Student killed by gunman on first day back from summer vacation
Posted: Monday, July 18, 2011 - By AFP
UPDATE: The 18-year-old was attacked at a technical school in Orotina. The shooter shot himself, and died Tuesday at Hospital Mexico.
A teenager shot and killed an 18-year-old student at a school before shooting himself on Monday, according to police.
Juan Pablo Salazar was shot at 9:10 a.m. at the Colegio Ricardo Castro in Orotina, a technical high school school about 60 kilometers west of San José, according to the daily La Nación. The alleged 17-year-old assailant later shot himself in the right temple. The shooter was taken to a nearby hospital by Red Cross relief workers. He was only identified by the last name Villegas because he is a minor. He was not a student of the school, authorities said.
Authorities at Hospital Mexico confirmed Villegas' death Tuesday morning due to a brain hemorrhage.
The student was shot in the school's computer room on the first day of classes after a two week summer break. Some students said the shooter entered the room and made everyone leave except the victim.
Education Minister Leonardo Garnier said via Twitter that the event was a tragedy but there is not enough information out yet to comment further on the event.
The attack comes one year after a 17-year-old student killed a principal at a private school in Heredia, north of San José.
Instructions:
1. First, you will read the new posted on the blog related to a recent event of a student who was murdered by a friend at a highschool in Orotina, Alajuela.
2. When you finish reading answer the following questions as your blog’s comment.
1. What is your perspective or opinion about this pitiful event?
2. What is your opinion about MEP’s position in regards to the security of the students in an institution? What can be some security precautions to be taken in order to feel safe on the highschool?
3. Have you ever had a reason to feel insecure in your highschool?
Ingles conversacional
ResponderEliminarWhat is your perspective or opinion about this pitiful event?
ResponderEliminarI thing that it is pitiful because the person who died was a teenager… a person who had a lifetime ahead, unfortunately, sometimes people don’t think with head cold and with calm. Maybe the boy who shot had problems and decided kill his friend… obviously this was a bad decision because no one has the power to take anyone’s life.
Unfortunately nowadays we live in a world with many problems and last years a lot of violence…
What is your opinion about MEP’s position in regards to the security of the students in an institution? What can be some security precautions to be taken in order to feel safe on the high school?
In my opinion MEP’s don’t take care of the things that many students make in the institutions… some carry guns, drugs and other things that could produce problems to themselves and the other people…
Some security precautions are: should be check over all students before they enter the institution, and should have a good safety (not allow entry to the institution to all people), with this precautions will avoid things like those.
Have you ever had a reason to feel insecure in your high school?
No, we have an excellent security and not all people can enter… if you want enter the high school you have to give your ID card and sign. Fortunately we have a good security system, so I feel secure all days.
I think the youth resolves issues with unfortunate events without first seeking dialogue.What happened to this young is very tragic to his family and their friends, the young shooter was not aware of what he did because it was a moment of anger but that does not stop blaming.
ResponderEliminarThe MEP should be aware of security is in institutions such as high schools or schools.They have to conduct surveys or visits to these institutions in order to seek better security for students. Each institution must have a security system, like having a guard who has the ability to allow or not allow entry to persons outside the institution.
I feel very safe at high school because I know it has a very good security system. The guards take data to strangers, they ask questions to know that looking at the high school.
This pitiful event is something that is getting normal in our society, with so much violence everyone thinks that kill, punch or saying something bad to someone is the best way to solve a problem. This is something really painful. Every day the violence increases, and things such as this one happen. It`s really bad seeing that the people is not capable of talk with tolerance between each other, and this is the real problem.
ResponderEliminarI do not believe that MEP has something to do with this, I believe that some things can get better about the security of the high schools like putting more security guards around a high school and things like that, but there is not a reliable way to stop this. In this case was someone who was not part of the high school but some times they are. It`s not the first event as painful as this one, MEP can do something to the teenagers talk about violence and get clear on what they can avoid being different, but even with that nothing is sure.
I`ve never feel insecure on my highschool in fact I feel really comfortable.
I really think that the main problem is in general the insecurity that there’s on the country, and obviously the young students are not the exception, this is a bad new off course, because a high school is a place where you can feel safe, but with all these events you have to ask yourself, is that true?. I think that the MEP is not doing all the things that can do, in many issues they work only for do it, they don’t notice that the real life in a school or high school is very different, the violence is everywhere, we are who have to make the change and avoid it any way, the best solution I think is the ATTENTION and seem blind and forget the theme… Actually in my school I feel really good I don’t think to have a reason to feel insecure.
