Girl, 18, fires gun at school
2005-05-20 17:45
Cape Town - Police negotiators were called to Gordon High School in Somerset West on Friday when a pupil refused to hand in a gun she had fired in the girl's bathroom, said Western Cape police.
Superintendent Billy Jones said the 18-year-old girl fired a shot into the floor of the bathroom and went to the principal's office straight afterwards.
She did not threaten the principal directly, but had her hand on the gun and refused to hand it in.
Jones said the principal did not want to take any chances and called the police.
"She had her hand on the gun inside her pocket. This is a threat in itself," said Jones.
Half an hour after they arrived the negotiators convinced the pupil to hand in the gun, which belonged to a member of her family.
"She handed them the firearm and gave her full co-operation," said Jones.
The girl appeared in Strand magistrate's court charged with illegal possession of a firearm.
The case was postponed until June 27 and she has been referred to Lentegeur Psychiatric Hospital for support and evaluation.
It was not clear what led to the incident.
- SAPA