Teacher saves kids in school shooting

[merithyn]

Another school shooting, this time in my old backyard. (Mattoon is about an hour south of Champaign.) A PE teacher tackled the kid to stop the shooting. She's a freaking hero. Zero deaths, only two injuries reported.

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A teacher is being hailed as a hero after she took down a student gunman who opened fire in a high school cafeteria Wednesday morning in Illinois, wounding another student.

Angela McQueen, 40, a physical education teacher, tackled the student as he was shooting at Mattoon High School about 11:30 a.m. She was identified as the heroic teacher by the Nokomis Free Press-Progress newspaper and several members of the community.

The shooter, who has not been identified, was taken into custody at the scene and the victim was hospitalized, but is expected to survive, authorities said. He was "smiling, in stable condition, in good spirits and joked about catching some slack on his grades," Larry Lilly, the superintendent of Mattoon schools said at a press conference.

"Lives were saved by the quick response of a teacher," Police Chief Jeff Branson told reporters at a press conference. Branson said the teacher was trained, but "You just don't know what's going to happen until it's happened." He said if it weren't for the teacher, "I think the situation would have been a lot different."

The student remains in custody and an investigation is ongoing, but he cannot be identified at this time because of his age, authorities said. The victim's father "also asked that I pass along his prayers for the shooter's family," Lilly said.

Here's what you need to know:

1. McQueen 'Overwhelmed' the Shooter in the Cafeteria After a Student Was Shot

As the gunman opened fire inside the Mattoon High School cafeteria, gym teacher Angela McQueen sprang into action, authorities and witnesses said. The teacher "overwhelmed" the shooter after he was able to fire multiple shots into a crowd of students, wounding at least one classmate as the panicked teens fled from the gunfire, Police Chief Jeff Branson said at a press conference Wednesday night. McQueen, 40, then held down the student while a school resource officer who was in the building and heard the shots raced to help. The officer disarmed the student and took him into custody until other officers arrived.

"The School Resource Officers and school officials headed to the cafeteria where they heard shots fired. The suspect fired shots in the school cafeteria, before he was subdued and disarmed," the school district said in a statement. "Emergency procedures were activated and students and staff exited the high school. As a result of shots being fired, one student was injured. First-responders arrived, secured the facility, and transported the student to the hospital. The injured student's parents were notified."

Branson told reporters, "The school resource officer was nearby, he also helped subdue the individual, but I've got to tell you, but it was the school employee who took this on. I can't tell you how impressed I am with her."

Brian Brower, the state's attorney for Coles County, told reporters, "I would also like to echo the commendations that Chief Branson said, the dedication, the action of the school employees, in particular the teacher, and the reaction by all law enforcement took this tragedy and contained it."

Officers who arrived at the scene found students running from the school and a chaotic scene, with at least one injured person in a parking lot area. Police were searching for other victims, but according to officials, no other victims were believed to be found. Police have not released other details about the victim, including his or her age.

"We believe this is the only suspect and he is in custody," Mattoon Police Chief Jeff Branson told reporters, the Decatur Herald & Review reports. "I'm very confident about that."

The shooter was initially described as a white male with a white T-shirt and a shotgun, according to 911 callers.

According to police scanner transmissions, several officers rushed to the school to respond to a call reporting shots fired at 11:33 a.m. "I have a 911 call, shots fired at the high school," the dispatcher told the Mattoon officers. You can listen to the scanner audio below, courtesy of Broadcastify.com. It has been edited by Heavy to remove identifying information about possible suspects and witnesses:

The dispatcher told responding officers that a caller in a woman's bathroom at the school reported hearing what she believed to be "shots fired in the area." The dispatcher said the caller said the shots seemed to be coming from the main hallway inside the school. At least one ambulance was also dispatched to the school for a "gunshot wound."

Callers told the 911 dispatcher that at least four shots were fired in the area of the school's cafeteria. One victim was taken from the scene by ambulance, and officers followed another blood trail to look for a second victim, but police do not believe any one else was injured. The suspect was reported to be in custody about 10 minutes after officers responded.

[merithyn]

And because I know one of you mooks is going to ask.

[CountDeMoney]

The union's definitely going to shit kittens over this one.

[Valmy]

Tackling does work. Marty is vindicated.

Heck of a story.

[Grey Fox]

Martinus was right.