Suicide at a Texas School
georgina
took place in Fort Worth area. The bodies of a man, his wife, their two
children and their German Shepherd dog were apparently found dead inside
of their parked car, with a hose connected from the tailpipe to the
interior of the car. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to locate any news on
that story. While at an msnbc site I did come across another interesting
story, that I don't remember reading about here at ATC. I'll post both
of the articles. In the first, we learn that a 16 year old high school
sophomore named Randall James shot and killed himself at his high
school, last Thursday morning. The second article tells us a little
about the boy's involvement in a religious 'cult'. If anyone knows more
about the family suicide story, please post.
Thanks,
Georgina
http://www.msnbc.com/local/kxas/86561.asp
NORTH RICHLAND HILLS - At one of the largest high schools in North
Texas, a single gunshot brought grief and shock to students and parents.
Classes had barely begun Thursday morning at Richland High School in
North Richland Hills when a young student, described as a “loner,”
took his own life. School administrators scrambled to keep school open,
but many students went home for the day. It happened right after the
morning bell in a bathroom right off the main lobby. Sophomore Randall
James walked into a stall, pulled out a nine-millimeter pistol, and shot
himself, once in the head. The student was rushed to a nearby hospital
where he was pronounced dead.
Freshman Catherine Bowerman said, “You hear girls crying. It’s so sad.
So sad, people we go to school with. So sad...” As news of the tragedy
spread, anxious parents showed up to claim their children. Some worried
about how easy it is to bring a gun inside a school with no metal
detectors. Bart Rasmussen is a parent. “There’s a firearm in the school.
Regardless of whether he took his own life or someone else’s life, there
was a gun in the school.” School officials say there hasn’t been much
trouble at the school before.
Robin McClure is with the Birdville ISD. “I’m sure this will be
reviewed. This has not been an issue. It’s sort of a fine line you walk,
do you want metal detectors at all entrances of a high school facility.
Or is this an isolated incident.”
NBC Five’s Scott Gordon reports that police weren’t the only ones at the
school after the shooting. About a dozen counselors and volunteer
chaplains were on hand to help students cope with what happened.
“They’re meeting one on one and in small groups, talking about the
tragedy and trying to prevent another one.” Reverend Dennis Baw said,
“It’s a big concern because to a lot of young people it’s a viable
option. And of course, we’re telling them it’s not a viable option. Life
is worth living. There are people who will help you and love you.” The
pastor says the student who killed himself, Randall James, had no
trouble with drugs or girlfriends. But he also says the teenager wrote
some 8 to 10 letters to friends on Wednesday, which have now been given
to police.
The ordeal shook up other students who didn’t even know the boy, who
wonder what could have gone so wrong? One student who knew Randall James
described him as being very depressed. The student said James never
played with the other students in gym class.
----------------------------
Diary of a cult member
By Stacie Kern
NORTH TEXAS - 16-year-old Randall James committed suicide Thursday at
his high school. Journals he left behind indicate a confused young man
torn between a dangerous cult and doing what was right. They give a
frightening look into the world of a teenager who took his own life.
John and Theresa James say they had no idea their son Randall was so
torn up inside, not until he killed himself and left behind personal
notes and a journal describing every day of his life for the past year.
John James says, “He was extremely confused. He was being bombarded with
questions in his head, ‘What’s right, what’s wrong, what do I believe,
what am I doing, what should I do next.’“
Through words and pictures, Randall described his involvement with a
so-called Wiccan Cult. The beliefs were far from the traditional Wiccan
Religion, whose members practice white magic, and encourage harmony with
nature. His dad says, “It’s contorted and deformed the way they’ve done
it. There’s nothing good about it. The Wiccan Religion was of good
things that you can do and anyone that would do evil with it was not
accepted and they were cast out.”
Randall, too, was apparently cast out of his group once members realized
his true intentions, to help others get out. His father found a
disturbing letter filled with threats from a fellow cult member. John
says the letter said, “We will join together against you, your Catholic,
anti-atheist group.” The letter went on to describe how Randall’s
deviation from the cult would result in a so-called dreamscape trial.
Randall’s step-mom Theresa says, “Entering and attacking a person
through their dreams. They quote, unquote, kind of call it a dreamscape
and even if the person doesn’t want to participate they can still do
it.”
