November 05, 2004
Bullets over Little Egg Harbor Intermediate School

Usually I try to skip past American stuff when googling for education-related dramas, but this is too choice to ignore:

LITTLE EGG HARBOR, N.J. – A National Guard F-16 fighter jet on a nighttime training mission strafed an elementary school with 25 rounds, authorities said Thursday. No one was injured.

The military is investigating the incident that damaged Little Egg Harbor Intermediate School shortly after 11 p.m.

Police were called when a custodian who was the only person in the school at the time heard what sounded like someone running across the roof.

The pilot of the single-seat jet was supposed to fire at a target on the ground 3-1/2 miles away from school, said Col. Brian Webster, commander of the 177th Fighter Wing of the New Jersey Air National Guard. He does not know what happened that led to the school getting shot up.

''The National Guard takes this situation very seriously,'' said Lt. Col. Roberta Niedt, a spokeswoman.

School board President Mike Dupuis said he's mindful that a firing range is nearby.

''Being so close to the range, that's always in the back of our minds. It is very scary." AP

Indeed. Now that's what I call attacking education.

Often when schools get attacked – fire being the popular weapon of choice – it turns out that the miscreant went there, but did not enjoy it and got angry about something. Could this be the story here?

Hated school. Joined Air National Guard. Took revenge.

F16.jpg

Probably not.

UPDATE: Daryl Cobranchi calls it ONE MORE REASON TO HOMESCHOOL.

Posted by Brian Micklethwait at 03:31 PM
Category: Violence