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School gunman's advance warning ignored
Friend was told not to attend prayer meeting
December 2, 1997
Web posted at: 1:45 p.m. EST (1845 GMT)Latest developments:
- Advance warning not taken seriously
- 'I'm going to do something'
- 'He saved my life'
- Principal: Never saw Carneal heckling prayer group
- School open, counselors available
- Related stories and sites
WEST PADUCAH, Kentucky (CNN) -- One day after an unexplained shooting rampage by a 14-year-old boy, the leader of a student prayer group said the suspect -- his friend Michael Carneal -- had warned him and others not to attend Monday's session but did not say why.
It was at the prayer gathering, before the start of classes, that Carneal shot eight students, killing three, according to police. Prayer group leader Ben Strong, 17, said he did not inform any adults about Carneal's comment.
Heath High School was open on Tuesday so students could grieve together and because "we can't let one mixed-up person destroy our society," Principal Bill Bond said before the start of classes. (
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Carneal suffered from "immaturity problems" but there was no indication he was dangerous, Bond said. (
Three girls in the 35-member prayer group were killed: Kayce Steger, 15, Jessica James, 17, and Nichole Hadley, 14.
Kayce Steger Jessica James Nichole Hadley Five other students -- three girls and two boys -- were wounded. Two remained hospitalized in serious condition and one was listed in good condition. Two were treated and released.
Advance warning not taken seriously
Eyewitness account from
student prayer leader Ben Strong"Went crazy for a minute..."
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(224 K / 17 sec. audio)
"I grabbed him and the gun was on the floor..."
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(320 K / 24 sec. audio)Strong, who was not hurt in the gunfire and won praise for his bravery during the shootings, said that Carneal issued the warning last week, before the school's Thanksgiving break.
"I thought if worse came to worst, he would do something to himself," said Strong, a senior at the school who talked with Carneal and got him to put down his handgun. "I never thought he would take it out on other people."
"He told me and several others not to come," said Strong, the son of a minister.
Strong, who is tall and plays football, said he had joked with Carneal, who is small, slender and wears glasses.
'I'm going to do something'
"Don't come because I'm going to do something," Strong quoted Carneal as saying. Strong said he responded, "I'll beat you up if you do."
"We were just joking around because we always joke like that, Strong said. He said Carneal's response was, "You won't be able to beat me up."
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Strong said he worried about what Carneal had said but did not tell any adults because he felt it would only agitate Carneal more if there were teachers present at the prayer meeting.
Strong said he did not blame his friend for what happened. "I forgive him and I want to talk to him as soon as I can," said Strong.
Carneal intended to shoot someone and knew what he was doing, Strong said, "but when he saw he had shot one of his best friends, he saw it wasn't a prank."
"When we got done praying ... I just heard a pop and I spun around," Strong said. "And I... was like, 'Mike, what are you doing?' And then he just let a bunch of them (shots) go."
Strong said Carneal squeezed off 11 shots before he knew what was happening.
"Then I seen some people fall, and I seen blood," Strong said. "And I just ran over there. ... I was just telling him to be calm, drop the gun, whatever. And he just kind of slouched down and dropped the gun."
"He didn't say anything throughout the entire thing until I grabbed him. ... When I went over and grabbed him, he was shaking and he said, 'I can't believe I did that,'" Strong said.
'He saved my life'
Bond, who also spoke to Carneal after the shootings, said he had not realized there was still one more live round in the .22-caliber semi-automatic pistol he held. "If it had not been for Ben, I'm sure I would have taken that bullet," said the principal, his voice choking with emotion.
"I feel certain he saved my life," Bond said. (
The principal said Carneal also was armed with two loaded rifles and was carrying hundreds of rounds of ammunition. (
Carneal was charged as a juvenile with murder and attempted murder and also with burglary for allegedly stealing the pistol used in the shootings and four other guns last week.
The homeowner didn't know the weapons, taken on Thanksgiving Day, were missing until authorities called after the shootings.
Authorities said they would seek to have Carneal tried as an adult. A December 10 hearing was set.
Principal: Never saw Carneal heckling prayer group
The motive for the shootings was not yet clear, although some students said that in the past Carneal and other self-professed atheists would stand near prayer group participants and make fun of them.
Bond said he never saw Carneal "or any other child heckling the prayer group. I never saw that occur. To my knowledge he was not a member of any organized group other than the band," the principal said.
Lobby where the shooting occurred Both Bond and McCracken County Sheriff Frank Augustus said they were at a loss to explain what prompted Carneal's actions.
After Carneal was taken into custody he gave "no reason whatsoever," Augustus told CNN on Tuesday. "He says he had no one pinpointed out and was not mad at anybody."
"I knew this young man had some immaturity problems -- that's what I called them -- but there was nothing to indicate any violence in this young man's background," Bond said. "There was nothing to indicate he'd ever be dangerous. He just seemed like a small, immature 14-year-old in high school."
"He was always nervous, always fidgety. There was no difference in his behavior before or after the incident," said the principal, who spoke to the suspect after the shootings.
"He did not talk back. All he did was say, 'I'm sorry,'" Bond said. "He told me he was sorry two or three times." (
School open, counselors available
Students gathered in the school lobby before classes on Tuesday morning, some of them praying silently for their classmates shot a day earlier.
"Students need to be with other students. They need to grieve together. That is why we made the decision to be in school today," Bond told reporters before the start of classes on Tuesday.
The principal said ministers and psychologists were available for students seeking counseling.
Questioned about the possibility that some students might be afraid to return to school, Bond said security had been increased and that he "still believed in Heath High School."
Correspondent John Holliman contributed to this report.
Related stories:
- Third student dies in Kentucky school shooting - December 2, 1997
- Student kills 2, wounds 6 at Kentucky school - December 1, 1997
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