Randall’s journal also described the study of two books: The
Necrinomicon, or The Book of the Dead, and The Satanic Bible. Some cult
experts say whatever his intentions, Randall was simply messing with
something way too dangerous. James Walker of Watchman Fellowship, Inc.
says, “There’s a lot more to it than maybe they initially believe.
Rather than just an innocuous investigation or morbid curiosity, they
actually find themselves being drawn into the lifestyle. A lot of times
the quest for personal power becomes overwhelming.”
It’s advice too late for Randall James, but information his parents hope
will reach others whom may be lost and searching for answers. Randall’s
family and friends gathered for his funeral in North Richland Hills on
Monday. Pastor Dennis Baw told the congregation Randall is now living
peacefully in heaven.
Cliff and Linda Griffith
Check http://www.star-telegram.com
The husband had been reported to CPS for child abuse/child sexual abuse.
First, bruises were noticed on one of the boys; during questioning, the
children told of sexual abuse. The wife didn't believe that her husband
was guilty, but later she kicked him out of the house and changed the
locks on the doors. The man had gone to live with a family who would
monitor him, and the boys moved in with a relative. Believing that the
mother was working with CPS, the authorities returned the boys to her.
Shortly thereafter, the monitoring family reported that the husband had
moved out of their house. Apparently, the mother and father went to the
store and bought a tarp and a (washing machine-?)dryer-hose. Found in
the car with the bodies of the parents and children were a partially
consumed bottle of whiskey, a hamburger wrapper, and a radio. The radio
was "on", but the batteries were dead. The man's mother (who had been
living with the family until recently) discovered the car, with the hose
hooked up to the exhaust, and with the engine running. She was afraid
to look inside, so she asked someone else to look, and then they called
911.
The suicide at Richland High School has everybody in an uproar. The
school has received threats, and rumors were going around that today
(well, Thursday), a group of the boy's friends were going to shoot-up
the school "in retaliation" (???). One rumor was that they would pull
the fire alarm and shoot students as they exited the bldg. One report
was that 700 students stayed home today. I drove around the school, and
everything looked pretty normal. There was a police car at each
entrance and a police van (Crime Scene or DARE) at one. There aren't
usually 2-3 police cars there, but I couldn't see any SWAT members...as
were reported to be on the roof yesterday. Because of the threats, the
pep rally and tomorrow night's dance have been cancelled.
I'm eager to read Friday's newspaper account (but not enough to read it
online now).
Linda
georgina wrote:
>
> I was searching online for some details on an incident that recently
> took place in Fort Worth area. The bodies of a man, his wife, their two
> children and their German Shepherd dog were apparently found dead inside
> of their parked car, with a hose connected from the tailpipe to the
> interior of the car. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to locate any news on
> that story. While at an msnbc site I did come across another interesting
> story, that I don't remember reading about here at ATC. I'll post both
> of the articles. In the first, we learn that a 16 year old high school
> sophomore named Randall James shot and killed himself at his high
> school, last Thursday morning. <snip>
georgina
I appreciate the link that you've mentioned and will take a look.
PageFem and Joe have also posted some news articles about this
unfortunate incident. Very selfish of the parents, to kill the two
young boys and the dog. The grandmother seemed more interested
in protecting her adult son than her two grandsons. One article
mentioned that the mother opened the car door and regurgitated
outside of the car. I wonder if she had second thoughts and considered
fleeing. And whether or not the two small boys were overcome by the
fumes and died first, before the parents? I hope, at least, that it was a
painless death.
~Georgina
> > I was searching online for some details on an incident that recently
> > took place in Fort Worth area. The bodies of a man, his wife, their two
> > children and their German Shepherd dog were apparently found dead inside
> > of their parked car, with a hose connected from the tailpipe to the
> > interior of the car. Unfortunately, I wasn't able to locate any news on
> > that story. While at an msnbc site I did come across another interesting
> > story, that I don't remember reading about here at ATC. I'll post both
> > of the articles. In the first, we learn that a 16 year old high school
> > sophomore named Randall James shot and killed himself at his high
> > school, last Thursday morning. <snip>