SuccessTech Academy shooting
Encyclopedia
The SuccessTech Academy shooting was a school shooting that occurred on October 10, 2007, at the SuccessTech
alternative high school in Cleveland
, Ohio
, United States. 14-year-old freshman Asa H. Coon shot two students and two teachers before committing suicide
in the fourth floor of the building.
-caliber
revolver
), and a box of additional rounds of ammunition for each pistol; three folding knives were also in Coon's possession, which were all stocked together in a duffel bag
. Coon walked into the fourth floor of the building and entered a men's restroom where he loaded the two revolvers.
The shooting began at approximately 1:06 p.m. on the fourth floor of the building, after 14-year-old Michael Peek punched Coon in the face for bumping into him. When Peek walked away Coon shot him in the abdomen
. Another student, 17-year-old Darnell Rodgers, suffered a graze gunshot wound to the elbow in the same hallway. Michael Grassie, a social studies
teacher, was shot in the chest after Coon entered his classroom. A second teacher, David Kachadourian, was shot in the back of his shoulder while in a hallway evacuating his students to safety. The shooting ended when Coon entered another room and fatally shot himself in the right side of his head.
The school was placed on Code Blue lockdown shortly after the shooting. The two injured teachers were treated at MetroHealth Medical Center, and the two students injured were treated at the Rainbow Babies & Children's Hospital
. A 14-year-old student, Trinnetta McGrady, was also hospitalized for knee and back injuries received from being trampled in a hallway by fleeing students. Kachadourian and Rodgers were discharged later that day, while Peek and McGrady were released the following day. Grassie was discharged from MetroHealth Medical Center on October 15.
. According to Coon's uncle, Larry Looney, Coon said he was upset because the teachers would not listen to what he had to say regarding the fight. According to fellow students and teachers, Coon had apparently been the target of bullying by students at the school for his Gothic
-styled appearance and eccentric behavior, and had made threats of violence in front of students and teachers the week before the shooting. Joseph Fletcher, a friend of Coon, said he had been "pushed too far" and that teachers were unable to help with his problems. Michael Grassie, one of the shooting victims that was one of Coon's teachers, said that Coon was frustrated because he was given a failing grade in his World History class, and had made attempts to urge him into a fight. Juvenile Court
records show that Coon had a criminal history and mental health problems since 2005, and threatened to commit suicide while in a mental health facility in summer 2006.
announced in a news conference that five people, including three students, were hurt in a shooting at the SuccessTech Academy, four of them being shot; the students being in a "stable" condition and the adults being in a more "elevated" state.
Classes throughout the Cleveland Metropolitan School District were canceled the following two days (resumed on Monday, October 15.), and classes at SuccessTech Academy did not resume until Tuesday, October 16. Cleveland's public school system established an anonymous hotline
for students to report threats and dangerous behavior. The school system also announced plans to install metal detector
s in all its schools and hire additional armed security guards to patrol the campuses, which would cost the district USD$3.3 million. Schools were instructed to implement additional security precautions, to be reviewed by a professional security firm.
A controversial crime scene photo taken of Coon after his suicide was allegedly leaked
to the public via a Cleveland radio disc jockey
from Rover's Morning Glory
show. Cleveland police officer Walter Emerick, who took the picture using his cell phone camera, was suspended from duty for eight days for his responsibility in sending the photo to other people, eventually leading to its being leaked on the Internet.
SuccessTech Academy
SuccessTech Academy is an alternative public high school in downtown Cleveland, Ohio, United States. It is part of the Cleveland Metropolitan School District...
alternative high school in Cleveland
Cleveland, Ohio
Cleveland is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and is the county seat of Cuyahoga County, the most populous county in the state. The city is located in northeastern Ohio on the southern shore of Lake Erie, approximately west of the Pennsylvania border...
, Ohio
Ohio
Ohio is a Midwestern state in the United States. The 34th largest state by area in the U.S.,it is the 7th‑most populous with over 11.5 million residents, containing several major American cities and seven metropolitan areas with populations of 500,000 or more.The state's capital is Columbus...
, United States. 14-year-old freshman Asa H. Coon shot two students and two teachers before committing suicide
Suicide
Suicide is the act of intentionally causing one's own death. Suicide is often committed out of despair or attributed to some underlying mental disorder, such as depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, alcoholism, or drug abuse...
in the fourth floor of the building.
The shooting
On Wednesday, October 10, 2007, Asa H. Coon entered the five-story school building shortly before 1:00 p.m. EST, armed with two handguns (.22-caliber revolver and .38.38 Special
The .38 Smith & Wesson Special is a rimmed, centerfire cartridge designed by Smith & Wesson. It is most commonly used in revolvers, although some semi-automatic pistols and carbines also use this round...
-caliber
Caliber
In guns including firearms, caliber or calibre is the approximate internal diameter of the barrel in relation to the diameter of the projectile used in it....
revolver
Revolver
A revolver is a repeating firearm that has a cylinder containing multiple chambers and at least one barrel for firing. The first revolver ever made was built by Elisha Collier in 1818. The percussion cap revolver was invented by Samuel Colt in 1836. This weapon became known as the Colt Paterson...
), and a box of additional rounds of ammunition for each pistol; three folding knives were also in Coon's possession, which were all stocked together in a duffel bag
Duffel bag
A duffel bag is a large cylindrical bag made of cloth with a drawstring closure at the top....
