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ALBEMARLE, N.C. – Students wore blue hoodies in honor of their wounded classmate Wednesday. One student tells us, “It(s) just respect for Bernard.”
Bernard Miller, the 16-year-old who was shot twice, police say, by 15-year-old Jalen Russell.Β The shooting happened in a courtyard area outside the school. Russell then put the gun down and walked into the principal’s office. Β Freshman Drean Johnson says, “This morning, walking down the street, I did kinda feel a little nervous, thinking about what happened yesterday.”Β
Only WCCB Charlotte brought you an interview with the shooting suspect’s mom. She says her son was being bullied by three kids, including Bernard Miller, and that Jalen Russell brought his grandmother’s gun to school in self defense. Β His mother says, “The text message he received was that they was gonna kill him.” She says her son told her what Miller said just before the shooting. “I know the only thing he told him, he said, just as he got to school, he (Miller)Β said, ‘Imma get you. I’m here to get you,'” she says. Β And, “It coulda be(en) Jalen instead of the kid if he hadn’t protected himself.”Β
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Now, the community is reflecting on how to stop school violence. One elected leader suggests consolidating the high schools. Doing so would mean the district’s armed school resource officers could focus their concentrated efforts on one or two buildings. County Commissioner Peter Ascuitto says Stanly County’s high schools are are currently roughly 1/3 under capacity. Ascuitto says, “You just don’t have the need for as many buildings as you used to have.”Β
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It’s a controversial idea in a community that prides itself in school tradition. Albemarle resident Chery Smith, a grandmother, points out perhaps the one thing everyone agrees on: “Basically it starts at home. Everything starts at home.”Β
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The shooter’s mother also tells WCCB Charlotte that her son continued to receive threatening text messages after the shooting. Police now have the phone as evidence. There’s still no word on the shooting victim’s condition.Β
