Student Kills Self in Front of 150 Classmates at Alabama High School

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,335673,00.html
Jajuan Holmes, 18, fatally shot himself about 10 a.m. at Davidson High School, police Chief Phillip Garrett said. He described the shooting as an isolated incident and said no one else was injured. Holmes was charged a few weeks ago in a Dairy Queen robbery, which may have been a factor leading to the shooting, Garrett said. But he said the teen's death remained under investigation. He said there had been no indication that Holmes might be suicidal. Chelsea Smith, a fourth-year student, said she was seated in the gym bleachers when Holmes appeared at the top of the bleachers and walked down to the center of the gym court. "He had a gun to his head," she said. Smith said a coach walked toward Holmes, who pointed the gun at the coach until the coach retreated. She said Holmes then fired into the ceiling and shot himself. Grief counselors were sent to the school, said Nancy Pierce, a spokeswoman for the Mobile County school system. She said classes would resume Friday.

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http://www.transworldnews.com/NewsStory.aspx?id=39382&cat=15

Jajuan Holmes, Alabama HS Student Who Committed Suicide, Had Checkered Past
Atlanta, GA 3/06/2008 07:41 PM GMT (FINDITT)

Jajuan Holmes, the student who committed suicide in front of his fellow classmates in Mobile, AL on Thursday morning, had previous charges against him. Holmes entered his Davidson High School gymnasium on Thursday morning and fired a shot into the building’s ceiling. After getting the attention of his classmates, Holmes then turned the gun on himself, firing a single shot into his head. It is estimated that 150 students witnessed the shooting. Holmes was recently taken into police custody on Feb. 12 and charged with three counts of first-degree robbery. The first charge was in connection with a robbery of a Dairy Queen restaurant in Mobile on Feb. 10. He and accomplice Timothy Gerald Hall, Jr. were taken into custody. Holmes's additional charges stem from two separate armed robberies of businesses in the downtown area that occurred earlier that day. All of the robberies occurred during Mobile's Mardi Gras celebration. Hall, the son of a Mobile municipal judge, was named this year's Mobile Area Mardi Gras Association's Juvenile Court King prior to the robberies.

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http://www.nbc15online.com/news/loc...=a0e2681b-d0f8-467f-ba73-01bc5639a4e9&rss=217

(Mobile, Ala.) March 6 --So many are asking, who was this young man and why would he commit suicide in such a public way? NBC15's Andrea Ramey has learned JaJuan Holmes had threatened suicide before.

Holmes threatened to kill himself Wednesday night at a home not too far from Davidson High School. Police say he did fire a shot in the air, but say Holmes was not at the house when they arrived, and they could not locate him. Police say he had been suspended from school but was in the Davidson High School gym on Thursday morning.

Investigators say there were other things in his life that weren't going right, and his troubled past may have lead to Thursday's tragedy.

Ninth graders Brittany and Yaniga can't fight back the tears as they recalled what they saw on Thursday morning. "It just came out of no where," said Brittany Hale.

"He just went up to the gym floor with a gun up to his head," said Yaniga Tucker.

An 11th grader, who did not want to be identified, said she was sitting behind JaJuan moments before he pulled the trigger. She says he was arguing with his girlfriend. "This is all I heard him say, 'I'll kill myself before I'll kill you.' And she said 'You don't need to do nothing stupid. You're going to regret this.'

" Holmes had a troubled past. Last month, police arrested him for allegedly robbing a Dairy Queen along with two other businesses in the downtown area.

Daniel McBride says he was friends with JaJuan and tried to talk to him about his troubles. "He seemed like he was kind of hiding something, and I just thought I'd let him come out on his own. And I came back to talk to him and he was like 'No man, I'm cool'. Obviously he wasn't," said McBride.

Mobile County District Attorney John Tyson Jr. says JaJuan floated from home to home. NBC15 News went to the address he had on his school record. A neighbor there told us, JaJuan didn't stay there that often.

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I agree that it's not a gun problem but, given the current penchant for disarming the politically incorrect and this adolescent 'mental', how in Hades did he still have guns?

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I agree that it's not a gun problem but, given the current penchant for disarming the politically incorrect and this adolescent 'mental', how in Hades did he still have guns?

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How long until the media & the brady bunch start calling for even MORE gun control?

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I agree that it's not a gun problem but, given the current penchant for disarming the politically incorrect and this adolescent 'mental', how in Hades did he still have guns?

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Y'all understand that by asking the question, "How did he get/have/retain a gun?" you are validating the anti-s' premise that it can somehow be prevented by just passing another law.

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Citizen wrote:

Y'all understand that by asking the question, "How did he get/have/retain a gun?" you are validating the anti-s' premise that it can somehow be prevented by just passing another law.

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I think it's moreso trying to figure out which illegitimate channel (and which consequently ineffective gun law) he used to get a gun to do this. At least that's what I'm curious about... Unfortunately, when the beloved gun control laws fail, no one ever wants to report the failure.

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My question.... how and where did he get the gun?

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Y'all understand that by asking the question, "How did he get/have/retain a gun?" you are validating the anti-s' premise that it can somehow be prevented by just passing another law.

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Citizen wrote:

Y'all understand that by asking the question, "How did he get/have/retain a gun?" you are validating the anti-s' premise that it can somehow be prevented by just passing another law.

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No... it should invoke a though process in all of us.... Thiskid got a gun and he was not supposed to have one. How did he do it???

So unless he bought it from someone on the street (Something we have little control over).... What can be done to help prevent kids or criminalsfrom "stealing" guns from others in the future?

If the people will nottake action to beresponsible with their firearms what needs to happen? Wait... Citizen wants them to be left alone. It is NOT a problemand nothing needs to happen. The people have the right to leave their gunsout to be stolen and then used in crimes and maybe even sold to kids on the street.

A locked up gun while your not at home is a useless gun.. right??

http://www.wrd.state.or.us/DHS/ph/safekids/firearmmyths.shtml

I am a strong supporter for keeping firearms in a secure container. I cannot tell you how many times I have gone to a house for an alarm and found the door open only to find a boat load of guns out in plain view!!!!!

Not locked up or even hidden!!!! A burglar can take them easily and maybe use them against me as I enter the house.

So... I am curious how did this kid get a gun....

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" Holmes had a troubled past. Last month, police arrested him for allegedly robbing a Dairy Queen along with two other businesses in the downtown area.

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