular member of the classroom. Had 2 handguns (22 caliber semi-automatic and 9mm semi-automatic). Gunshots came from BOTH guns.

-Family of the suspect has been notified. They are with their son now.

-Superintendent says the highschool will be closed tomorrow.

 

[wfgodot]

Three gunshots; officers "breached the door, entered the classroom, saw the suspect standing in front of the classroom; as the officers approached him, the suspect fired one shot and injured himself with a self-inflicted gunshot wound."

 

[SuziQ]

Officers outside heard three gunshots.

 

[wfgodot]

15 year old Marinette High School student; two handguns in classroom, .22 semi-automatic, .9 mm semi-automatic.

 

[wfgodot]

Shots fired also prior to LE's arrival.

 

[SuziQ]

Thanks for the updates guys! I don't know if this post will go through, but WS completely bogged down on me.

 

[wfgodot]

School superintendent: high school closed tomorrow; "We too will need to re-group."

 

[wfgodot]

Teacher seems to be doing "quite fine."

 

[SuziQ]

Frustrating to have to refresh a page 15-20 times and wait five minutes to load a page.

 

[Texas Mist]

Marinette student held hostage talks

Updated: Monday, 29 Nov 2010, 10:55 PM CST
Published : Monday, 29 Nov 2010, 10:42 PM CST
Reporter: Ben Krumholz

MARINETTE - Austin Biehl, a student at Marinette High School, was held hostage Monday by a classmate.

"I was scared at the beginning, but as it progressed it was just be calm, stay relaxed. Everyone was fine, just relaxed, just like me, except for like two of them," Biehl said of the hostages’ mood during the crisis.

more here

http://www.fox11online.com/dpp/news/Marinette-student-held-hostage-talks

 

[TGIRecovered]

Hostage situation occurred in a 6th period Western Civilization class.

Pithy statement wfgodot!

 

[KaylynnCouture]

Student Gunman in Grave Condition

A 15-year-old gunman is in grave condition today after suffering a self-inflicted gunshot at the end of a five-hour standoff in which he held 23 students and a teacher hostage at Marinette High School.

The student is being treated at Green Bay’s St. Vincent Hospital, police chief Jeff Skorik said at a news conference this morning. He would not comment on the nature of the gunman’s injuries without confirmation from medical personnel.

The gunman had two firearms and a knife along with a satchel of additional ammunition in a Marinette High School classroom when he took the sixth-period class hostage near the end of the school day on Monday. The hostages were all released after 8 p.m.

Students who would have been in the classroom during the following period were redirected to the library because of a note posted on the classroom door, Skorik said.

Staff became suspicious when the sixth-period students didn’t show up for seventh-period class.

“That was the start of putting together some pieces of the puzzle that didn’t seem right,” said Marinette School Superintendent Tim Baneck.

Baneck said the gunman was good in school and did not have a history of problems.

“It looks like this student has a clean slate,” Baneck said at a news conference this morning.

Classes at the high school are canceled today, and as for after-school activities, “I would image we’d be shutting everything down,” Baneck said. He said officials would talk later today about whether to cancel school again on Wednesday.

Baneck said the school is planning for grief counseling for students and family members of those involved. He is not aware of an immediate gathering of students.

The next press conference is noon.

Youth pastor Tim Harwell said the Peshtigo and Marinette area is a tight-knit community, and everyone was shocked to hear news of the hostage situation.
“It was just completely out of character for him,” he said.

Snipped from http://www.greenbaypressgazette.com...dent-gunman-in-grave-condition-after-standoff

 

[wfgodot]

Update: School Hostage Suspect Has Died

Marinette Police Chief Jeff Skorik says 15-year-old Samuel Hengel of Porterfield, the suspect in Monday's hostage situation, died about 10:45 Tuesday morning. An autopsy is now scheduled.

Police checked for evidence at Hengel's home. Police say they do not yet know the boy took the hostages.
---
much more at
http://www.wbay.com/Global/story.asp?S=13584042

 

[Tuffy]

This story is soooo tragically sad. I was just reading about this. Those poor students were so brave, and tried to calm the gunman by talking to him. I can't imagine what would drive a 15 year old to do something like this at all.

