Teen Sentenced To Life For School Shooting

(CBS/AP)  A 16-year-old was sentenced Friday to life in prison with the possibility of parole for the shooting death of his high school principal.

Eric Hainstock was convicted a day earlier of the first-degree intentional homicide of Weston Schools Principal John Klang last September.

Sauk County Circuit Judge Patrick Taggart said Hainstock would be eligible for parole in 30 years. He also urged the state's Department of Corrections place him a juvenile center.

"I do believe you can be rehabilitated," the judge told Hainstock, who showed no emotion as the sentence was read.

Prosecutors had asked for a life sentence. District Attorney Pat Barrett argued Hainstock knew what he was doing when he went to school with guns and ammunition Sept. 29, the morning homecoming was to begin.

Hainstock's father, Shawn, was asked after the decision if his son deserved the sentence. "I don't know. As far as I'm concerned, I don't think so. I think he could've gotten a lot of help," he said.

"I hope that he'll get a good education and to be able to make something out of his life some day," he said.

One of Hainstock's attorneys, Rhoda Ricciardi, said her client was emotional and immature and never meant to kill Klang. She found him watching the children's cartoon "SpongeBob SquarePants" before his sentencing Friday morning.

"There is very little thought to anything he does," Ricciardi said.

The jury deliberated for nearly 6 1/2 hours after closing arguments Thursday before making its decision. Taggart had given jurors the option of considering lesser charges of first- or second-degree reckless homicide.

According to a criminal complaint, Hainstock, then a 15-year-old freshman, brought a shotgun and a revolver to the school, just outside Cazenovia in the bluffs and ridges about 65 miles northwest of Madison.

A janitor tore the shotgun from the boy, but Hainstock pulled out the revolver and ran into Klang in a hallway. Klang tackled him and the boy shot him three times, mortally wounding him, the complaint said.

Hainstock's attorneys argued the boy suffered from attention deficit disorder, had been abused at home and was teased by other students. They argue he went to Weston with guns to make people listen to his problems, not to kill.

But Barrett told jurors that Hainstock's anger toward Klang had been growing over the two weeks leading up to the shooting.

The principal had kicked him out of school for three days after the boy threw a stapler at his special education teacher. The day before the shooting, Klang gave Hainstock an in-school suspension for having tobacco in school, she said.

She pointed out two students who testified they heard Hainstock say Klang wouldn't survive homecoming. The janitor and a guidance counselor heard the boy say he was at the school to kill someone, she said.

Hainstock initially told police he was "ticked off" at Klang, teachers and students. He told them he fired three shots at Klang — on purpose — after the principal wrapped him in a bear hug.

When the boy testified at his trial on Wednesday, Barrett accused him of lying on the stand when he said he fired three times, with only one shot on purpose.

A firearms expert found five fired cartridges in the revolver, Barrett added, and the angles of the shots suggest the boy fired at Klang before they fought.

"This isn't about reckless. This is about intentional. Find him guilty," Barrett said.

Holding out a photograph of Hainstock's filthy, cluttered house, his attorney, Jon Helland, said the jury should not ignore the boy's tough life.

He described Hainstock as a living alone in "the boondocks." He was forced to tie his father's shoes for him, bring his father food and clean the house.

Helland said things were also hard for Hainstock at school, where other students allegedly stuck his head in the toilet, stuffed him in lockers, threw him in bushes, and targeted him with homosexual epithets.

Helland acknowledged Hainstock started some teasing matches, but did it because he craved attention.

On the morning of the shooting, the boy didn't see much in his future. His grades were slipping, kids were still teasing him, his parents were bossing him around and he felt trapped, Helland said.

"It cascades. It's like a dam the water just busts through," Helland said.

Why he went to school with loaded guns may never be known for sure, he said.

"You want a good explanation why he did this? You're not going to get one. He's a kid," Helland said. "We don't know. And he may not know. A lot of teenagers can't answer that question. They just can't."

