Los Angeles, CA (Obama.net) – A crazy scene of events unfolded last night at a school board meeting in Panama City, FL as an armed gunman opened fire at a routine school board meeting. Clay Duke, 56, had sat quietly through the majority of the meeting until it was time for citizens to bring up issues to the board. It was at this time that Duke walked to the front of the room, spray painted a large “V” in a circle on the wall and toted a handgun while ordering everyone but six men out of the room.
After the room was cleared, Duke continued on an incoherent tirade that included comments about his wife losing her job, sales taxes and how he was prepared to die that night. As Duke held the six board members hostage, these men tried to talk some sense into Duke and explain that whatever his purpose was for being there that night was not worth it. While the six board members tried to occupy Duke, one of the female members of the board, Ginger Littleton, snuck back into the meeting room and tried to disarm the gunman by repeatedly hitting him with her purse. Even though Littleton was able to startle the gunman, she was not able to dislodge his weapon and ended up staring down the barrel of the 9 mm pistol. Thankfully, Duke allowed Littleton to leave the room again without firing upon her.
After the gunman turned his attention back to the six hostages he actually opened fire on one of the board members but did not kill anyone. After the first shots were fired, chief of security for the school system and retired police officer, Mike Jones, entered the room and started shooting at Duke himself to help rectify the situation. It is believed that as many as 14 rounds were fired between the two gunmen before Duke turned his own pistol on himself, taking his own life.
While this is certainly a tragic event, the members of the Bay District School Board are extremely lucky that it was not a bigger tragedy than it was.
What do you think of this tragedy? Comment below.
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