Acroplex
11-01-2002, 02:35 AM
TULSA, Oklahoma (CNN) -- A security guard at a Tulsa high school shot and wounded a 15-year-old student Thursday, police said.
The shooting developed out of an incident last week, when another student threatened to kill the guard if, based on the guard's report, the High School of Science and Technology decided to suspend the boy, police spokesman Wayne Allen said.
"Today, the kid got suspended," said Allen, who did not know what led to the suspension.
Shortly before 3 p.m. (4 p.m. ET), as classes were letting out for the day, the student and the guard crossed paths and, after a discussion, the boy reached for his pocket, Allen said.
Thinking the boy was planning to pull a gun, the guard pulled his own weapon and fired, Allen said.
The round missed the student, ricocheted off the pavement and struck another boy in his pocket, which contained a cell phone, Allen said. Shrapnel from the phone flew into the boy's face, causing a superficial wound in his cheek. The boy was taken to a hospital.
A spokesman for Pinkerton's Security, which employs the guard, did not immediately return a call. Police said they were investigating the incident.
Student Jake Oates told a reporter he saw the security guard tell the student to get off school property.
"He didn't get off at first," Oates said. When the security guard then pulled his gun on the student, "he was like, 'Are you going to shoot me?' and started walking across the street," Oates said.
At that, "The officer just shot, and he hit another little dude in the face that was over at the store. He just shot into a big old crowd," Oates said.
The shooting developed out of an incident last week, when another student threatened to kill the guard if, based on the guard's report, the High School of Science and Technology decided to suspend the boy, police spokesman Wayne Allen said.
"Today, the kid got suspended," said Allen, who did not know what led to the suspension.
Shortly before 3 p.m. (4 p.m. ET), as classes were letting out for the day, the student and the guard crossed paths and, after a discussion, the boy reached for his pocket, Allen said.
Thinking the boy was planning to pull a gun, the guard pulled his own weapon and fired, Allen said.
The round missed the student, ricocheted off the pavement and struck another boy in his pocket, which contained a cell phone, Allen said. Shrapnel from the phone flew into the boy's face, causing a superficial wound in his cheek. The boy was taken to a hospital.
A spokesman for Pinkerton's Security, which employs the guard, did not immediately return a call. Police said they were investigating the incident.
Student Jake Oates told a reporter he saw the security guard tell the student to get off school property.
"He didn't get off at first," Oates said. When the security guard then pulled his gun on the student, "he was like, 'Are you going to shoot me?' and started walking across the street," Oates said.
At that, "The officer just shot, and he hit another little dude in the face that was over at the store. He just shot into a big old crowd," Oates said.