Threat reveals a hurt

Pain inside comes out in bomb scare

<SW_PHOTOS> <MCC STORY>

Sloane Thompson was checking in students, fielding telephone calls and handling the many other tasks that come with the start of a typical day at Jackson County Comprehensive High School.

But on Wednesday morning, the secretary caught a glimpse of one student acting strangely in the school's main office.

"That's what caught my attention," Thompson said. "He was struggling to remove his sweatshirt" - to expose a bomb strapped to his body.

Thompson quickly cleared the office, called police and ordered an evacuation.

"I was certainly anxious and I knew something needed to be done," she said.

It wasn't until hours later, after the student surrendered to police and bomb technicians disabled the homemade explosive device, that Thompson recalled the student's name - Andrew.

"I knew him, but it took a while to remember his name because he was not a discipline issue," she said.

Though he never caused problems at school, the 15-year-old apparently was in such emotional pain that he threatened to blow up himself and others.

"Flying under the radar," is how Jackson County Schools Superintendent Shannon Adams described him.

"He was just real quiet and shy, never had any disciplinary issues and never told any administrators or counselors about problems he was having," Adams said. "Everyone around here who dealt with the situation was of the feeling how unfortunate is was that any young person has to be feeling so much pain and hurting that bad."

Because the teen was charged as a juvenile - he faces felony charges of possession of a destructive device, making terroristic threats and aggravated assault - the Athens Banner-Herald is identifying him only by his first name to shield his identity.

Police said Andrew entered the school's main office at about 8:30 a.m. and threatened to set off a bomb he had strapped to his body. He took off the device and surrendered after more than an hour of face-to-face negotiations with police, and the components of the bomb were sent to the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives laboratory in Atlanta for analysis.

Most of the school's nearly 1,700 students were evacuated from the campus, off Georgia Highway 11 west of Jefferson, to the civic center in downtown Jefferson, where they were sent home after being interviewed individually by Georgia Bureau of Investigation agents.

GBI agents also searched Andrew's home in Pendergrass and his grandmother's house in Talmo, seizing undisclosed evidence.

School and police officials say Andrew was deeply disturbed, mostly because of problems he was having at home, though they refused to go into details about exactly what those problems were.

"He was a troubled young man, and we were just able to work it out without anyone getting hurt," said Jackson County Sheriff Stan Evans, the negotiator who convinced Andrew to give up.

Thompson said after she cleared the main office and radioed for help from the school resource officer, Andrew "had a strong reaction to that," but she would not elaborate.

Arcade Police Chief Dennis Bell, who with Evans negotiated Andrew's surrender, said the teen appeared confused and became increasingly agitated as he looked out the window and saw more police officers arriving.

Bell said Andrew held onto the bomb's trigger as they talked, and the police chief said he was "very concerned" the student would set off the device.

Being the constant target of ridicule seemed to only compound Andrew's distress.

"He got picked on a lot," said Jackson High freshman Chris Moon, who added that Andrew told fellow students that "he made a bomb and would one da take it to school, but no one took him seriously."

No one used the word "bullied" to describe other students' treatment of Andrew, but that's what it is when someone is repeatedly called names and made fun of, according to Pamela Orpinas, a professor in the University of Georgia's College of Public Health.

"The general rule is, if someone says something that hurts another, that's bullying," said Orpinas, co-author of "Bullying Prevention: Creating a Positive School Climate and Developing Social Competence."

Andrew's choice of bringing the bomb to school and threatening to detonate it there may have been a symbolic act, one that said school life played a big part in his problems, according to Orpinas.

"It says that the child was trying to give a message that something was going on at the school," she said.

Jackson High Principal Pat Stueck said, "I'm not saying (Andrew) wasn't picked on in school, but the real issues he wanted help with seemed to revolve around some serious home issues."

When classes resumed the day after the bomb incident, Stueck and her assistants visited each class to discuss what happened and answer questions.

"We also had a good talk with the students about how we need to be kinder to each other," Stueck said.

While the morning announcements were being made over the school's public address system Thursday morning, Stueck said a senior was granted a special request.

"She went on the intercom and said, 'All I really want all of us to do is treat each other kindly today,' " Stueck said.

Thompson's confrontation with a would-be teenage bomber was the most terrifying moment of her life.

Even so, the receptionist - who said she considers Jackson High's 1,695 students "all my children" - has nothing but sympathy for Andrew.

