More Information on School Shooting in Campbell County

Thanks to all the commenters on this blog for their insightful comments on the Campbell County School Shooting. One commenter indicated that he attended Campbell County High School where the shooting took place and offers the following description of the school. This is an interesting report although I do not personally know the commenter:

I was a student at Campbell County Comprehensive High School. The school was a de facto prison. In fact, if you were to make the journey to LaFollette, Tennessee and drive past the school, you would be hard pressed to determine, without reading the sign, whether the campus was that of a prison or that of a school. It is complete with barbed wire fence, guard shack and police officer.
Based on my experiences, I would suggest that the administration focus more on engaging the children in their task, learning and preparing for the future, and less on dominating their charges.

I find this quote from a former student very interesting as it is consistent with my research on kids who are violent at school. In my research, I found that of the kids who said they had engaged in violence, 23% of them said that school "felt like jail to them." What do prisoners in jail do when they feel treated unfairly? They tend to riot.

Thanks to another commenter for pointing out a story in the Knoxville News-Sentinel with more information on the suspect, Kenneth Bartley.

Update: It's interesting that China is having problems with school violence also--via Peenie Wallace.