ResponderEliminarJulian Granados 10-7, 2/08/11
The tragic death of this boy of just 18 years is a very sad case but certainly something that today is what is observed in young and adults. I think the problem will not have to solve the schools and colleges, but is a problem that should be treated from homes. Seeing people die so young is a shame but still more to see every day that those who commit crime are too. But the MEP in conjunction with schools and colleges may offer educational talks on violence. In this school the guard was not doing an efficient way to work. Schools and colleges should hire guards to provide protection to students and teachers. Sometimes many cases like these could be avoided, if we consider the consequences before an event like this. I have never felt unsafe in my school, I think my school is one of the schools safer, I feel comfortable in it.
ResponderEliminarLaura Zelaya Villegas 10-7, 4/08/11
I think this is part of all the insecurity that exists in Costa Rica and now includes many places such as schools, homes or businesses. When events like these happen all it does is give an immediate and simplistic solution by the government, but the reality is that there are many factors to consider in determining the reality of the event for example: ease of people to acquire weapons, the large amount of violence that is broadcast in the media and of course the problems that may be in the family.
ResponderEliminarThis situations are happening since a long time ago and the procedures that the MEP propose should be doing at the moment but the problem is that there aren´t doing as they should be by guards. There are many solutions but they have to cover the individual, family and social environment, can be many ways like make campaigns and programs about violence or hire and train more guards. Finally the resolution of conflicts must be detected early and requires the participation of all people as teachers, parents or students.
In this moment I feel safe in high school but I think that sometimes the procedures are not the best.
I think that this type of conflict and violence shouldnt happen in a high school and less in the presence of so many young people,whatever the reason must be addressed through a reason not to carry violent cases.
ResponderEliminarThese cases have already been seen previosly in other violent cases that lead to people being killed in past cases of teachers and principals, the MEP has an obligation to increase security in istitutions(schools and high schools)and the keepers of the institution should be outstanding requisitions for people who come to the institutions.
No, I feel comfortable and secure in the high school!
The violence has be increased in the last years in our country. Many people are victims of immature people who don't know how fix your problems in peaceful way.
ResponderEliminarThe social networks sometimes represent a problem for teenagers altering the emotional state of the teenagers leading to take erroneous decisions.
The MEP should of take care by the security of the students in the institutions and enact strong laws, that should govern the institutions, for avoid this problems and student insecurity.
Should be take the following precautions: Metal detectors, Cameras and the entry of people who aren't of the institution.
I never felt insecure in my highschool, because I think this highschool have good rules of security and never has happen this situations.
I think that those pitifuls events that nowadays happen almost every day is just a problem caused by the society, the violence that occurs induce to someone else do it again just like an example, because that shows to kids or teenagers that if you have a problem with someone, you kill him and the problem is resolved. In the old days, smoking in the boy’s room was the infraction of the day. Today, school officials must deal with violence, sexual harassment, statutory rape, drugs, weapons, gangs, bombs, shootings, murders, computer hacking, theft, irate parents, and violence in students’ homes.
ResponderEliminarIn my opinion the MEP should train teachers to use reasonable methods of defusing escalating situations. Involve teachers and students in an ongoing safety and security strategy. Make them part of the solution by giving them the tools they need to gain control during crisis and to identify hazards.
No, I haven't. I've never feel insecure in my highschool because fortunately the security is very good.
I think now people are driven by their impulses and think beyond what they will do and what are its consequences.
ResponderEliminarI think we are not giving the importance that actually have these situations, I think all institutions should not let anyone and also a review of every person to be brought to an institution to see if they have some weapon or anything that could harm any student.
Actually I've never felt afraid to be in my school and I think it is a security institution, and the same students are not troublemakers or people who can inspire confidence or fear. Although recently heard a rumor that there is one person out of school with a weapon but equally the institution already take precautions and that makes me feel safe.
First, thinking about this pitiful event I think that these events are getting normal in our society, also I think that the students or a person who make these kinds of problems is because usually this people have problem with other people or familiar problems. I think many people are victims of some persons who didn’t know how to solve problems in the best way and have a lot of problems in their lives.
ResponderEliminarI think the MEP has nothing to do with this kind of problems but also MEP should give more assistance to the schools and high schools with security guards. Some security precautions are that in schools should be at least two guards and every day should make a review of every person to see if they have some weapon or something dangerous.
I always feel secure in my high school, because I think my high school it’s too secure and its one of the safer high schools.
This and all kind of violence is a lamentable situation not only here in Costa Rica, in all the world. The violence is not only hit your partner, also is despise, ignore or ill- use him / her.
ResponderEliminarThe MEP says that are some rules to security in schools / highschools, but the problem is that some institutions do not care or not take a responsability about this situation. I cant believe that a man entered in a highschool with a gun, where are the security guards of the school?
No, but I feel insecure with the drugs, alchool and some violent students in the highschool, the school is safe but prevention is better.