"He's still one of mine and he's in enough pain and darkness, and I would never want to say anything that would have bad repercussions for him," Thompson said. "I want him to come out of this as painless as possible. My heart is very heavy for him because of everything in his life that caused him to make those decisions."

</MCC STORY>Published in the Athens Banner-Herald on 041507

Axs,  I thank you again, so much, for keeping up with this and posting this here for us.

 

I knew in my heart that mostly what God showed me was that the pain problem was at home.  I kept saying that to myself, for I knew that what what God showed me.

 

When I heard at first, about the school hurt,  I said to myself,  but this was not the real cause.  So now I am so glad to see this confirmation.

 

I have been so ridiculed by some of these so-called-christians, on these groups for this testimony.  I hope God shows his great glory and power and proves all these people are wrong who jump on the ridicule-wagon and attack God's true children just because they hate the thought of God still being real in someone's life.

 

But I will not stop glorifying God just because it brings on the ridicule from those who do not have faith enough to even ask for rain in a dry spell. 

 

Larry, you and I know about that one, don't we?  Also about stopping bad, bad storms.

 

Did we tell about that?  I think we did.

 

got to go to work very early in the morning, for the boss had to fire someone today.  Wanna also has to go to her client early because someone was fired.  Don't understand this yet.

 

don't know how it affects both clients.  But no matter, we gotta go.

 

so goodnight to all,

me

Free, that is the only reason that I posted these messages, Why would any one want to riducule someone for praying is beyond my imagination ? To me this is the glory of God. I want to thank you  personally for this great testimony.   

Thank you Axs, and Isaiah.  I have one on another group who is saying that I tried to insinuate the we were the only ones who prayed about this.

 

I did not say that, nor do I know that matter.  I was only praising God that my daughter, granddaughter and I were all united in prayer for this.

 

I say only jealousy could cause others to react so ugly to a testimony as this.  But I just thank the Lord that I am counted worthy to suffer this little bit of ridicule for His name sake.

 

Love to you all,

JO

BLACKSBURG, Va. (April 17) -- A Virginia Tech  senior from South Korea was behind the massacre of at least 30 people locked inside a campus building in the deadliest shooting rampage in modern U.S. history, the university said Tuesday.

Ballistics tests also show that one of the guns inside that building was used in another shooting two hours earlier, at a dorm, Virginia State Police said.

Police identified the shooter as Cho Seung-Hui, 23, a senior from South Korea who was in the English department at Virginia Tech and lived on campus.

"It's certainly reasonable to assume that Cho was the shooter in both cases," but authorities haven't made the link for sure, said Col. Steve Flaherty, superintendent of the Virginia State Police.

A law enforcement official, speaking on condition of anonymity because the information had not been announced, said Cho was carrying a backpack that contained receipts for a March purchase of a Glock 9 mm pistol.

The bloodbath ended with the gunman's suicide, bringing the death toll from two separate shootings -- first at a dorm, then in a classroom building -- to 33 and stamping the campus in the picturesque Blue Ridge Mountains with unspeakable tragedy.

Hi Axs,  and again Thanks for keeping us posted with these things.  (our of our ark enemies is trying to make it appear on another site, that you are me, bolestering myself.  what a shame that men who claim to be Christians have this kind of hatred and lie so easily, and thus do disgrace the wonderful family of God)

 

I said in a post of mine, which did not go, that It is a shame someone did not know and pray the prayer of faith against this evil happening.

 

I do think though, that perhaps, with these two incidents so close together in time,  that it may be a lesson for all to see what can happen when the prayer of faith is prayed and when it is not.

 

Only God can speak to one and tell us when to do this.  At least that is how it is with me.  We do know that Jesus would pass by some sick folks,  bypass them and go on to heal another one close by.  Ever wonder why?

 

 

this is joie's and also my hometown school. this is where we both went to school.

Approximately 1,200 students have been evacuated from Oglethorpe County's high school and middle school after a bomb threat was called in this morning.

Oglethorpe County Sheriff Mike Smith said the adjoining campuses on Athens Road in Lexington have been sealed off and the agents with the Georgia Bureau of Investigation were assisting the University of Georgia's bomb squad in searching the school.

He said classes could resume by 1 p.m. and that parents should not panic.

"They should remain calm and know that their children are in a safe location," Smith said. "Everything is contained, and the students are at a location on campus far enough away that they are not in any harm," he said.

