AL: Man fatally shoots school bus driver, abducts child

[seamusTX]

According to reports, a man fatally shot the driver of a school bus near Midland City, Alabama, and abducted a young child. The man is reportedly barricaded on his property. He was scheduled to appear in court tomorrow on a charge of menacing neighbors with a firearm.

http://www.dothaneagle.com/news/crime_c ... f6878.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Midland City is in the southeast corner of the state.

- Jim

[jmra]

Another nut job.

[RHenriksen]

Clearly, the school district is liable for failing to post a 'gun free zone' sign on the school bus.

[seamusTX]

Apparently this hostage/standoff situation has continued all night. The only thing clear from later reports is that the suspect abducted a child at random. It was not a child-custody or family dispute.

http://www.wsfa.com/story/20791656/s-al ... -in-bunker" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

- Jim

[RPB]

Texas law prohibits a gun on a school bus, so it can't happen here.

[seamusTX]

The standoff continues as of this hour. The suspect is in an underground bunker on his property with a boy that he kidnapped. Apparently he has not made demands or attempted to negotiate, other than allowing medication and some other items to be sent through a PVC pipe.

http://www.cnn.com/2013/01/31/us/alabam ... ?hpt=hp_t1" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

http://www.foxnews.com/us/2013/01/31/ne ... s-violent/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Neighbors and the local police don't have positive things to say about the suspect—which comes with the territory when someone allegedly commits murder and kidnapping. shoots at his neighbors, and beats someone's dog to death.

- Jim

[MolonLabe]

Praying for that poor boy, God bless his family, I can not imagine the hell they are living. Times like this I wish the media would lay off until the crisis is resolved. I'd be happy if his name was never released.....

[TexasGal]

Praying for this to be resolved with the child being rescued safely. This guy is likely to do something terrible if he is pressed. That poor child must be terrified and the parents too. When I read of the way this guy has been acting, I thought he should have been taken in for psychological evaluation a long time ago.

[trentwhite778]

is this still going on? I haven't seen any coverage of it anywhere.

[G26ster]

is this still going on? I haven't seen any coverage of it anywhere.

Yep, Fox News Channel has covered it all day and all evening.

[SewTexas]

is it simply impossible for a sniper to get him? this child is going to have lifelong problems, separation anxiety, abandonment issues, stranger issues, who knows what all...it needs to be ended.

[seamusTX]

It's not possible for a sniper to shoot the "suspect." He is in an underground "bunker" that he built on his property.

I don't know why this story isn't getting more publicity. It's possible the police have asked the media to be discreet. The "suspect" has a TV, and they may not want him to become the star of his own "reality show."

This link will get you the latest news.

BTW, what the guy has is not a bunker. A bunker is hardened against artillery and bombs. According to a neighbor who was on speaking terms with the guy at one time, it's more like a storm shelter. No one knows what the guy has there, except that he does have electricity and a TV.

The media loves to throw around military terms like bunker, arsenal, and cache of weapons or ammunition improperly.

- Jim

[seamusTX]

The kidnapping victim was delivered safely to his family this afternoon. The "suspect" is no longer among the living.

Police stormed the "bunker" after negotiations broke down. Beyond that, details are speculative.

http://www.cnn.com/2013/02/04/us/alabama-child-hostage/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

- Jim

[Beiruty]

The "suspect" was an idiot, he was alone and the suspect would have to doze now or later, and when tired he would be in the 7th deep sleep, and only a nuclear bomb would wake him up. I guess, he dozed and never woke up but to find himself full of hot holes pouring some thick red liquid.

[seamusTX]

The "suspect" was an idiot, he was alone and the suspect would have to doze now or later, and when tired he would be in the 7th deep sleep, ...

It is true that a lone person has great difficulty holding out. However, he apparently manipulated the situation. He talked to negotiators at times, and then cut himself off.

The authorities said early on that they were not sure whether the "suspect" had planted explosives anywhere. In the worst case he might have had a dead-man switch that set off explosives.

They still are not saying how the "suspect" died -- whether he was shot, or shot himself, or had an untimely stroke.

- Jim