Teacher tackles gunman!

[BigMoneyNacku]

 

It's nice to see not everyone loses their minds when one of these fuckwads shows up at a school shooting people.

 

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/us_colo_school_shooting

 

 

LITTLETON, Colo. – The gunman was walking through a middle school parking lot and taking shots at students with a hunting rifle as terrified teenagers ran for their lives. He had just wounded two students and seemed ready to unleash more violence when a math teacher named David Benke sprung into action.

 

Benke confronted the 32-year-old gunman, tackled him and pinned him to the ground with the help of another teacher, stopping what could have been a much more violent encounter in a city all too familiar with tragic school shootings. The shooting occurred less than three miles from where the Columbine High School massacre happened nearly 11 years ago.

 

"Unfortunately he got another round off before I could grab him," Benke said. "He figured out that he wasn't going to be able to get another round chambered before I got to him so he dropped the gun and then we were kind of struggling around trying to get him subdued."

 

The two students survived Tuesday's shooting and one remained hospitalized.

 

Police said they aren't immediately sure about what motivated Bruco Strongeagle Eastwood to target Deer Creek Middle School just after classes had ended for the day. Eastwood has an arrest record in Colorado dating back to 1996 for menacing, assault, domestic violence and driving under the influence, and he is believed to have a history of mental issues.

 

Jefferson County Sheriff Ted Mink praised Benke and called him a hero, and the math teacher's status seems to be growing by the minute. A Facebook page called "Dr. David Benke Is A Hero!!!!" quickly grew to more than 12,000 members by Wednesday morning.

 

Benke, a father of 7-year-old twins and a 13-year-old girl, fought back tears after Mink thanked him.

 

"Believe me when I say, I think he stopped what could have been a more tragic event than it was this afternoon," Mink said.

 

The victims, students Reagan Webber and Matt Thieu, were both treated at Littleton Adventist Hospital, where spokeswoman Christine Alexander said Webber was treated and released to her home. Thieu was transferred to The Children's Hospital, where he was listed in critical condition late Tuesday.

 

Benke, a 6-foot-5 former college basketball player who oversees the school's track team, was monitoring the parking lot in the afternoon when he heard what he thought was a firecracker and began walking toward the noise.

 

"At first when I was walking over there, it was kind of what a teacher does," Benke said, still shaken hours after the shooting. "`Hey kid, what are you doing,' you know that kind of thing."

 

He said another teacher was quickly on the scene and both of them pinned the gunman to the ground. Eastwood was armed with a bolt-action rifle.

 

"I basically have my arms and legs wrapped around him, (the other teacher) has his forearm around his front and we were basically trying to get the guy to quit struggling."

 

"I talked to him while we were on the ground," Benke added. "I was underneath him and his face was pretty close to mine. I asked him, `Why did you do this? Were you a student here?'

 

"He either didn't respond or his responses didn't make a whole lot of sense," Benke said.

 

The shooting rattled a city that was devastated in 1999 when two students shot and killed 12 students and a teacher in one of the deadliest school rampages in U.S. history. The middle school is right down the road from Columbine High School, and is located on West Columbine Drive.

 

Benke told a TV station that he took part in drills after Columbine and recalled thinking that if the same thing happened, "I hope that I could go after him."

 

Investigators said Eastwood visited the school previously and was inside shortly before the shooting. He is expected to make his first court appearance Wednesday and may face at least two counts of attempted murder.

 

Denver station KUSA-TV reported that Eastwood attended Deer Creek Middle School in the early 1990s.

 

In 2005, Eastwood participated in a NASA-funded medical study in which he spent 10 days in a hospital bed so scientists could study muscle wasting, an affliction experienced by astronauts during long flights, according to a story in the Rocky Mountain News at the time.

 

He told the newspaper that he had a lifelong dream of being an astronaut and described his occupation to the newspaper as horse trainer working at his father's ranch. He pocketed $2,200 from the study and was able to spend a week and a half watching DVDs and playing video games during the bed experiment.

 

A man who answered the phone Tuesday night at a number listed for Eastwood identified himself only as "Mr. Eastwood" and said he was Bruco Eastwood's father. He was at a loss for words.

 

"There's nothing you can say about it. What can you say?" the man told The Associated Press. "Pretty dumb thing to do. I feel bad for the people involved." He wouldn't comment further.

 

As for Benke, he said he still wishes he could have done: "It bugs me that he got another round off" before Benke tackled him to the ground.