Many concerned parents showed up despite the sheriff's reassurances.

Smith told parents that the threat was reported by a student who found a note in a school hallway this morning that stated bombs would go off at both schools at 9:30 a.m.

The sheriff said his deputies, Georgia State Patrol troopers, firefighters and paramedics also are on the scene.

"We take every threat seriously," said Smith, who added that the schools will be thoroughly searched and students will be allowed to return to the schools if nothing is found.

"We expect to be able to have it all cleared in three to four hours," he said.

The bomb threat came three days after a student murdered 32 people and killed himself at Virginia Tech in the worst mass killing in modern U.S. history.

The Sheriff has 2 juveniles in custody. Don't know yet what all they will be charged with Kids are back in class. Praise the Lord 

Two Oglethorpe County High School students were arrested for a bomb scare that caused 1,200 high and middle school students to be evacuated for three hours this morning.

A student found a note in a hallway that stated bombs would go off at both schools on adjoining campuses on Athens Road in Lexington, officials said.

The arrested students, both 15 years old and from Winterville, were each charged with a single count of terroristic threats and acts, according to John Heinen, special agent in charge of the Georgia Bureau of Investigation's Athens field office.

Heinen said the students became suspects from information gleaned by GBI agents as they interviewed evacuated students.

"We had every single available agent from the Athens office doing interviews while the school buildings were being searched," Heinen said.

The GBI agent said the students were arrested not because of anything they told other students, but because of "information about actions that they took."

Heinen said it was too early in the investigation to disclose why two students were charged for a single note, but he added, "both had been in on it."

The suspects continued to be interviewed at the Oglethorpe County Sheriff's Office, according to Heinen, who was waiting to hear from the state Department of Juvenile Justice whether the suspects should be taken immediately to juvenile court or detained at the Gainesville Regional Youth Detention Center.

Students were allowed back into the schools shortly before noon after investigators determined the bomb threat was a hoax.

"The school is clear and nothing was found," the sheriff said.

Smith said his deputies, Georgia State Patrol troopers, firefighters and paramedics also responded to the schools after the threat was reported.

"We take every threat seriously," Smith said.

Bomb technicians from the GBI and University of Georgia used bomb-sniffing dogs to search the schools.

The bomb threat came three days after a student murdered 32 people and killed himself at Virginia Tech in the worst mass killing in modern U.S. history

Axs,  I am so glad you are keeping this up-to-date.  I will tell this, for the glory of God, and that HE still speaks to his children.  I know most of the members here now do not fight us as the ones who used to be here did, when we speak these things.

 

But after the thing in VA.  God spoke to me and said there will be more and some close to (my) home.  the very next day this thing you posted here happened.  as you said, in our own birth counties and our school.  I graduated at this same school.

 

Many years ago,  some friends of mine and I, along with one of my sisters,  (one of the main ones against us in court right now)  were having home prayer meetings.

God began to move on me in some strong, travailing prayer.  I began seeing visions of horror.... bombs going off all over the place right here in AMERICA.... people running the streets mad with fear.....arms and legs flying through the air.  It was horrible.

I saw this several times.  I told them it is prophecy to come to pass here.

 

When the 9-1-1 thing happened,  I heard these very words over the news.  I also saw dreams of small bombs going off and people running around everywhere trying to escape.

 

I KNEW  these things came from God.

 

Now it is happening.  And until and unless America repents and turns back to God,  these things will only get worse and worse.

 

Yesterday, at court,  a person you and I both know, was there.  Her last name is the same as the aunt we are in court about  (you know her).

 

Her husband is a nephew of my aunt's dead husband.  this lady told me there has been  several different bomb scares and threats and evacuation of several different local schools.

 

One in Hart count,  Franklin count, and I do not know where the other places were she spoke of, for I could not hear her real good.

 

I am telling you all,  God is wanting his children to rise up in faith and believe, and pray the prayer of deliverance.  Trust and believe and all things are possible.

 

Jo

They took prayer out of the homes, and replaced it with Satan's pulpit, TV.  Now violence rules.

 

AMEN!!

 

Great to hear He had a prayer warrior on hand to handle that one. :) So that's what's been going on... Wow, gotta run, my lunch is just about up.. Thanks for sharing all the articles..

 

Love in Christ, Anne

It is good to hear from you again,  Anne,  Have a good day.