David Arce 10-7
I think this type of problem should not occur anywhere and in a high school less because there are other people who are not in the matter but were in danger of being affected with any of the shots that received the young. Also we see the insecurity that students have in schools and colleges, because people enter to those places without being asked anything.
ResponderEliminarMEP has to put new rules in the security area and high schools start asking in schools that people who want to join have to teach what they carry in the bags and if they don´t want do not enter.
In the high school I have not felt insecure because they do not let anyone enter without permission.
Rodrigo Rivera Romero 10-7
I think that this event was a national tragedy and is lamentable that these things can happen in a high school in Costa Rica, and the people never think about the consequences that their actions bring to our society.
ResponderEliminarThe MEP is an institution that has the obligation to ensure the safety of each school and high school in the country and this things never have to happen in a public place. Some security precautions to be taken in a high school are invest in safety of the high school´s, watch the entrances of all high schools and revise every person that wants to enter in a high school and schools.
I never feel insecure in my high school because had a good security in the entrances and revise all the people that wants to get in the high school.
I think it's a very painful tragedy for the family of the young to their classmates, also seems to me inconceivable that such situations are occurring in Costa Rica and people do not measure the consequences of their actions.
ResponderEliminarI feel that the position of MEP is correct because after the incidents have encouraged all institutions to increase security at its facilities.
Some of the precautions to take are:
Have guards at the entrances of the institutions.
Requisition to the strangers who visit the institution.
Order the name of the person entering the institution.
At my school I have never felt unsafe in fact I always feel completely calm because a school is very safe and there are guards watching everything that can happen to our security
I think the youth is going to be more violence; people think kill is only the way to finish personal problems. The drugs and other things produce more problems to the youth and schools. The psychological problems also affect the youth.
ResponderEliminarI think MEP should improve the security in the schools. In publics high schools the security is very bad. I think one security precaution could be all students will have to carry the school´s license and they have to show to the ward all days. I think in the schools should give psychology to improve the self-esteem from the childhood.
Personally I never have felt insecurity in my high school.
Such situations do not happen often, but if they were to happen, they could perhaps be due to lack of administrative organization at entry and exit of individuals and members to the institution. I think that maybe we should take more control as to what documents are submitted by individuals entering the institution, not only giving your ID number, but leaving ones Identification Card at the door, as a guarantee that the individual will check out and ask for their ID back, and perhaps we could also take notes and descriptions of the individuals entering.
ResponderEliminarThe truth, I have never felt unsafe in my school in recent years, but it is better to be safe than sorry, better to be proactive than reactive.
Nowadays we’re living in a very difficult society; there are lots of problems... drugs, violence, murders, violations, etc... This case is a pitiful event!! Hey!! A student has been murdered by his “friend” in Orotina; I don’t know why people have to do that... First the killer wasn’t his friend, because FRIENDS DON’T DO THAT, and second, if he was “that type of person”, he doesn’t have the liberty to kill the other guy, just because he wasn’t like him. And if the killer had problems, he should go with a psychologist... because the person that does those things has lots of problems. Everybody have problems, but we have the capacity to find good solutions for them... looking for help, going to the psychologist, talking with a priest... smart people can solve their problems.... KILLING IS NOT THE WAY...
ResponderEliminarNow, I don’t think that the MEP has the fault, because every school or high school has to watch over about the security in their institution, because it won’t have any effect if the MEP does a security plan and lots of rules about security if the schools don’t practice them.
Some precautions to be taken at high schools are:
• Security guards should review student’s bags when they arrive to the high school, also they should have that things that can find guns, knifes, and other things that are fabricated with metal, and not only students, all the people that arrives at the high school should be review by the guards.
• There should be security cameras in the high school (we already have them)
• Cabs should visit the high school often, looking for guns, knifes, drugs...
I have never felt insecure in my high school, there they have a very effective security system and it is being improved now... so I’m very comfortable with the security in mi institution. And I agree all the changes that they are doing, because they do it for us....
JOSUÉ MOLINA SALAS 10-7
i think that the school have the responsibility of who enter to the school and who dont, they have to be more careful with his security. i am against of this acts of violence because we cant feel secure in any place now. i think that the MEP can do more things for increase the security of the students and teachers like ask the schools dont let enter any one only with the permission of the principal, also had more tan only one guard, check the bags of the students and personal of the school. people in schools always are going to feel insecure because always are someone bigger and stronger they are the bullys, also people from other schools go and look for problems. so always are a reason to feel insecure in the school, the only that we can do is learn how to avoid this acts of violence.
