5 Alton teens charged in water gun escapade at school
Five Alton teenagers face criminal charges after four of them, armed with plastic water guns, climbed through a window at Jersey High School and doused students taking a history exam.Alton High was out of school for a holiday break Thursday, and students at Jersey Community High School were wrapping up a shortened day when the four young men, dressed in black with bandannas covering their faces, slid through a first-floor window into a classroom, sprayed the classroom with Super Soaker water guns, then sprinted down the hallway, said Jerseyville police Sgt. Roger Kirby.
A fifth teen was waiting outside in the getaway car. A neighborhood resident had already called police because the car was parked in her driveway and she was suspicious because the car had duct tape over its license plate, Kirby said.
You’ve got to be kidding me. A Class B and two Class C misdemeanors for assault by Super Soaker? Suspend them from school, sure. Maybe even a single criminal count so you can impose some probation and community service, but this is a bit extreme. As is the reaction of Jerseyville Police Sgt. Roger Kirby:
“They said they didn’t know why we were making such a big deal out of this, that it was just a joke,” Kirby said. “They invaded our school, concealed their identity. … We didn’t take it as a joke,” especially considering the time of year, he said, referring to the anniversary this week of the Columbine school shootings in Colorado.
They didn’t “invade” your school. They sprayed a bunch of kids with Super Soakers, and they should be punished for it. But let’s leave the Columbine references on the sideline and not try to put these teenagers in adult lockup for six months.
