Miami teen shoots-kills student on bus www.privateofficer.com

To contact us Click HERE
Miami Fla Nov 20 2012 Lourdes Guzman-DeJesus hopped onto her bus Tuesday morning,but never made it to school.
The cheery 13-year-old, who loved music, dancing and art,was accidentally shot and killed by a fellow student who had carried a gun ontothe school bus.
Miami-Dade police late Tuesday charged 15-year-old JordynAlexander Howe with manslaughter and carrying a concealed firearm.
On the way to school Tuesday, Jordyn pulled the gun out ofhis backpack and displayed it, according to an arrest affidavit. The gun wentoff once, striking Lourdesin the neck.
She was flown to Miami Children’s Hospital, where she died.No one else was injured.
Lourdes and her youngersister were among eight students on the private bus bound for three Homestead area charter schools: PalmGlades PreparatoryAcademy, where Lourdeswas a student; Summerville Advantage Academy,which her sister attended; and Jordyn’s school, Somerset Silver Palms.
The shooting occurred about 6:45 a.m. as the bus wastraveling at Southwest 296th Street and 137th Avenue in Homestead, according to Miami-Dade police.The gun was recovered at the scene.
An 11-year-old girl on the bus immediately used her cellphoneto call her mother.
“I’m very lucky she was OK,’’ her mother told reporters atthe scene.
Other parents flocked to Palm Glades to pick up theirchildren. Grief counselors were also at the school.
Jordyn was taken to Miami-Dade police headquarters where heprovided a sworn statement, the affidavit said. On Tuesday night, he was takento Miami-Dade Juvenile Assessment Center.
Detectives spent the day gathering evidence and trying tointerview the students at the headquarters in Doral. Miami-Dade’s homicide unitis in charge of the case since Homesteaddoes not have homicide detectives.
“Obviously, they are very traumatized,” Miami-Dade policespokesman Alvaro Zabaleta said of the children who witnessed the shooting.
‘I’M SCARED’
At Palm Glades, Gilberto Canino came early to pick up histwo children.
“I still haven’t been able to cope with it,” he said. “Idon’t understand how this could happen.”
“I’m scared,” said Ruth Otero, whose son, Christian, is ineighth grade. She said he walks to school but she was still worried at the newsof the shooting.
The bus service is operated by Yellimar & Portieles. Aman who answered the phone there said he couldn’t talk because he was at thepolice headquarters being questioned.
Lourdes was born in New Brunswick, N.J.Her mother, Ady DeJesus, works as a recreation director for Coral Reef Nursingand Rehabilitation Center in Miami.
In a statement, DeJesus described her daughter as “abeautiful angel” who made the honor roll at school and loved her little brotherand sisters.
“Feels like just yesterday I saw her running around in herPamper, dancing and modeling for the camera,” she said. “Times and momentsspent with Jina are memories I will cherish and keep in my heart forever.”
Her daughter always had lots of love to give and plenty oflove given to her, she said. “I have and always will be proud of her.”
DeJesus thanked everyone for their concerns and prayers,saying her family appreciated them.
On Tuesday night, a woman who answered the telephone ofKarla Guerra, identified by police as the shooter’s mother, declined to beinterviewed.Palm Glades PreparatoryAcademy and Palm Glades Preparatory High School opened this year on the same campus at 22655 SW 112th Ave.,serving students in grades six through 10. Summerville serves students inkindergarten through fifth grade.
Those three schools are managed by Charter SchoolAssociates, based in Coral Springs.
The Somerset network includes34 charter schools in Florida, Nevada and Texas.The schools are managed by Academica, a Miami-based charter school managementcompany. The Silver Palms campus at 23255 SW 115th Ave. is home to two schools servingstudents in kindergarten through 12th grade, records show. It is one of three Somerset sites in South Dade.
‘SADDENED’
Somerset Principal Kerri Ann O’Sullivan said, “We areterribly saddened by this tragedy. Our hearts and prayers are with the victim’sfamily and everyone in our community impacted by this tragic event. The safetyand well being of all students is of paramount importance to us.”
Ken Trump, a national bus safety expert who has trained South Florida school bus drivers, said they are taughtthe mechanics of driving vehicles, but need more training in other areas likecrisis management, building relationships with kids and intervention.
“School bus drivers are often the first and last employeesto see a student on a school day,” he said.
“Violence and conflict that happen in schools often start inneighborhoods and communities and the bus drivers are often going to be thefirst ones at risk of encountering that.”
Besides resources like security monitors and cameras, basicand ongoing training is needed for school bus drivers, whether they work for adistrict, charter or private company, he said.
source:www.miamiherald.com