Teacher and student held in stand-off are freed after armed student shoots himself

A teacher and 23 students were taken hostage in a high school classroom in Marinette, Wisconsin, last night, by a fellow student who was armed, with the siege only ending after the student shot himself. The gun man who is currently unnamed was taken to hospital suffering from self inflicted wounds.

According to Marinette Police Chief Jeffrey Skorik the 15-year-old had two handguns in the classroom, where he held 23 students and their teacher from around 3pm Central Standard Time, then at around  7.40pm the suspect allowed five of the students to be released from the room because they had to use the restroom. Negotiations were going well with the teenage gunman but at 8.03pm officers heard three shots fired, they rushed to the classroom where they found the suspect standing at the front of the room, as they entered he shot himself. The remaining hostages were then evacuated safely and reunited with waiting family and friends who were keeping vigil in the school parking lot.
Marinette County emergency management director Eric Burmeister said: “A high school administrator called authorities after 3pm to say an armed student had burst into a classroom.”

Chief Skorik said: “Hostage negotiators were immediately sent to the school and all contact had been conducted through the teacher in the classroom via telephone. No threats or demands were made through the five-hour stand-off, nor had any motive been determined.”

Parents and the media were kept informed of all the developments and Green Bay police and the Green Bay SWAT team were at the scene during the siege.

Choral teacher Bonita Weydt told The Associated Press news agency that school ended about 3.10pm and the principal told her to leave the building immediately. Mr Burmeister said: “Anxious parents were asked to go and wait at the county courthouse for further news on their children. “

Picture courtesy of Tim Pearce Los Gatos

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