Why My Father Taught Gun Safety
LOCAL NEWSChurch prays for girl who was shot
By Anna Fry
Parsons Sun
There will be a prayer gathering tonight for a 5-year-old Oswego girl who was wounded by a gunshot in Linwood Saturday.
Katherine Cook, daughter of Lamont and JoAnne Cook, was playing outside with two brothers at about 4:40 p.m. Saturday when she was struck in the head. She is in the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit of Children’s Mercy Hospital in Kansas City.
A recorded update of Katherine’s condition said she was off sedation and still on a ventilator this morning. She was not receiving supplemental oxygen and life supports were minimal. Her heart rate was erratic. Katherine made some purposeful movements such as scratching her belly.
The recording said her parents are hopeful, but cautious. They are deeply thankful and overwhelmed by the love and concern that has been shown to the family. Katherine’s six siblings are with extended family.
The public is welcome to attend the gathering at 6 p.m. at the family’s church, which is the Parsons branch of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, 3529 Gabriel.
“It’s going to be a 20-minute gathering for prayer on her behalf,” branch president Stephen Richins said. Many people are fasting because of the belief it helps them draw closer to God in prayer and is a way of pleading for a miracle, Richins said.
Katherine’s father is the church’s former branch president and former CEO of Oswego Medical Center. He recently began a job outside of Kansas City and the family plans to move to Linwood in the future, Richins said. JoAnne Cook and the children have stayed in Oswego and see Lamont on the weekends.
Leavenworth County Sheriff David Zoellner said while he is not ruling anything out, it doesn’t appear Katherine was targeted.
“There’s no indication that there’s any malicious act involved,” he said. People hunt and target practice in the rural, wooded area, he said. Whoever fired the shot could be unaware of what happened, he said.
The department is asking anyone with information to come forward. Three vehicle check points were set up Monday to question motorists.
“We’re continuing the investigation,” Zoellner said. “The parents have been very cooperative and the neighbors have been very cooperative.”
Trust funds in Katherine’s name have been established at Commercial Bank and Labette Bank. Periodic updates about Katherine’s condition are available at 421-2932. Flowers cannot be accepted at the pediatric intensive care unit.
EVEN THE SMALL TOWNS
LOCAL NEWSBy Colleen Surridge and Anna Fry
Parsons Sun
A Parsons High School freshman who brought a loaded gun to school Monday remains in custody today.
Parsons police detained the 14-year-old boy Monday afternoon in a second-floor classroom after another student reported seeing the gun.
"I'm really proud of the student who did come forward giving us all the information needed to identify the suspect. It was a very quick interview and arrest," said USD 503 superintendent Deborah Perbeck.
The student who made the report did not know the name of the other student, but gave the teacher a description.
"When the teacher came in to notify the administration, there happened to be a community police officer there just visiting the school," Perbeck said. "They made some phone calls and officers were at the school almost immediately." Police and sheriff's deputies responded.
As soon as the office was notified, the school was locked down around 2:30 p.m., meaning whatever classroom students were in is where they remained. Nearby GuthridgeElementary School went on lockdown, too.
This means that students were locked in a classroom with the gun-carrying suspect, but as school officials didn't know who the suspect was, there was little choice, Perbeck said. Interim Police Chief John Keele said lockdowns are a way to keep violence contained if it erupts.
"There's no perfect plan," Keele said. "You're going to isolate to make sure there's as little of a chance of people getting hurt as possible."
Keele said the school district planned the lockdown procedures a while ago. Police attended meetings then so they would be informed of the procedures.
Keele said the principal used the description to figure out who the student was and what classroom he was in. Three police officers entered the classroom.
"He was apprehended without incident," Keele said. Police recovered a loaded handgun the student had on him. Police will not release some details - such as the caliber of gun and where exactly it was - because the investigation is ongoing. Neither the student nor police officers drew a gun. Police didn't enter any other classrooms.
Keele said the student was detained within 20 minutes of the call, which came at about 2:30. He was taken to the Parsons police station, but is no longer there. However, he is still in custody.
Perbeck would not identify the student, but did say there will be a board hearing, whether the student is able to be there or not.
"But any time a student has a weapon in school it is an automatic 186 days expulsion, which is a full year from yesterday," Perbeck said.
Both students and staff and the police handled the incident extremely well, Perbeck said.
Students and staff remained calm during the lockdown, and the police were quick to respond and apprehend the suspect.
"Everyone was doing what they needed to do," she said. "The student was apprehended right before the end of the day, so once the student was apprehended and removed from the campus, we did let the students go. We released the students one classroom at a time, single file from the building. It was really orderly. There was no panic whatsoever."
Keele returned the compliment.
"We do want to commend the school on their quick action and the cooperation of the students on making sure this went well," Keele said.
Police are continuing their investigation. Keele said he expects the student to be charged as a juvenile with a felony charge of criminal threat and three juvenile misdemeanor charges of carrying a concealed weapon, possessing a firearm on school property and criminal possession of a firearm by a juvenile. LabetteCounty Attorney John Bullard confirmed he expects to file those charges today or Wednesday as soon as he gets the police reports.
Keele and Bullard would not identify the student because he is a juvenile.
After the school had the facts, parents of students at all district schools were notified through School Reach, an automated system that calls parents, of the situation.
"If parents feel they were not notified, they need to call the school office and make sure their contact information is correct," Perbeck said.
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