 

 

[dadedt05]

Amazing fukn amazing, How is it that almost every year someone wants to just kill kids. WTF is wrong with people , and in all places its Colorado again they dont need that drama,

 

Guns are just not safe at all. Only should be in the hands of the Army, and Gov

[o-BacklasH-o]

Amazing fukn amazing, How is it that almost every year someone wants to just kill kids. WTF is wrong with people , and in all places its Colorado again they dont need that drama,

 

Guns are just not safe at all. Only should be in the hands of the Army, and Gov

 

I applaud the actions of this teacher, excellent job! On the other hand I think you need to pump the breaks a tad Dade. I really CANNOT stand that people want to take guns away from LAW ABIDING citizens like myself, because mentally unstable and/or gang members use them in crimes.

 

This person should have NEVER had access to a firearm if he had "a history of mental illness." That is why the F.O.I.D. (Firearms Owner Identification) card is a decent system in Illinois, despite all the anti-gun laws this state tries to sneak by the public they have something there. I wish other states would employ the card (which is required to purchase firearms/ammunition within the state of Illinois).

 

You have to apply for the card and only those of sound mental state and clean background are approved. I just simply get so fed up that politicians and misinformed anti-gun groups are trying to strip the 2nd Amendment right from those who have done nothing wrong. I hunt for leisure and profession, if the State were to put a ban on guns I would move. End of story. If guns were outlawed in the US (which will NEVER happen), I'd move to Canad-uh. That's how adamant I am about what I do.

 

The fact that the article used the phrase "hunting rifle" will, no doubt, add further scrutiny to the hunting community.

[[SoW] Lucky_Saint-]

Amazing fukn amazing, How is it that almost every year someone wants to just kill kids. WTF is wrong with people , and in all places its Colorado again they dont need that drama,

 

Guns are just not safe at all. Only should be in the hands of the Army, and Gov

 

you have to realize that that willnot work like you want it. being a gun owner id like to keep my rights. if you take the guns away from the public only the ones you dont want to have guns will have them ie black market and the such

[Bandit99]

Taking guns from your everyday law abiding citizen is not the answer as those above have mentioned. There is another reason I will never support such an action and will go to jail to preserve my rights. What I just said is the problem. I guarantee there will be 100,000's of thousand people just like me who would do the same.

 

So is that the answer. To make felons out of people who are only supporting their rights as given by our Constitution? Everyday people who have never done anything illegal would now be felons if they were caught after guns were banned. That to me is utter Bullshit and mark my word it would happen quite often.

[Neoblackhound]

Good job teach.

[[SoW] Lucky_Saint-]

And don't forget the age old saying guns dont kill people,people kill people. and if they didnt have guns they would just pull out the swords and knives

[Prime-VR]

For all of you that are talking about your gun rights and what you believe...

 

I hope your all members of the NRA. As a card carrying member I totally believe they are in our best interest. They fight for your rights. EVERYONE who owns or wants to own a gun should be involved in the NRA.IMO

[[SoW] Lucky_Saint-]

z-Prime-z ]

For all of you that are talking about your gun rights and what you believe...

 

I hope your all members of the NRA. As a card carrying member I totally believe they are in our best interest. They fight for your rights. EVERYONE who owns or wants to own a gun should be involved in the NRA.IMO

 

i completely agree with you on that one

[RNG187]

Guns are just not safe at all. Only should be in the hands of the Army, and Gov

 

that would never happen, unless someone deemed the constitution null and void, it would NEVER happen in this country. i'm not a gun person myself, but i'm not against them.

[xPUDDYTATx]

Amazing fukn amazing, How is it that almost every year someone wants to just kill kids. WTF is wrong with people , and in all places its Colorado again they dont need that drama,

 

Guns are just not safe at all. Only should be in the hands of the Army, and Gov

 

 

i own about 50 different guns. i have pistols, assault rifles, hunting rifles, and a few shotguns. i have been shooting since i was about 8, and hunting since i was 12. in 28 years of handling weapons, i have NEVER shot at or near another person, never considered killing someone, and have a long, spotless track record.

 

i have taken hunter safety course, and i am a member of the NRA and the NAHC.

 

so with that said, and without starting a long political discussion, could you please tell me why MY guns should be taken away? what have i done that warrants the removal of firearms from MY possession?

[Prane]

Note to self, don't fuck with Puddy.