No one seems to know why Jaime Gonzalez, Jr. took a pellet gun that looked remarkably like a more lethal weapon to Cummings Middle School in Brownsville, Texas. But multiple witnesses agree on what he did once he got there. He assaulted one student by punching him in the nose and then stormed the halls with the weapon drawn.
The principal called 911. When the police arrived, they repeatedly instructed Jaime to put the gun down. He refused. The police did what they had to do -- they shot him.
Jaime's father says the only thing he has left to say is "Justice." When asked to explain, he said, "Justice means finding out why they shot him the way they did."
I can provide Mr. Gonzalez justice right here and now. They shot him, because they had no way of knowing if the weapon was real or not. They shot him, because he endangered their lives and the lives of the students and faculty at the school by refusing to put the weapon down. They shot him, because they had no idea what he intended to do next. It's as simple as that.
"A lesson from student's death." The Dallas Morning News; January 8, 2012; p. 3A.
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