Student Fatally Shot By Classmate In Tenn.

15-Year-Old Killed In What Police Say Was Not "A Random Act"

(CBS/ AP)  A student fatally shot a 15-year-old classmate during a dispute Thursday at a Knoxville high school, as other teenagers watched in horror as the victim clutched his chest and fell to the floor.

Police identified the victim as Ryan McDonald, a sophomore who lived with his grandmother and had alopecia, a condition that left him bald and the target of endless teasing as a child.

"He tried to have a tough exterior, like a shield, to fit in," his uncle Roger McDonald said. "He was a good kid ... who was dealt some bad cards in life."

The shooting happened shortly after 8 a.m. at the Central High School cafeteria, Chief Deputy Bill Roehl said, and the suspected shooter was taken into custody minutes later on a nearby street. The suspect and victim knew each other, Knox County School System Superintendent Bill McIntyre said.

Jamar Siler, 15, was charged with one count of first-degree murder and was being held in a juvenile court facility, police spokesman Darrell DeBusk said. Silar had an initial appearance in Juvenile Court late Thurday, but his lawyer, public defender Mark Stephens, refused to discuss the case.

"This wasn't a shooting that was a random act," Roehl said. "It was an individual directing his aggression toward another individual, not the school or the students inside the school."

The cafeteria was a popular place to gather before classes started at 8:30 a.m., students said. Chad Griffin, 15, and Josh Matthews, 14, said that they were sitting about 10 feet away from the victim and talking when they heard a sharp noise.

Griffin at first thought someone had dropped a book and then looked around.

"He got shot and started walking and he was holding his chest. There was blood everywhere. And then he fell and his arm hit me," Griffin said.

Matthews said he thought it was a fake at first but then realized the shooting was real.

"I took off running and ran outside and called my mom," Matthews said.

Students in the cafeteria began crying and scrambling to leave, while others tried to get in the room, thinking they had missed a fight, witnesses said. Students began to gather around the victim, said freshman Jared Wohlford, 14. "Everybody started running out real fast saying, 'He got shot,"' he said.

Student Devin Dial, a junior, told the Knoxville Sentinel News that she witnessed the shooting.

"I saw (the wounded boy) go to the ground and start shaking," she told the newspaper.

The school, which has about 1,400 students, was placed on lockdown after the shooting. Classes were dismissed and students were bused to a nearby church so they could be picked up by their parents.

[barbaram99]

In my day we had 3 networks and no we were not allowed to watch tv.Not even the news..If TV was go an adult was there watching we watched.
Clothes..at foster homes dress codes and same at school.
The break up of the family. Each child a different father. Violance yep. I hate it. Having been a abused foster child I did not have any children and really that is the kindest thing I could have done..I don''t blame TV as they can turn the bloody thing off. the same with the games. They buy where ever to stop the whining.. I have seen it. Yes they learn what they see and hear at home the good and bad..The govt tells parents ye can''t spank their bottoms and some need it and told why. Time out don''t work.

[gaye5]

rheola, you are right, I stopped coming on here for exactly the same reason. There is no reason to insult others who have a different perspective on things. In fact to me it shows a small mindedness, one who cannot learn from others, one who is hell bent on pushing their own barrel, I love seeing what others write, I learn so much.
All I have done on here is tell my experience and like you we living in Australia and my son is a policeman so I get a bit of insight... plus my husband has been a principal of both private and state schools so he gets a pretty good insight on up and coming criminals... and thus often the reasons for their behavior
The reason that America is so violent couldn%u2019t possible be the diet of violence that they look at TV, the lack of love, the many daddies, lack of discipline etc, could it..
And in regards discipline, if discipline is so bad then why under this non smacking society is it so violent, yet so good when we regularly all used to get a kick up the pants, even by the local policeman..

[hurtmorons]

Jamar Siler, 15, (BLACK) MURDERED
Ryan McDonald, 15, (WHITE)
''nuff said.

[kenammons]

how is everyone this afternoon

[billorights]

This would be Larry Pratt of Gun Owners of America? GOA makes the NRA look like they''re liberal to the left of Kennedy. GOA should be a terrorist organization. Everybody, please do not take any GOA statistics as being anything but lies. - Posted by usclimey at 09:51 AM : Aug 22, 2008

Are we being a trifle harsh here? Organizations like the NRA have been around for over a hundred years, advocating firearm safety and marksmanship, while GOA was established in 1975 to defend against the modern erosion of American rights to own guns, and the concurrent efforts to demonize Americans who own guns.

Both of these organizations are outspoken in their opposition to criminal possession or misuse of firearms, and in support of prosecution of criminals who use guns in the commission of their crimes.

