Community service for teen who shot at bully at Roermond school

The court sentenced a 17-year-old boy to 200 hours of community service and one year of conditionally suspended juvenile detention for firing an air gun at his school in Roermond last year. The court considered it proven that the boy aimed to shoot a fellow pupil who bullied him and worked on a premeditated plan, 1Limburg reports.

The sentence is equal to what the Public Prosecutor demanded. The court took into account that the boy expressed remorse for what he did and is cooperating in counseling to prevent recurrence.

On Friday morning, 14 September 2018, the boy went to his school - the Kennis- en Expertisecentrum de Donderberg - heavily armed. He had an airgun, knives and an ax with him. He fired multiple shots, both inside and outside the building, but did not hit anyone. Teachers managed to talk him down and overpower him. No one was injured.

A report recently released by the interim director of the school, who was appointed shortly after the shooting incident, showed that the school is still unsafe, NOS reports. The school building is not safe, teachers are assaulted by pupils, and more than 15 pupils have been suspended for serious misconduct since the shooting incident, according to the report. 

Roermond mayor Rianne Donders said that she will soon meet with everyone involved to discuss these problems.