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Atmore Student Charged With Attempted Murder In Shooting; Security Heightened At Schools
February 28, 2018
A drive-by shooting in Atmore Tuesday afternoon left a student in critical condition and led to a precautionary increased police presence at two schools.
Atmore Police said a 17-year old was taken to Atmore Community Hospital about 4:08 p.m. with a possibly life threatening gunshot wound. Police said he was shot when someone fired at a group of classmates gathered in a porch on the 300 block of East 4th Street off Martin Luther King Avenue. Officials believe the shooting may have been retaliation after a fight that happened Tuesday at Escambia County High School in Atmore.
The police department stated in a press release that “the victim suffered a punctured lung and the bullet also struck his spine leaving the victim paralyzed”. He was airlifted to Sacred Heart Hospital in Pensacola.
The victim was conscious and was able to identify the person who shot him.
The suspect, 17-year old De’Andre Lamar Mitchell arrived at the Atmore Police Department Wednesday morning with his mother. After speaking with investigators, Mitchell was placed under arrest for attempted murder and transported to the Escambia County (AL) Detention Center in Brewton. He is expected to be tried as an adult.
A decision was made, according to Escambia County (AL) Chief Deputy Mike Lambert,” to provide extra security as a precaution at both Escambia County High School and Escambia County Middle School in Atmore. Deputies could still be seen monitoring ECHS Wednesday afternoon from near parking lot entraces, as Atmore Police officers patrolled through the parking lot.
Inside the high school, it was what appeared to be a normal day. The campus was not on lockdown.
“We have a safe a secure learning environment here today,” ECHS Principal Dennis Fuqua told NorthEscambia.com as he walking a school hallway Wednesday afternoon. “It’s business as usual in here today. I did meet with about 100 students at a time this morning to assure them that we do care about the one that was injured, but there is no reason to be worried about their safety at school”
Lambert said the law enforcement presence at both the middle and high schools in Atmore was greatly increased due to information received that indicated there might be some sort of retaliation.
“It wasn’t very specific about it, whether it migth be at school or off the school premises, but as a safety precaution and a deterrent, we decided it would be best.” Lambert said. “The safety of these students is a number one priority.”
Pictured top: Escambia County High School Principal Dennis Fuqua discusses school security as he walks the hall of the school Wednesday afternoon with Escambia County (AL) Chief Deputy Mike Lambert. Pictured below: A deputy watches an entrance at the high School in Atmore. NorthEscambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Comments
27 Responses to “Atmore Student Charged With Attempted Murder In Shooting; Security Heightened At Schools”
We home schooled our children. All three are adults now with their own families. Our son has a very successful career and family in the military. Our two daughters married preachers and so far have very happy families.
Homeschooling is NOT for the faint of heart, nor is it for the uncommitted.
However, the public School System like most governmental establishments are broken. Teach a child he evolved vs was created, tell him he has no soul, teach him he is just a few years ahead on the evolutionary scale above animals and he will most definitely act like one.
We seem to have forgotten it is the “THEORY” of evolution.
I am shocked at the level of literacy on display through the comments in this thread. I am very thankful that most of you are against homeschooling your kids! Please do them and our society a big favor and remain against homeschooling.
Also, to be very clear, we cannot take God out of school or anywhere else for that matter. God is the Great I Am! He is omnipresent (He is everywhere), omniscient (He is all-knowing) , and He is omnipotent (He is all-powerful). So, who are we to say that we have kept God out of school?!
However, I do believe it is highly likely that we have an overwhelming majority of kids attending school that have never repented of their sins. They have never given their lives to Christ and asked Him to clean them and heal them from the inside out.
It is obvious from the posts in this thread that there are many parents and grandparents that never took their education serious. Therefore, why are we amazed that their children and grandchildren do not take their education serious?
You can’t judge a school by the actions of a few. My child went to ECHS and graduated with honors and is doing well in College. You get out what you put in. If you and your child is involved activities and you are Monitoring their progress they can excel in any environment. Every school as good and bad.
@Mike, it is more dangerous for your kids to ride in your car than to go to school, even though this shooting had nothing to do with school. What do you say monitor?
@Mike J:
Great comment! I have 3 children in a public school and after reading some of these comments, It makes homeschooling sound very appealing. The thought of mold and developing your child the way you feel they best make their contribution to society seems like a great route.
@UGH!!
You said a mouthful when you said God is being taken out of this country! That is where the problem starts! Put God back in the schools and parents teach your children right from wrong! Don’t just sit back and expect the school system to do uour job for you!
My youngest child was homeschooled and is not socially awkward by any means. Therefore, I say it’s non-sense to believe that homeschool children lack social skills. In fact, my child is now 23 years old, works two jobs and is now a homeowner.
I taught school for many years. I decided to homeschool my two children, a girl and a boy. They are grown now and are doing great in contributing to society. Homeschooling now is even more wonderful. There are so many curriculums to choose from than before. It is a wonderful experience if the parents are willing to dedicate their time and research the best for their child. Many parents want their space so they depend on government to raise them. They will loose them to moral, standards, secular humanistic philosophy. There are NO regrets…It is obvious the those who talk negative of homeschooling, really don’t know about homeschooling. Also many parents are scared and don’t know where to start.