[michellem99-2009]

My room mate was bullied at home and at school years ago and he told me horror stuff and that was before I ever knew him. He was bullied so bad. My bullys were my late foster parents. They got a kick of abusing. It was that state money. Sure the workers turnt a blind mind to it. I WAS TOLD TO WALK AWAY BY SOMEONE WHO KNEW NOTHING OF WHAT THEY WERE SAYING. I was so terrifed at foster home that I shut down to live. They were very controling. I did have some nice teachers years ago that were kind. They knew of the problems and were there for me. I was never bullied at school. You can't walk. But you snould not have to take it. Where are the safety nets for these children. We are paying for them to HAVE a good education not be attacked and bullyed. We the people are..All of us in this nation. That boy will be out of prisom if he lives meaner,and he just might be so pissed that there be asre kicking or worse or he just might be turnt around. There are are the gangs that control the prisoms as they had some thing about that on TV.

[gaye5]

Michelle, you lucky thing, looking younger than you are... and you said that they told you to walk away from forgive me, punks.RAGE... If you meant that they wanted you to walk away from bullies, they are talking through a hole in their stupid heads, the bullies follow you,, I know that one.. they also tell the ones who are being bullied to just get over it and grow up etc..That is also unthinking and unfeeling...
Michelle, it sounds like you are a sweetie, and God bless you for wanting to help others..

[michellem99-2009]

I AM 52. I hope that I can reach one soul to not to DO what that boy did thru this board than I feel My limited comm skills have made a differenet. I feel bullying is a Problem.It need to be stopped Mum/Dad IN THE HOME. I was told to walk awawy from forgive me, punks.RAGE IS A BIG BIG PROBLEM THAT NEED TO BE DEALT WITH.
I think teaching others that there is all forms disablites and those one are seen and those that are not. They used hide such folks. I am only human. Where was his parents as they are the problem as well. He sits in prisom when they failed him. They failed to lock that gun up. So they should learnt better. He was pissed so why did they not nip it right then and there. Weak parents/lazy parents/Too busy parents. God only knows.
Yes I have fears. normal ones. I rearly go out alone. We were waiting for mass transit at 1 of their stops. A car pulled up to the stop then drove a few feet. I asked my friend about it. He told me that driver thinks you're a child to me and snapping photos. I AM 52. I look awful young but I grad in 74. He called the cops on him. We got on the bus.

[gaye5]

MichelleM99, you can be so proud of yourself,, you are doing so well..you might not think that you have because you might feel that you are not as good as some others. If someone like me couldn't make a go of life then it is a disgrace, as even though I went through hell at school, I had the opportunities, but you have made something of yourself from nothing, so Dear Michelle although you have handicaps you are a very clever girl, not many people who have had such a horrific beginnings can do as well as you have done, so keep going, be proud of yourself and you might not think that you are fantastic but take a real look at where you have come from and where you are now.. it doesn't make it easier for your life but it means that you can be proud of yourself..I see people who are very handicapped and how they succeed, and I feel that they have in effect done better than me..although they cant do what I can, they have gone further than me.. I hope you can understand what I am clumsily trying to say, go for it girl...

[michellem99-2009]

We have the problems here. God IS not part of our lives Dear due to the sep of church and state. And not all churches are on the same page. Church was banned in the foster homes, at school. IT IS SEP OF STATE AND CHURCH. Prayer was not said at home/school. I was a foster child until 21. Yes. I went from the foster homes to a blind centre. I LEARNT VERY LITTLE. I have to try to do my best as a blind person I do get ripped off BY the fully sighted who thinks it is funny. I have to use a white cane,use large print,talking clock,and mangifiers and their voice. I know fear. I also stood upto the plate when a black child rode on our school bus. The driver hit him and that next day he was my bus mate back east. THAT WAS 3 MONTH then a new foster home and school.