ResponderEliminarjonathan canizales
today you can not feel safe at schools such as what happened in orotina which is very worrying because the uncertainty is present everywhere, the ministry of public education can not prove that there is going to happen as student and they did a study and found that almost no school has a good security and not many students or teachers, principals are not even safe in institutions. What I think is that security measures must change and improve so we're sure not going to get anyone to harm us in an institution in which we spent the whole day! so we have to ensure safety .. David Mairena 10-7
ResponderEliminarThis is a very critical situation, nowadays violence has been increasing so much that it’s scary to go out in the streets, it’s so dangerous and meaningless, just to think about how children are being manipulated to learn these things in all the games and movies, all this stuff is making something like a revolution, a revolution where all people are going to have guns, killing people is like a game, it just doesn’t make sense.
ResponderEliminarImagine this situation that happened in a high school, in a country known for its low range of violence, it’s terrible to think about how this same situation can be in countries that have an army and that are by far more close to violence.
I think that the MEP is not guilty of this situation; this institution can’t control all the schools in the country, but it can definitely change some things around, like creating more rules that would help to prevent this kind of situation. For example, Security guards must be prepared to react on circumstances like this one, also a control on the people entering the institution. A good security system like cameras it’s a good idea.
In our high school the reality is very different than this situation, we have very good security conditions, and all things that have been implemented are for our safety, and that is very good!
I think that is a very hard job to stop a murder like that, if a person chose to kill someone violating their rights and the precious meaning of live; it’s hard to stop it, like this deplorable event.
ResponderEliminarI think this situation its out off the hands of the MEP, at least they should promote the values in all educational institutions, in a high school, the best counter attack against the delinquency it’s the communication, if somebody enter to some high school, people will know if that person belongs to the high school so you report that person and the security will take the necessary measures.
Nowadays I feel very safe in high school, I don’t see anyone that can make a damage, Im one of the person that thinks that if some bad thing happened it would happened like a destiny, but also we must not be reckless.
I think this tragedy is too sad to the teenager´s parents because they can´t believe that his own son has been killed in the high school by a stranger. In this days the people don´t use the words to resolve his problems or conflicts, they always use the violence and think that is the best and fast way. The MEP is not taking all the measures in practice; they have to be stricter in the security in schools and high schools. Some security precautions are: To have a security guard to allow entering to the institution ONLY with ID, sign a binnacle when you enter. I feel very safe in the high school, the security there is great and I´m not complaining,
ResponderEliminarIn my opinion, the school in Orotina didn’t had enough security because anyone
ResponderEliminarCan go in or out of the school, and the teenager must go to jail because if you don’t like something of somebody did to you, it’s not a good idea to kill him. You must talk with him and try to fix everything with the person.
I thing MEP’s most try to help the school’s with the security because in most of the school’s of Costa Rica student’s sell drugs and other dangerous stuff that can scare most of the student’s of the institute.
They most use some system like identification but you most show it if a professor ask for it before going inside the school like in our school.
I thing that our school security it’s excellent and it’s not necessary to prohibit enter to some school zones.
I think it really is a tragedy for the student's family, friends and the institution, is also regrettable that violence like this happen in our country mainly in high school where all students should be safe.
ResponderEliminarMEP's position is correct but I think that they should have taken steps since before such incidents occur to avoid tragedies, some precautions could be: having security guards, cameras, check to people who will enter the institution to see if a weapon or object that may affect the safety of students or staff of an institution, allowing admission to the only family of students, and other authorized personnel.
I've never felt unsafe in my high school because they have a very good security system that makes us feel comfortable.
I think this kind of situations are caused by the lack of security in the institutions, and is sad because many people are injured because of this, the families, friends everybody suffer because someone, who one day decided to kill an innocent person because he wanted, this things make us think that we are in a very insecure country and we have to change it.
ResponderEliminarI think the MEP should provide security measures like: security guards, not allow the entrance of all the people to the institution.
I’ve never felt insecure in the high school, because I consider that the institution is secure, because not anybody can came in without presenting the ID card, and there’s a guard that watches for it.
Technology makes easier our lives, nowadays we don’t have to work too much because now we have lots of machines that can do our work. We only have to turn them on and wait...
ResponderEliminarWe use technology every day. If we have to talk with a person we use our cell phone, and you can talk anywhere. And if we have to communicate with a person in another country, we use the internet. If you have to do homework where you have to investigate, you don’t have to go to a library anymore, you just use Google and you find everything you need. I like all the new technology machines, I like to use these things like, the cell phone, a computer, an iPod, an electronic notebook, the wii, a 3D TV... I feel very comfortable using technology in the activities that I do every day. And people need technology, and we have to learn how use it if we want to be successful, for example: at high school you have to use it because most of the homework you have to do it by computer and deliver it by your email. at work, you have to know how to use a computer too...
But technology has a “dark side” because you’ll be fat, because the machines do all the hard work, you just only have to know how to use them and watch, so you’ll are going to gain weight and you could get sick. You will be able to find your homework, and most of the time we don’t learn anything because we only do “copy paste” with the homework and also we can find bad information, videos and photos... Josue Molina salas 10-7