Very sad. Prayers for both families. With that being said I would stack my homeschool kids against any of your public school kids any day. I would rather my kids be far more intelligent than to gain the so called social experience some of you talk about. Maybe the social experience is the problem in this day and time. Your kid being friends with people they shouldn’t be. Every parent don’t raise their kids like you would raise your own.
Homeschool may not be YOUR answer but it certainly is MY answer! MY kids don’t have to fear for their LIFE because kids like the ones you want YOUR kids to be around can’t deal with real life in a civilized and mature way. MY homeschool kids do have a daily schedule, testing, and state-mandated evaluation by certified teachers. My kids are involved in parent-monitored social activities with other kids and certain youth organizations that focus on building good character. So I don’t know what kind of homeschool parents you have been around, but WE are working hard on doing due diligence to have a good future for OUR kids.
@DAN, Here is some advice for you: Please don’t judge an entire group by the actions of a few in that group. So far we have school choice in this country (unlike Germany). Please focus on YOUR kids education the way YOU want and we will get OUR kids educated the way WE want. Attacking other groups because you disagree with them is ALSO part of the problem. Have a nice day!
Not really a big fan of homeschool because of the lack of social interaction. That being said, if my kids had to go to school in ATMORE, no question about it! HOMESCHOOL! I feel for the decent people that have to live and go to school with so many things and punks. I see it every day. Maybe some of the Dad’s should be fathers and put down the liquor and dominoes
REALLY!! There is argument on both sides. People, Its like these kids today are born without conscience or a brain. People stop blaming video games. It is the parents job to teach their kids right from wrong and reality from make believe. If parents let the video games become babysitters then yes problems will arise. My son played video games, but I taught him reality from make believe. He did not grow up without a conscience. He does not shoot up schools or disrepect people of authority. I was a working single parent with 2 children and they did not and do not want to hurt or kill people.
If you want to place blame on anything or anybody…IT LIES WITH THE PARENTS AND THE GOV’T. Parents for not knowing or rasing their children properly. You should know who your childrens friends are and what they are doing. For raising a generation of selfish, unmindful, disrepectful, and the world owes me everything, and I don’t have to work to get it human beings.
Govt for not understanding the difference between proper discipline and abuse. For making parents scared of discipling their children in any fashion. For raising the cost of living so high that even if one parent wanted to stay home and raise their children they could not or a single parent that has to work 2 jobs to support their children. FOR TAKING GOD OUT OF THIS COUNTRY.
PARENTS NEED TO BE PARENTS and not expect the government to train their children. I went to public school most of 1st-12th grades and it certainly wasn’t much good for preparing me for the “real world”.
“Very sad for two mothers and two children”. How about Baby daddies? Make it politically correct to address this issue and we may solve some of these problems.
To say homeschoolers is part of the problem is just plain ridiculous! Is someone who moves out a crime ridden city to keep their family safe, part of the problem in that city??? What an asinine statement! Homeschoolers experience more of a real world, and a civilized one at at that, than public prison like school children do. Do some research! Sure there are many good public school students, but dont go making ignorant statements like homeschoolers are a part of a problem of something they are not even associated with!
It bothers me how many parents hide behind the
” homeschool” excuse… surely these adults, these grown parents KNOW the child can not get the knowledge and real world training that comes from having a schedule, respecting someone of authority, and to actually have work to do, or there could be consequences.. like bad grades or grade failure.. These homeschooled kids have a rude awakening when they have to face life , get a job and deal with people who are not gonna pamper them. PARENTS NEED TO START BEING PARENTS AND SEND THE KID TO SCHOOL! No guidance now.. they will not seek or respect it in the futute!!
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@Anne, I have been saying this for years! They learn from these games that there are no consequences for their actions. There is no remorse for their actions. So sad!!
Prayers for both families.
@john
I think you are part of the problem home school your kids teach them to run from there problems. You know even home schooled kids has to grow up and face the world. we the world are tired of teaching your home schooled kids how to be adults and deal with every day problems.
@Anne
“reset” is one continuous word, and you can’t blame stupidity on video games.
Safe bet this dude didn’t play video games
Are these marks on his face from the fight that happened at school? I really can’t help but feel sorry for everyone involved. Someone should have made sure these young men had calmed down. I really feel sorry for the loved ones and the mom who tried to do right and take her son to jail. This is a awful loss.at such a young age for both young men. But I know it sounds bad but I don’t know if a 17 year old should be charged as an adult in this case. I feel like more could have been done to prevent this.
Anne: That’s exactly right. No real concept of consequences.
Homeschool your kids. You don’t have to worry about school shooters, lockdown,…. for crying out loud, they sound like prisons!!!
@ Shannon
Why kids now just hit the “Re-Set” button and all is good again and no harm no foul.
Isn’t real life just like a video game?
35 years ago when I was in high school, the worst thing was a fist fight. A black eye, or a busted lip ,and it was settled. Everyone lived ……everyone walked away, what kind of kids & grandkids have we raised?
Stupid!!! He knew the outcome but his PRIDE was too overwhelming. These unguided, lost souls live as if immortality exists. It does, ONLY through Jesus Christ! Pray for these families!
Very sad for two mothers and two children…their lives are changed forever and for no good reason. GOD Bless them all.