Youth dies of injuries after shooting himself with school guard's gun
Netivot teen seizes gun from security guard at Bnei Akiva high school, shoots himself in the head.
By Mijal Grinberg, Haaretz CorrespondentA 17-year-old who shot himself in the head after grabbing a pistol from the security guard at his Bnei Akiva high school in Netivot, died of critical injuries on Wednesday.
The 11th-grade student on Tuesday pounced on the guard from behind, twisting his arm behind his back and withdrew the gun from its holster, the guard explained.
During the struggle, the guard was lightly wounded in his shoulder. He attempted to subdue the youth, and chased after him until the youth got away.
An eyewitness stated that the youth ran some 300 meters in the direction of Ben-Gurion Boulevard in the city, ducked into an alleyway, and shot himself in the head.
The school principal, Elul Ben-Tzion, described the youth as "talented" and "intelligent," and said he had no history of disciplinary or emotional problems.
The school has offered counseling to students traumatized by the incident. The Education Ministry has also decided to send counselors and psychologists to the school to help distressed students.
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This story is by: Mijal Grinberg, Haaretz Correspondent
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I would like to express my deepest sympathies to the young man?s family and to all the students and faculty. In the late seventies, I taught at the Boy?s Comprehensive School in Netivot and have only the warmest of memories for the school, the students, and the faculty. It is a sad day when this can happen in Israel. I shall include you all in my daily prayers. May G-d?s peace be with you in this time of sorrow.
This kind of news is so saddening to me. It happens here in US a lot to. Such a young life. My heart goes out to the family.