Two miles away from a school playground, a man was found dead in his home. Then moments after, two elementary school students and a teacher were injured. A 14-year-old boy had gone rampant with a gun at his disposal.
The shooter’s first victim was his father, Jeffrey Dewitt Osborne. His body was discovered by Osborne’s mother who lived next door. After killing his father, the shooter drove nearby to Townville Elementary in Anderson County of South Carolina. According to Deputy Chief Keith Smith, the shooting only occurred on the school playground; teachers had locked all entrances to the school before the shooter could step foot into the school buildings.
Jacob Hall, a student that was at the playground, was shot in the leg and later flown by helicopter to Greenville Health System Emergency Trauma Center. The young boy underwent surgery that night due to his critical condition.
The other student was a six-year-old boy that was shot in the foot, said ACSO Capt. Garland Major. He also mentioned that first grade teacher Meghan Hollingsworth took a bullet to her shoulder. Both were driven to AnMed Health Center. However, neither of their wounds were as life threatening as Jacob’s. They were released two hours after being admitted.
Anderson County’s police was contacted at around 1:45 pm by the school and arrived in no less than seven minutes. Officials surrounded the school before Jamie Brock, a volunteer firefighter, had pinned down the shooter before he could cause anymore harm.
During the shooting, 280 students followed the drills they had been practicing throughout the year. Teachers rushed the children into the school building, blocked the entrances, and then moved them into busses that were transported to Oak Dale Baptist Church.
By two o’clock, the shooter was detained by the police. According to Anderson County Sheriff John Skipper, he is now placed under the custody of Greenville County Detention Center Juvenile Facility.
Parents were able to pick up their kids at Oak Dale Baptist Church. Shaken with fear for their children’s safety, they were wary of returning them to school the following day.
The motives behind the shooting and the death of Osborne is still under investigation.
UPDATE:
Jacob Hall, the six-year-old boy who was shot in the leg died days later on Saturday. The bullet ruptured a femoral artery causing and a massive blood loss led to a major brain injury.
