From AP via Yahoo.com:
At 6:27 a.m. on his first day as a sophomore at Perry Hall High School in the Baltimore suburbs, Robert Wayne Gladden Jr. updated his Facebook status.
"First
day of school, last day of my life," he wrote. He then typed a symbol
resembling a person with two middle fingers extended before adding "f---
the world."
... a kid like Bobby would look his bully in the eye and say "Fuck you, asshole" and then get on with his life. Or he'd go to his dad and learn how to punch said bully in the head and then get on with his life...
Gladden, a pale
youth with long, dark hair who turned 15 just three weeks ago, has been
charged as an adult in the shooting of a 17-year-old classmate, who was
hit in the back with a shotgun blast in the school's cafeteria Monday
morning. The victim, Daniel Borowy, remained in critical condition Tuesday afternoon.
...but nowadays, kids are more sensitive and less neanderthal. [That is, more "evolved".] Sticks and stones and words are answered with shotgun blasts. Where is the self-esteem our government indoctrination centers trumpet incessantly? If you were full of self-esteem would you care what some ignorant and insecure child thinks of your looks or speech or behavior or beliefs or music or clothes?
Of course not. If Leviathan and Hollyweird had taught you that you were valuable simply because you exist, you'd say "Fuck you, asshole" and get on with your life. The
terrifying truth is this, kiddies: Power loves victims of all sorts.
The terror of the victimized makes them more pliable and more willing to
surrender their God-given freedoms in exchange for the sham protection
of the power-mad who rule them. Why protect anyone when your power lies in increasing the number of victims who gladly make themselves your slaves?
And what about dear old dad? This nonsense has rotted our society from within for so long, that men no longer know how to be men or how to teach their sons how to be men.
While
authorities did not discuss a motive for the shooting, Baltimore County
Police Chief James Johnson said Gladden planned the attack and fired a
shot at random before school staff rushed him. A second shot hit the
ceiling during the struggle, police said.
But Gladden's attorney, George Psoras,
challenged that version of events, saying that the teenager brought the
shotgun to school to intimidate bullies and did not aim it at
classmates or intend to harm anyone. Psoras said he believes Gladden
fired into the floor and the gun discharged again accidentally while
teachers tried to wrestle it away.
"The stereotype right now is
that we have a Columbine," Psoras told The Associated Press. "It's
simply not the case. This is a typical teenager who was just starting
this school year. He was being bullied, and the bullying has to stop."
The
police chief said Gladden told investigators directly that bullying was
not the motive for the shooting. But Psoras said that his client made
those comments under duress and he criticized police for their
interrogation tactics. Elise Armacost, a police spokesman, said the
department stood by the chief's statements.
Meanwhile,
Gladden's Facebook page and comments from his classmates suggested a
troubled and withdrawn young man. Patrick Waters, a 14-year-old
sophomore at Perry Hall, said that Gladden didn't have many friends and
dressed "kind of different." He also said Gladden had been disciplined
in middle school.
"He would just walk up and hit people," Waters said.
Waters said he'd played football against Gladden in middle school, but he didn't think Gladden was involved in sports anymore.
Humberto Cardona, 15, said Gladden dressed "kind of gothic" and grew his hair out.
"He'd like wear it in front of his face, like he was hiding," Cardona said.
The
Facebook page, which classmates confirmed was his, makes references to
murder-suicide and to mass murderer Charles Manson. Gladden gave himself
the nickname "SuicidalSmile," and the three photos of him all show his
face hidden behind his long hair. He describes himself as a "metalhead"
and a fan of musicians Marilyn Manson and Slipknot.
There were
also indications of a troubled home life. Gladden's father and
stepfather both have criminal records, and his stepfather is facing gun
charges stemming from a search of his home Monday. The charges are not
related to the school shooting, police said.
"Golly, Fyodor, are you a psychic?"
Nope. You don't need a weatherman to know which way the wind blows.
According to the
timeline provided by Johnson and by prosecutors in charging documents,
Gladden rode the bus to school, carrying a bag with a disassembled
shotgun, 21 rounds of ammunition and a bottle of vodka.
When he
arrived at Perry Hall High School — the county's largest school, serving
the quiet, middle-class suburbs northeast of Baltimore — he attended
his first two classes. On the way to lunch, he stashed the bag with the
gun in a restroom.
He was inside the cafeteria briefly before
returning to the restroom to assemble the double-barreled shotgun, which
was manufactured before 1968 and had been taken from his father's house
in Middle River, police said.
At some point he sipped from the
vodka bottle, but he was not drunk, police said. He hid the gun under
his clothing and went back to the cafeteria.
Once inside the
bustling lunchroom, he lifted the shotgun and fired at a nearby table,
striking Borowy, police said. But Psoras said Gladden fired the first
shot into the ground. He said the second shot was fired accidentally as
school staff struggled with his client for control of the gun.
School officials and witnesses praised guidance counselor Jesse Wasmer for wrestling the gun out of Gladden's hands.
"This
situation could have been much, much worse," county schools
Superintendent Dallas Dance said. "Thanks to Jesse for his quick
thinking."
The victim, Borowy,
has Down syndrome, according to classmates. His family issued a
statement thanking supporters for their prayers and asking for privacy.
Gladden
was being held without bail. A bail review was expected Wednesday, and
assistant state's attorney Garret Glennon said he would argue that the
teen continue to be held without bail. A preliminary hearing was
scheduled for Sept. 7.
Psoras cautioned against a rush to judgment.
"There
are no pat generalizations that can ever explain these types of cases.
The human brain is exceptionally complex," he said. "When all the facts
come out, you'll see that Mr. Gladden was not some demon."
Gladden's father, Robert W. Gladden, told the AP Monday night that his son had been bullied, although he did not elaborate.
Classes
resumed Tuesday at the school amid a low-key police presence. About 150
students turned out for a prayer vigil organized by local churches on
the school grounds. Some students wore T-shirts and bracelets reading
"Pray for Daniel" and "Team Wasmer" in reference to the victim and the
guidance counselor.
The
terrifying truth is this, kiddies: Power loves victims of all sorts.
The terror of the victimized makes them more pliable and more willing to
surrender their God-given freedoms in exchange for the sham protection
of the power-mad who rule them. Why protect anyone when your power lies
in increasing the number of victims who gladly make themselves your
slaves?
Terror is a form of social control.
You are being controlled.
Don't let yourself be controlled.
