On February 11, shots rang out inside of Mitchell High School in Memphis, Tennessee. The aftermath has left one person in critical condition at a local hospital and others dealing with the fact that this incident could have turned much worse.
After the news broke about the shooting, I contacted a close friend who attended Mitchell High School and after speaking with him, I learned that he was a witness to the shooting.
For privacy and also concern for his safety, the student was granted anonymity. The name of the victim has not officially been released.
Police have arrested 17-year-old Corneilous Cheers, according to the Associated Press. He is currently in jail on charges of attempted first-degree murder, reckless endangerment and carrying a gun on school property. The victim is at a local hospital in critical condition with two apparent bullet wounds.
iMotherhood: First off, thank you for agreeing to this interview. I know that today has been very rough on you. Can you tell me how things was before the shooting? Did you witness any arguing between the two parties?
No problem. They was arguing back and forth in class and the coach had warned them to calm down or they would be going to the principal’s office. Corneilous got up and walked over to the table that (the victim) was sitting at.
iMotherhood: What happened then?
The next thing was a gunshot rang out. Everyone was screaming and crying. I just knew that I was in the middle of another Columbine episode. I remember getting down on the ground with my friends and praying to God that this would end soon.
iMotherhood: How many shots were fired?
I remember hearing two shots but I was so freaked out it could have been more.
iMotherhood: Describe what happened after the shooting.
Corneilous was really calm. (The victim) was laying on the floor and was bleeding a lot. Corneilous walked over to the coach and said something and just handed him the gun. Then he just sat down at a table and put his head down. The coach ran over to (the victim) and within a few minutes, the police and ambulance arrived. When the shooting happened, some of the students must have ran out of the room and alerted the people in the office because it was only seconds before some men ran in and held Corneilous down so he wouldn’t leave or do anything else. He never tried to resist or anything – he was just really calm and acted like nothing happened.
iMotherhood: Are you afraid of going to school now?
Sorta. I mean, it’s like you can never tell what will happen. You might say the wrong thing to someone and then they lose control and you find yourself in the hospital with a bullet in you. Seeing something like this really puts a fear in you.
iMotherhood: Thanks for sharing your experience with us. I hope that you can find the peace within after such a horrible day.
No prob.
Sources: Associated Press; Personal Interview Conducted By iMotherhood (http://www.associatedcontent.com/user/53837/imotherhood.html) For Associated Content