. Coon walked into the fourth floor of the building and entered a men's restroom where he loaded the two revolvers.
| Shooting victims |
| 1. Michael Peek, age 14, student. |
| 2. Darnell Rodgers, age 17, student. |
| 3. Michael Grassie, age 42, social studies teacher. |
| 4. David Kachadourian, age 57, math teacher. |
The shooting began at approximately 1:06 p.m. on the fourth floor of the building, after 14-year-old Michael Peek punched Coon in the face for bumping into him. When Peek walked away Coon shot him in the abdomen
Abdomen
In vertebrates such as mammals the abdomen constitutes the part of the body between the thorax and pelvis. The region enclosed by the abdomen is termed the abdominal cavity...
. Another student, 17-year-old Darnell Rodgers, suffered a graze gunshot wound to the elbow in the same hallway. Michael Grassie, a social studies
Social studies
Social studies is the "integrated study of the social sciences and humanities to promote civic competence," as defined by the American National Council for the Social Studies...
teacher, was shot in the chest after Coon entered his classroom. A second teacher, David Kachadourian, was shot in the back of his shoulder while in a hallway evacuating his students to safety. The shooting ended when Coon entered another room and fatally shot himself in the right side of his head.
The school was placed on Code Blue lockdown shortly after the shooting. The two injured teachers were treated at MetroHealth Medical Center, and the two students injured were treated at the Rainbow Babies & Children's Hospital
Rainbow Babies & Children's Hospital
Rainbow Babies & Children's Hospital is a 244-bed children's hospital located in Cleveland, Ohio. It is a part of University Hospitals Case Medical Center, formerly University Hospitals of Cleveland. It is consistently ranked as one of the top three pediatric hospital in the Midwest and a top 10...
. A 14-year-old student, Trinnetta McGrady, was also hospitalized for knee and back injuries received from being trampled in a hallway by fleeing students. Kachadourian and Rodgers were discharged later that day, while Peek and McGrady were released the following day. Grassie was discharged from MetroHealth Medical Center on October 15.
Motives
Asa Coon had been placed on a three-day suspension two days prior to the shooting for an altercation with another student regarding the existence of GodGod
God is the English name given to a singular being in theistic and deistic religions who is either the sole deity in monotheism, or a single deity in polytheism....
. According to Coon's uncle, Larry Looney, Coon said he was upset because the teachers would not listen to what he had to say regarding the fight. According to fellow students and teachers, Coon had apparently been the target of bullying by students at the school for his Gothic
Gothic fashion
Gothic fashion is a clothing style worn by members of the Goth subculture; a dark, sometimes morbid, eroticized fashion and style of dress. Typical Gothic fashion includes dyed black hair, black lips and black clothes. Both male and female goths wear dark eyeliner and dark fingernails. Styles are...
-styled appearance and eccentric behavior, and had made threats of violence in front of students and teachers the week before the shooting. Joseph Fletcher, a friend of Coon, said he had been "pushed too far" and that teachers were unable to help with his problems. Michael Grassie, one of the shooting victims that was one of Coon's teachers, said that Coon was frustrated because he was given a failing grade in his World History class, and had made attempts to urge him into a fight. Juvenile Court
Juvenile court
A juvenile court is a tribunal having special authority to try and pass judgments for crimes committed by children or adolescents who have not attained the age of majority...
records show that Coon had a criminal history and mental health problems since 2005, and threatened to commit suicide while in a mental health facility in summer 2006.
Aftermath
At 2:50 p.m., an hour and a half following the shooting, Cleveland Mayor Frank G. JacksonFrank G. Jackson
Frank George Jackson is an American attorney and politician. He is currently the Mayor of Cleveland, Ohio. He was elected on November 8, 2005, unseating incumbent Jane Campbell and re-elected in 2009...
announced in a news conference that five people, including three students, were hurt in a shooting at the SuccessTech Academy, four of them being shot; the students being in a "stable" condition and the adults being in a more "elevated" state.
Classes throughout the Cleveland Metropolitan School District were canceled the following two days (resumed on Monday, October 15.), and classes at SuccessTech Academy did not resume until Tuesday, October 16. Cleveland's public school system established an anonymous hotline
Hotline
In telecommunication, a hotline is a point-to-point communications link in which a call is automatically directed to the preselected destination without any additional action by the user when the end instrument goes off-hook...
for students to report threats and dangerous behavior. The school system also announced plans to install metal detector
Metal detector
A metal detector is a device which responds to metal that may not be readily apparent.The simplest form of a metal detector consists of an oscillator producing an alternating current that passes through a coil producing an alternating magnetic field...
s in all its schools and hire additional armed security guards to patrol the campuses, which would cost the district USD$3.3 million. Schools were instructed to implement additional security precautions, to be reviewed by a professional security firm.
A controversial crime scene photo taken of Coon after his suicide was allegedly leaked
Internet leak
An Internet leak occurs when a party's confidential information is released to the public on the Internet. Various types of information and data can be, and have been, "leaked" to the Internet, the most common being personal information, computer software and source code, and artistic works such...
to the public via a Cleveland radio disc jockey
Disc jockey
A disc jockey, also known as DJ, is a person who selects and plays recorded music for an audience. Originally, "disc" referred to phonograph records, not the later Compact Discs. Today, the term includes all forms of music playback, no matter the medium.There are several types of disc jockeys...
from Rover's Morning Glory
Rover's Morning Glory
Rover’s Morning Glory is a syndicated hot-talk radio show airing weekday mornings Monday through Friday from 6:00 AM to 11:00 AM ET on 100.7 FM WMMS in Cleveland, Ohio. Hosted by Rover , the show is distributed by Clear Channel and features a blended discussion of current events and pop culture,...
show. Cleveland police officer Walter Emerick, who took the picture using his cell phone camera, was suspended from duty for eight days for his responsibility in sending the photo to other people, eventually leading to its being leaked on the Internet.