Luckily, it doesn't seem like he had wanted to hurt the students or the teacher.

 

[KaylynnCouture]

I wonder what drove him to do this. My thoughts and prayers go out to his family..this can't be easy for them right now.

 

[reen]

Update: School Hostage Suspect Has Died

Marinette Police Chief Jeff Skorik says 15-year-old Samuel Hengel of Porterfield, the suspect in Monday's hostage situation, died about 10:45 Tuesday morning. An autopsy is now scheduled.

Police checked for evidence at Hengel's home. Police say they do not yet know the boy took the hostages.
---
much more at
http://www.wbay.com/Global/story.asp?S=13584042

My guess has been that he was trying for "suicide by cop," but that he did the job himself when the police came in (maybe after talking with his classmates he decided he didn't want anyone else accidentally hurt by crossfire). And, now he's gone. What a tragic end to a young life.

 

[tlcya]

This one really puzzles me. He seemed to be well liked, good student, no big red flags, I just don't get it. Outsider and bullying victim he did not appear to be, so what prompted this?

So so sad. I am glad he harmed no one but himself but wish he hadn't done that.

 

[TGIRecovered]

Update: School Hostage Suspect Has Died

Marinette Police Chief Jeff Skorik says 15-year-old Samuel Hengel of Porterfield, the suspect in Monday's hostage situation, died about 10:45 Tuesday morning. An autopsy is now scheduled.

Police checked for evidence at Hengel's home. Police say they do not yet know the boy took the hostages.
---
much more at
http://www.wbay.com/Global/story.asp?S=13584042

From the WBAY story:

"Chief Jeff Skorik gave another update Tuesday afternoon.
He told reporters the situation likely started at about 1:30 p.m Monday. He says the first shots were fired sometime after that point."

Why have I not heard any reporters asking why they waited until 3:48 to notify LE of this situation?

I work at a Jr.High school, and if a class period ended and no one left my classroom, people would notice right away. How on earth did this go unnoticed by any students or staff outside of that room? Did school officials know something was up and try to handle it in-house?

 

[annalia]

I just heard that he passed away. So sad for all involved.

It is so puzzling what his motive could have been, what drove what appeared to be a relatively good kid from a good home to do such a desperate act. I can't imagine what his family and the other students are going through right now. My heart breaks for the boy as well, 15 years old much too young. I'm glad no one else was hurt.

I hope they can at least find out what drove him to this.

 

[KaylynnCouture]

Gunman Showed No Signs of Disturbing Behavior

A 15-year-old gunman described as a straight-A student who liked the outdoors died today, one day after holding hostage a classroom of students and one teacher in a six-hour standoff that ended with him shooting himself in the head, authorities said.

Samuel Hengel, of Porterfield, had been listed in grave condition earlier today and was being treated at Green Bay’s St. Vincent Hospital, said police chief Jeff Skorik.

A large sign in the driveway of Hengel’s Porterfield home today says “We do not wish to speak at this time.”

The Hengel family’s neighbors on LaPlant Road expressed disbelief about the standoff. Several said that it was common to see Sam and his two younger brothers, Ben and Dan, playing outside or riding four-wheelers.

Ed Carviou, who lived next to the Hengels, said he never saw any disturbing behavior from Sam.

“Something had to snap,” said Carviou, who added that Sam loved to be outdoors and was involved in hunting and canoeing.

Tim Stauss, who lived on the other side of the Hengels, described Sam as a straight-A student who never exhibited any personality or emotional troubles. Sam was the last person Stauss said he thought would be engaged in the type of incident that occurred.

“Not one hint that anything like this would happen,” said Stauss, an economics teacher at Marinette High School. “We’re just in shock out here. It’s so unexplainable.”

School Superintendent Tim Baneck said Hengel was good in school and did not have a history of problems. Marinette High School Principal Corry Lambie said Hengel liked to hunt and fish.

Snipped from http://www.greenbaypressgazette.com/article/20101130/GPG0101/311300174/-1/marinettehostages