[michellem99-2009]

I am trully legally blind and multi disabled. Due to C/P ,I use one finger to h7unt and peck. The main reason I share is at my age there are those to need it as I may.Gaye5, I went thru hell in foster homes. The violation of my person. I started at 10 cos THAT is when I was allowed to. I looked so young. I WAS TOLD BY THE TEACHERS we CAN'T teach someone like you plus you're a girl. I sat there ubable learn as I could not do the bloody lessons . Mostly just cry or get so pissed I did whatever to **** them as what did I care as in foster home I was treated so bad. I am so sorry that I hurt others while in lessons I was muuthy like my foster parants treated me in the home. I WAS TOLD SHE DON'T KNOW NOTHING,She is blind and dumb. I get upset that I can't tell them what the person whats as I get it wrong in my mind. I have that w/ numbers and plus other things. I am 5 4 . LOVE TO BE TALL.

[gaye5]

MichelleM99, for someone who says she is handicapped, you sure are doing exceptionally well, I wish everyone could read your last post..you are spot on...

MichelleM99, in the first year of high school in New Zealand I was 5'10" and was one of the three tallest girls in the whole school...
I had dyslexia, and although the teachers told my parents that I was very bright, they thought I was lazy just because I wrote things down wrongly so of course I used to keep getting things wrong.
This was one of the reasons that I got hell from the kids and teachers.. (they didn't know about dyslexia then), I hid in the bushes at lunch time so as they couldn't give me hell, so Michelle I can understand a little of what you are talking about..just a little, and yes this kid shouldn't have done what he did and must reap the consequences for his actions, but something made him snap and the school and his parents are also responsible for not being there for him..

Yes problems have been there since man began, and always will be, but there are times in history where it has been better than others so why don't they look at why this was???
Could it be that they have done away with Gods rules of love??? Could it be because parents are no longer allowed to smack their children?? etc

[gaye5]

oxbow75 my husband has been a principal for many years and taught for 43 years in many schools in two countries, and it is only of recent years have we had these problems in schools... even learning problems have got worse and the numbers of children with learning problems has grown incredibly.. they are genuine but although there has of course always been some who have had neurological problems (which my husband specializes in), the problems are getting worse and increasing at an alarming rate, why..??? and I know why....

What scares me Oxbow is that the powers to be make excuses for things and when people wake up to them they change it, I believe that they know, but they will not let us know the truth..

[gaye5]

oxbow75, there is more to people who have true ADD and ADHD than learning problems, and many are very bright. Some ADD's are for real some are just discipline problems where the child needs a jolly good smack, (whoops I said the dirty word..) they need to be smacked like we were as kids where it caused us to stop and think about what we were doing. We didn't fear our parents as do gooders will tell new parents that their children will, we respected them and the authority.
It is unfair constant beatings and no love which turns children into criminals or loose complete confidence, but where the family is full of love, happiness and fun, a jolly good hard smack when they are naughty teaches a child self discipline and respect.. something our children today don't have, simply because the dooo gooders have made people think that discipline is brutal..

We could walk the streets without fear, we didn't have keys for our house and never locked our cars even when we went shopping, so if getting belted by our parents was so bad then why were we so good, and grew up so well and were so much more secure and happier..

It couldn't be that we were sometimes severely disciplined eh.. of course not...

[michellem99-2009]

I know the mind of a bully and I hate bullys today. Adults bully too. Is it right no. You put handicapped kids in the same class as not handicapped. It don't work. It did not in my day. Here is the reasons why they may be picked as I see it.
poor vs rich
girl vs boy
have vs have not
nice vs punk
nice clothes vs hand me downs
car vs walk/bus ride
church vs unchurched
popular vs outcast
Parents vs foster homes
On and on.
Nip in the bud. We as adults may not be setting a good example. I put the blame on us as we send their minds mixed messages. Dad tell child one thing Mum another thing.Kid throws up his/her hands thinking I don't knoe what to do.They both have to be on the same page or it not work. I feel children need to be taugt right. That is the problem. What is right is not right for the next. No children are taught the same values. What is that answer and I am not being a smart asre.