Every year, nearly 3000 children and teens die from gunfire, and nearly 14,000 are injured.

Monday, January 30, 2012

Arizona high school student posts photo of Obama t-shirt with bullet holes on Facebook page


This unlikely story involving at least one high school student from Peoria, Arizona and several other "young adults" is disturbing. A photo posted on the Facebook page of the high school student and also of a local police officer show a group of young men holding guns and a bullet ridden Obama t-shirt. From the article:
The photograph was also posted on the Facebook page of one of the young men holding a gun in the image. He was identified as a student at Peoria’s Centennial High School.

Danielle Airey, a spokeswoman for the Peoria Unified School District, said district officials were conducting an investigation and working to identify any students involved. “We will also wait to hear from local and federal authorities to cooperate with their investigations,” she said in an e-mail.
Questions need to be asked. What are these young men doing with guns in the first place? Where did they get their guns? What was the police officer doing shooting guns with these kids at a ranch?What did they intend by posting this photo? The article mentions that the Secret Service will be having a chat with the young men.


UPDATE (3/1/12):  The police sergeant who is responsible for this teen shooting party, and for posting the picture of it, has been demoted and suspended.  From the article:

Pat Shearer, who took the picture, will be demoted to the rank of officer and suspended without pay for two weeks. "We expect our employees to exercise sound judgment and not bring discredit upon our police department," Police Chief Roy Minter said in a written statement. 
The Secret Service began an investigation into the photograph, but told Reuters that it was not pursuing any action against Shearer. The photo depicted a group of seven teenagers holding firearms and holding a T-shirt with Shepard Fairey's famous portrait of Obama. The shirt appeared to be shot through with bullets. The Secret Service investigates all threats against a president, even ones made in jest.

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