Our nation%u2019s firearms laws are more restrictive than ever before, especially in our biggest cities, yet rates of gun crime do not seem to be decreasing when these %u201Csensible%u201D gun control laws are put into effect. Is it possible you are putting the band-aid on the wrong toe?

[barbaram99]

maniedoggie..Yer right we used our paws years ago..I am Maine born.It was hands/paws.. I call my hands paws..I was told as a kid get yer paws out the cookie jar etc..newster..I wonder what is taught today..the problem is the issues that the school failed to see and adress. It was a boy in a dress now a boy who lost his hair..shot..That gun was not supost have been at school but satsly locked up. An adult should have locked it up or not had it in the home. I live in gun free home and had always.

[kenammons]

gun laws do not work over 20,000 on the books in this country now. this is the second stupid shooing in knoxville in a month first was at a church on kingstonpk.2 dead several hurt and now this one at central high school in north knoxville to we locals ftn.city. some reports locally are saying the shooter also has a sister that is wanted for murder. it may well turn ount to be an evil family. hopefully our local da will find a way to put parents away forever. i do not believe we can execute a boy that young, but i would be happy to put the needle in his arm and send him on to hell where he belongs if the state needs anyone to volunteer

[usclimey]

Pratt said officials in both countries can "no longer control what the criminals do," because an armed society used to serve as a check on the power and influence of the criminal element.

Posted by Gaye5

This would be Larry Pratt of Gun Owners of America? GOA makes the NRA look like they''re liberal to the left of Kennedy. GOA should be a terrorist organization. Everybody, please do not take any GOA statisticas as being anything but lies.

[keithle1]

Only in America.

[rheola-2009]

Posted by erasmus81 at 12:33 AM : Aug 22, 2008

Maybe one drinky to much?????

Again have a good one.

[rheola-2009]

Erasmus.

even though we both know you are lying. :)

Most certainly not true.

Must be off now, time for you to hit the sack.

Have a good one.

[erasmus81]

Oops, I see there is a sentence that is repeated. How that happened I don''t know.

[erasmus81]

rheola

I don''t post comments as much as I used too, either. I have pretty well said all there is to say. Especially on this subject. Waste of time. I just read the articles and posts and shake my head.:)

"...as I am certainly not the sharpest knife in the drawer, some people, those less kind, would suggest I am short a couple of kangaroo''''s in the top paddock.
You never know, they may be correct..."

No, they aren''t correct. You have to consider the source. Judging from some of the posts, I have to think that you and I are the more "intelligent" ones.:)

"Of course you are a shining light on the horizon."

That is so very nice of you to say, rheola, even though we both know you are lying. :)

Glad to hear you are doing well. Talk to you again sometime.


You have to consider the source. Judging from some of the posts, I have to think that you and I are the more "intelligent" ones.:)

[rheola-2009]

Erasmus.

As well as can be expected, on top of the world in fact.

I do not come up on these boards so much nowadays, got a little fed up with those, who are so intellectually challenged,that they can only resort to abuse.

I am not being pompous, as I am certainly not the sharpest knife in the drawer, some people, those less kind, would suggest I am short a couple of kangaroo''s in the top paddock.
You never know, they may be correct, however I have my own opinions about some others.

Of course you are a shining light on the horizon.

Keep up the good work.

[kansas1946]

Further gun related deaths, for all reasons, have fallen since the introduction of gun control laws. [not gun ban laws, as some who have a vested interest in gun sales, prefer to portay]
*************************************************

We already have many gun control laws on the books, far more than we have had in the past. I don''t imagine this kid went and bought this gun, registered it, took classes, etc.
So you can have all the gun control laws in the world and unless people abide by them, it means nothing.

[erasmus81]

Hi rheola

I''m great. How are things with you?

[rheola-2009]

Hullo Eramus Hope all is well with you.

[erasmus81]

"and you can readily see that those who are against sensible gun control legislation, have a distinct problem between their ears." Posted by rheola at 08:55 PM : Aug 21, 2008

:)

[Wookiee-1138]

Teasing and bullying should warrant a hate crime charge as well as homicide.

[rheola-2009]

There were 203 murders by all methods in Australia last year,including gun related.
If it is considered that crime has risen so much, how does this number compare with America on a pro rata basis [per head of population] or even with any one state of America, on the same terms.

Further gun related deaths, for all reasons, have fallen since the introduction of gun control laws. [not gun ban laws, as some who have a vested interest in gun sales, prefer to portay]

Criminal acts have been on the rise throughout the world, including America, Australia is no different.