Stillwater Junior High Student Dies by Suicide in Hallway

Jacob Bracken-leach sees his classmate take his own life, "There was a teacher that ran over there and started screaming get help. Everyone took off running after that."

Bracken-leach was one of about six students who were in the hallway before the first bell when 13-year-old Cade Poulos pulled the trigger,"Me and my friend were still standing there because we had just watched it. It was hard to move."

After the shooting, Supt. Dr. Ann Caine says Stillwater Junior High quickly went into lockdown mode and cancelled classes,"At the same time our Junior High Principal Mr. Swanson was sending out an electronic message to all of our parents at the junior high saying we had a tragic incident."

"Another parent had called me this morning about 8:23 saying there was a rumor there had been a shooting at the Jr. High, said Brecken-leach's mother, Kelley Gallagher.

Not knowing the details, Gallagher drove to the student pickup location to check on her son, "Of course I just wanted to hug him but I had to go through the process of getting him off the bus first."

"I was trying to look like I wasn't scared and keep her calm and stuff, said Brecken-leach.

Gallagher struggles to wrap her head around what her teenaged son witnessed, "This kinda thing you just never think it'll happen and I feel really bad for the students that were involved."

Dr. Caine says classes at the junior high will resume Thursday. Extra counselors will be available for students and faculty.

Posted: Thursday, September 27 2012, 04:48 AM CDT