Buell Elementary School
Encyclopedia
The shooting of Kayla Rolland occurred at Buell Elementary School in Mount Morris Township, Michigan
, United States on February 29, 2000. Six-year-old Dedrick Owens fatally shot classmate Kayla Renee Rolland (May 12, 1993 – February 29, 2000) in a classroom before being taken into police custody. Buell Elementary School closed in 2002. It was part of the Beecher Community School District
.
The incident began when 6-year-old Dedrick Owens found a .32-caliber
handgun
in his uncle's home, and brought the firearm to Buell Elementary School. Further in the day, during a changing of classes, Owens fatally shot 6-year-old Kayla Rolland in the presence of a teacher and 22 students, saying to her "I don't like you" before pulling the trigger. The bullets entered her right arm and traveled through her vital organs
. At 10:59 a.m. EST
, Rolland was pronounced dead at Hurley Medical Center while in cardiac arrest
.
Owens then threw the handgun into a wastebasket and fled to a nearby restroom. He was found there, in the corner, by a teacher and was taken into police custody soon after. He was held in custody until the Genesee County
Family Independence Agency
could determine his placement. He and his two younger siblings have since been placed with an aunt.
At six years of age, Kayla Rolland is believed to be the youngest school shooting victim in U.S.
history. Dedrick Owens is the youngest school shooter. Due to Owens' age and lack of ability to form intent, Owens was never charged for the murder. In most U.S. states, six-year-olds are not liable for crimes they commit. In an 1893 ruling, the U.S. Supreme Court declared that "children under the age of 7 years could not be guilty of felony, or punished for any capital offense, for within that age the child is conclusively presumed incapable of committing a crime." This is followed in many U.S. states.
Jamelle James, who owned the .32-caliber semiautomatic pistol, eventually pleaded no contest to involuntary manslaughter and spent 2 years and 5 months in prison before eventually being released and living on probation. The other adults involved would be in and out of court systems in the years to follow. Two years later, Buell Elementary School was closed, and was demolished in January 2009.
The incident was documented in the 2002 Michael Moore
film Bowling for Columbine
.
Mount Morris Township, Michigan
Mount Morris Charter Township is a charter township of Genesee County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 23,725 as of the 2000 census.-Communities:...
, United States on February 29, 2000. Six-year-old Dedrick Owens fatally shot classmate Kayla Renee Rolland (May 12, 1993 – February 29, 2000) in a classroom before being taken into police custody. Buell Elementary School closed in 2002. It was part of the Beecher Community School District
Beecher Community School District
Beecher Community School District is a public school district in Genesee County in the U.S. state of Michigan and in the Genesee Intermediate School District. It serves the Census Designated Place of Beecher which is just north of Flint...
.
The incident began when 6-year-old Dedrick Owens found a .32-caliber
Caliber
In guns including firearms, caliber or calibre is the approximate internal diameter of the barrel in relation to the diameter of the projectile used in it....
handgun
Handgun
A handgun is a firearm designed to be held and operated by one hand. This characteristic differentiates handguns as a general class of firearms from long guns such as rifles and shotguns ....
in his uncle's home, and brought the firearm to Buell Elementary School. Further in the day, during a changing of classes, Owens fatally shot 6-year-old Kayla Rolland in the presence of a teacher and 22 students, saying to her "I don't like you" before pulling the trigger. The bullets entered her right arm and traveled through her vital organs
Organ (anatomy)
In biology, an organ is a collection of tissues joined in structural unit to serve a common function. Usually there is a main tissue and sporadic tissues . The main tissue is the one that is unique for the specific organ. For example, main tissue in the heart is the myocardium, while sporadic are...
. At 10:59 a.m. EST
Eastern Standard Time
Eastern Standard Time may refer to:*North American Eastern Time Zone, UTC-5*Australian Eastern Standard Time, UTC+10*An album by Hip Hop group Kooley High...
, Rolland was pronounced dead at Hurley Medical Center while in cardiac arrest
Cardiac arrest
Cardiac arrest, is the cessation of normal circulation of the blood due to failure of the heart to contract effectively...
.
Owens then threw the handgun into a wastebasket and fled to a nearby restroom. He was found there, in the corner, by a teacher and was taken into police custody soon after. He was held in custody until the Genesee County
Genesee County, Michigan
-Interstates:* I-69* I-75* I-475-Michigan State Trunklines:* M-13* M-15* M-21* M-54* M-57-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 436,141 people, 169,825 households, and 115,990 families residing in the county. The population density was 682 people per square mile . There were 183,630...
Family Independence Agency
Child Protective Services
Child Protective Services is the name of a governmental agency in many states of the United States that responds to reports of child abuse or neglect. Some states use other names, often attempting to reflect more family-centered practices, such as "Department of Children & Family Services"...
could determine his placement. He and his two younger siblings have since been placed with an aunt.
At six years of age, Kayla Rolland is believed to be the youngest school shooting victim in U.S.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
history. Dedrick Owens is the youngest school shooter. Due to Owens' age and lack of ability to form intent, Owens was never charged for the murder. In most U.S. states, six-year-olds are not liable for crimes they commit. In an 1893 ruling, the U.S. Supreme Court declared that "children under the age of 7 years could not be guilty of felony, or punished for any capital offense, for within that age the child is conclusively presumed incapable of committing a crime." This is followed in many U.S. states.
Jamelle James, who owned the .32-caliber semiautomatic pistol, eventually pleaded no contest to involuntary manslaughter and spent 2 years and 5 months in prison before eventually being released and living on probation. The other adults involved would be in and out of court systems in the years to follow. Two years later, Buell Elementary School was closed, and was demolished in January 2009.
The incident was documented in the 2002 Michael Moore
Michael Moore
Michael Francis Moore is an American filmmaker, author, social critic and activist. He is the director and producer of Fahrenheit 9/11, which is the highest-grossing documentary of all time. His films Bowling for Columbine and Sicko also place in the top ten highest-grossing documentaries...
film Bowling for Columbine
Bowling for Columbine
Bowling for Columbine is a 2002 documentary film written, directed, produced, and narrated by Michael Moore. The film explores what Michael Moore suggests are the causes for the Columbine High School massacre and other acts of violence with guns...
.