UPDATE: Teen arrested with loaded gun at English High

really smart....these young people live in violence have home that are surrounded by violence. These young people have been desensitized to death and violence. Before anyone jumps to conclusions.... it is wrong to have a firearm... but wat if that is the only way this young man knows or was taught to protect himself. bullets have no name. i think there is alot more to the story than what meets readers eyes. some people avoid just driving through these parts of the city in which others have to live...day in... and day out.

There should be metal detectors in every school with the way the world is today.

Omg, people are causing more trouble with weapons these days. They gotta get metal detectors to stop those bad guys from carrying weapons.

I have no problem with putting metal detectors in English HS and other inner-city schools, as long as you're going to put them in Concord-Carlisle, Columbine, and all of the other middle to upper-income, largely white, suburban high schools typical of those where all of the school shootings have been committed by white adolescent boys over the last several years. I don't condone bringing a gun to school, but let's be honest about where school shootings actually occur.

I thought they were going to close English High School because of the super high drop out rate.

There should be places where students can store their assault weapons at school thereby creating a safe and nurturing learning environment. It's not the guns that are killing these children, it's the absence of shooting ranges and meaningful targets. We need to reduce person to person violence and undue class time interference and we need to encourage attendance. We should reform the curriculum to include shooting and gun leadership classes. We need skilled and trained youth. Gangs of roving youth were essential to this country's foundation, we should applaud and not criticize English High Schools attempts to begin this maningful dialogue.

Yeah, gun safety classes should be added to the curriculum as well as a training range, just like the sex ed classes with free condoms. Those have been helpful in curtailing the spread of AIDS. In a year or so, many will be asked to join the armed forces and this will provide a head start.

Based on how the article is written, it appears that the teens don't even go to the school.

This post is in regards to those who think crime is worse these days. The only reason on might think crime is worse is thanks to the media. For instance, murder rates have dropped 20 percent while the medias coverage of murder has gone up over 80 percent! There still needs to be better policies that deal with crime but the media needs some responsibility in reporting for the public to change their perception of crime and especially who commits the crimes.

are you serious that you think shooting ranges are the answer? ummm...i think there is A LOT more going on for young people than needing a shooting range. substance abuse. absent fathers. poverty. ineffective school leaders. not enough to do. limited access to money. if some of these urban plights were addressed, why would young people need guns?

This is a shock. I thought schools were gun free zones in MA. How could he bring a gun onto school grounds?

He probably wasn't loved enough as a child.

Punish those who illegally own firearms!

T, you are out of your mind. Kids at this age shouldn't even be laying their hands on a gun nevermind shoot them. If anything there should be an educational program set to teach how guns shouldn't be used, not the other way around.

DH- Why are you making this a race issue. No where did I read where it mentioned an afro-american student. Yes guns are out of control and in the hands of children. WE as ADULTS need to take back our children and teach them the correct way to socialize. Also the person who mentioned to put metal detectors in ALL schools includes Concord-Carlise HS as well as the rest of the suburban schools. Also Im pretty sure that English is not 100% afro-american students. I hate it when people start to direct the problem away from the actual issue at hand. Face it this student had a firearm illegally and we need to correct this. I don't care if this is a black, white, asian, latin etc etc student. A student with a gun is a problem.

I agree with T. "Gun leadership" classes, "shooting ranges" and proper storage of "assault weapons" are all a recipe for success at inner-city high schools.

"Gangs of roving youth" need a "nurturing evironment" for when they decide to bring a loaded weapon to school. We need to help them think "Hey, I'd rather shoot at a target then blow Walter's head off!"

Another suggestion: English High could take a field trip to a gun show, so they can buy their weapons without background checks. More nurturing!

Okay #6, your saying that teaching kids on learing how to use a gun is a good idea, think that #2 made a vary good point!!

This state needs to adopt a zero tolerance policy when it comes to prosecuting those who violate gun laws. No plea bargains, no suspended sentences, and no sentencing other than the maximum. If local government would make more of an effort to seriously penalize those who are actually breaking the laws instead of looking to further reduce the rights of law abiding gun owners you might actually see some progress in reducing crime statistics.

Other than the last uninformed and callous comment, I think we all can agree that the basic problem is that there are far too many kids both in the city and the suburbs who are angry and in need of serious support and attention before they hurt someone else and themselves, their families and community. We adults have to stop now and take a deep look at what we have created, because youth violence, especially in this proportion is a symptom of a society in trouble. It's not natural for children to want to kill another. Also, the question that no one is not asking is, why can 40% of the children in Boston find the gun dealers, and the police and federal agents can't? With all the youth carrying guns that have been swept off the streets of Boston, (sometimes unfairly I have to add), I don't know of one incident where law enforcement actually found a dealer. What is that all about?

must addI don't know

Arrest the parents...how can they let them out of the house with a loaded gun! Nice job parents....you get the parent of the year award! Oh...I suppose the government needs to do more to help you keep guns away from your kids....it is not your fault your kid is a loser.

Illegal possession of a weapon is a mandatory year in jail by the laws of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. This individual should receive that sentence and he should have to serve it completely without any time off for good behavior - he blew that opportunity by carrying an illegal weapon (and on school grounds no less).
As for giving kids the opportunity to earn money legally, all those menial jobs that illegal immigrants perform (that their supporters say Americans don't want) are the jobs that for many years were done by kids on a part time basis.

First of all, the young man arrested did not attend English high School, he went there looking for another student to settle a score or so it seems.

First time in 14- 15 years or more at English high School that something like that involving a firearm happens. All the major shootings/massacres have happened in suburban high schools across the nation..

We are a violent society- have always been, we promote violence through movies, magazines, radio and internet. all WHITE owned mediums, guns are purchased from Southern dealers (WHITE) and produced by companies all over California, owned by WHITE persons.

So before we raise the race issue, let's get all the facts straight and let's stop pretending that all those other factors do not play a part in the issue.

the only thing we at english high say about this is that we are glad nobody was injured because that bullet couldve hit any one

Gun leadership classes? Sounds like an oxymoron. What if we taught students at large urban high schools skills to succeed in a 21st century global market instead...

The English High School students saw the trespassers in the building and notified the Boston School Police officers assigned to the school. As a result this School Police team was able to prevent what could have been a tragedy by nabbing the trespasser who was fighting and who had a loaded gun in his backpack. Kudos to the students and School Police for a job well done!

susan qualits you are wrong a male was arrested in 2005 for possession of a firearm .38 revolver. so that is not 14 or 14 years ago thats 3!!! there are gun arrests made all year long in the boston public schools and 700 knifes taking off the kids every year.

First off. i am a student at the english high. and all these ideas people think of drop out&low mcas&bad environment, doesnt have nothing to do whith what happened. i mean we are an improving school, but we cant control kids coming up to the school. second. PLEASE do not JUDGE. we have honor students, and everyschool has its goods and bads. Finally, if you have not attended the school please do not comment negative about it.

my lil bro was one of da kids fighting da kids with dagun