Somebody That I Used to Know

Courtesy of ABC 33/40

On Tuesday, February 12, a gunman entered Chelsea Middle School around 3:10 pm. He proceeded to hold five girls hostage in the locker room for 20 minutes while the resource officer and principal negotiated with him to let the girls go. Nobody was hurt and he was arrested.

The young man is only 21 years old was a Chelsea High School graduate and former part time summer employee at the Middle School. He has been charged with five counts of kidnapping and an act of terrorism. His bail is over five million dollars.

This event has hit very close to home for me. Not only am I a Chelsea High School graduate as well, I also knew the gunman in high school. He was on the football team for a little bit of his high school career, and at that time I was a student athletic trainer in charge of freshmen football players.

He was always the one that I didn't have to jump on to do the things that needed to be done. Never in a million years would I have guessed he'd be the one to do something like this. It breaks my heart to think that he has ruined his life in a rash decision over who knows what.

Something needs to be done. I think it would be best to have more armed security at schools. In this day and age where guns are everywhere now, and there is no changing that, more protection is the answer. I know that costs a lot of money, but this is no longer happening in different states. This is happening right here. In Shelby County, Alabama. In my home town...at my old middle school, by somebody that I used to know. What are we going to do about it?

This has put me out of sorts this week. I knew this kid. I talked to him and spent a large amount of time with him. What if he would have decided to do this when we were in high school? This could be a different story. I'm so thankful that nobody was hurt and I know that justice will happen and that he will get a punishment to fit his crime.