Advertisement
Parents take their children home after the shooting yesterday BRAD DOHERTY/AP/Press Association Images
School Shooting

Police shoot dead 15-year-old pupil at US school

The teenager refused to drop an airgun which looked like a dangerous weapon, officers said.

POLICE IN TEXAS shot dead a 15-year-old boy because he would not drop an airgun in his school hallway, officers have said.

Jaime Gonzalez was apparently brandishing a pellet gun which closely resembled a real firearm at Cummings Middle School in Brownsville, Texas. He was declared dead at around 9.15am yesterday morning.

Police said they fired “at least twice” when he “pointed the weapon at officers”, the Houston Chronicle reports.

But Jaime’s family have demanded to know why it was necessary to use lethal force.

“Why was so much excess force used on a minor?” the boy’s father, Jaime Gonzalez Sr., told The Associated Press outside the family’s home Wednesday night. “Three shots. Why not one that would bring him down?”

Interim Police Chief Orlando Rodriguez said the teen was pointing the weapon at officers and “had plenty of opportunities to lower the gun and listen to the officers’ orders, and he didn’t want to.”

Shortly before the confrontation, Jaime had walked into a classroom and punched a boy in the nose for no apparent reason, Rodriguez said.

Police are currently awaiting results of an autopsy, CBS reports.

- Additional reporting from AP

Your Voice
Readers Comments
54
    Submit a report
    Please help us understand how this comment violates our community guidelines.
    Thank you for the feedback
    Your feedback has been sent to our team for review.