MARINETTE, Wis. — The 15-year-old gunman who shot himself as police stormed the room at Marinette High School hours has died, according to police.
The teenager allowed five of his hostages out after about six and a half hours, and finally all 23 and their social studies teacher Valerie Burd emerged unharmed. Student hostage Zach Campbell said the gunman seemed depressed, but he didn’t think he meant his classmates any harm.
“I didn’t know really what to think. I was just hoping to get out alive,” Campbell said Tuesday on CBS’ “Early Show.” “He didn’t want to shoot any of us.”
Campbell told The Associated Press that six of the gunman’s close friends were in that class.
Authorities also said they did not know what might have motivated the boy who made no demands or requests during the standoff.
“As far as what caused this, it seems to be a mystery,” Marinette Police Chief Jeff Skorik said early Tuesday. “We have not been able to identify anything that precipitated this incident.”
Skorik said the suspect fired three shots immediately before police entered the room, but he had also fired at least two or three shots before that. He shot into a wall, a desk and equipment in the room, but he was not aiming at any students, Skorik said. The shooter was carrying a 9 mm semi-automatic and a .22 caliber semi-automatic, and he had additional ammunition in his pocket and a duffel bag with more bullets was found at the scene, the chief said. A knife was also found in the room, he said.
A bomb-sniffing dog was brought in to check the building for explosives and none were found, the chief said. He said it was not clear where the boy got the weapons or how he sneaked them into school.
Speaking on ABC’s “Good Morning America,” student Austin Biehl said the teacher asked the gunman why he was holding them hostage.
“He just said ’no,’ that he didn’t want anything, didn’t want any help,” said Biehl, who was so scared that his legs were shaking.