Wounded Teacher Ran After US School Shooter, Swatted Gun Out Of His Hand

Agencies
May 26, 2018

Washington, May 26: A teacher at an Indiana middle school where a student opened fire with two handguns is being hailed as a hero after reportedly helping to subdue the shooter in his classroom.

Jason Seaman, 29, a former football player at Southern Illinois University and a 13-year-old female student were wounded by gunfire in the shooting, which broke out around 9 a.m. on Friday morning at a middle school in Noblesville, a town of 62,000 just northeast of Indianapolis.

Police said that a student asked to be excused from class at Noblesville West Middle School and then returned with two handguns and opened fire.

Students and parents of students from the school told news outlets that Seaman helped stop the shooter.

"Our science teacher immediately ran at him, swatted a gun out of his hand and tackled him to the ground," Seventh-grader Ethan Stonebraker told the Associated Press. "If it weren't for him, more of us would have been injured for sure."

Stonebraker described the incident in more detail to ABC News, saying that Seaman threw a basketball at the shooter.

"Immediately Mr. Seaman was yelling and running right at him and tackled him to the ground," Ethan said. "I was trying to stay crouched behind the back table, but also see what's going on and that's when [Mr. Seaman] was running right at him with this arms in front of him, and then he just tackled him against the wall. Then they were on the ground after [Mr. Seaman] swatted the gun from him and he just laid on the shooter so he couldn't do anything."

Police said they arrested the shooter and said the "situation resolved fairly quickly," but did not confirm the accounts of Seaman's reaction or details about how they arrested the shooter. A police officer assigned to the school was on duty and in the building, they said.

"Wait 'til one day we can tell you that story," Indiana State Police Superintendent Doug Carter said, according to the AP. "You'll be proud of them, too."

Seaman released a statement published by local media outlets, thanking the police and emergency responders for their action and care.

"I want to let everyone know that I was injured but am doing great," the statement said. "To all students, you are all wonderful and I thank you for your support. You are the reason I teach."

His mother, Kristi J. Hubly Seaman, said in a Facebook post that he had been shot three times: once through the abdomen, and one on his hip and forearm. Police said Seaman was in good condition as of Friday night; the injured student, who has not been publicly identified was in critical condition.

The attack comes a week after another school shooter killed 10 people at Santa Fe High School in Texas, which has contributed to the long-simmering debate about gun violence and gun control.

Seaman's brother, Jeremy, told the IndyStar that Seaman had two young children. He said he wasn't surprised by the reports of his brother's bravery.

"It's not surprising, to be honest," he said. "He's not really ever been the person to run away."

Seaman played for Southern Illinois from 2007 to 2010 as a defensive end, notching 88 tackles and eight sacks with two forced fumbles in 47 games for the Salukis. He was a three-sport athlete when he attended high school in Mahomet, Ill. Jeremy told the newspaper.

"He's familiar with struggle and adversity," he said.

Nick Hill, who is the head coach at Southern Illinois and played as a teammate of Seaman's, said he was a "great teammate, one of the team's hardest workers."

"You could always trust him to do the right thing," Hill said.

Gov. Eric Holcomb, R, released a statement saying his "thoughts are with all those affected by this horrible situation."

Molly Miles, a Noblesville High School freshman, told the IndyStar that she remembered Seaman telling the class that he would keep them safe in the event of a shooting.

"I especially remember that he would throw himself on top of the shooter if he had to," she said. "Which he proved today. He always said that he was willing to sacrifice himself before he was willing to let anything happen to his students."

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News Network
January 30,2020

New York, Jan 30: Three Indian citizens were arrested by border patrol agents here for entering the US illegally.

US Border Patrol agents stopped a vehicle near Massena in New York state along the county's northern border on January 24. During the vehicle checking, the agents found that two of the passengers were Indian citizens who entered the US illegally and not at a designated port of entry.

Both the passengers were transported to the Border Patrol Station for processing and charged.

The vehicle driver, also an Indian citizen who originally entered illegally into the US in 2012 and was ordered removed from the country in absentia last December, was charged with alien smuggling, a felony, which carries a penalty of a fine and up to five years of imprisonment for each violation.

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News Network
March 13,2020

Mar 13: Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his wife announced they were self-isolating Thursday as she undergoes tests for the new coronavirus after returning from a speaking engagement with "mild flu-like symptoms."

Sophie Gregoire-Trudeau's symptoms have subsided since she recently got back from Britain, but as a precaution the prime minister "will spend the day in briefings, phone calls and virtual meetings from home," according to a statement.

Trudeau also cancelled a meeting Thursday and Friday with Canada's provincial and territorial leaders in Ottawa, but still planned to speak with them and world leaders by phone about measures being taken to curb the spread of the virus in Canada.

Gregoire-Trudeau's symptoms had included "a low fever late last night." She immediately sought medical advice and testing.

Trudeau has exhibited no symptoms, and was advised by doctors "to continue daily activities while self-monitoring."

"However, out of an abundance of caution, the prime minister is opting to self-isolate and work from home until receiving Sophie's results," said his office.

Since the novel coronavirus first emerged in late December 2019, 127,070 cases have been recorded in 115 countries and territories, killing 4,687 people, according to an AFP tally compiled at 1200 GMT on Thursday based on official sources.

Canada has so far reported more than 100 cases in six provinces, and one death.

Also Thursday, the Canada's Juno music awards cancelled its upcoming gala show, planned for Sunday evening in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan.

"We are devastated to cancel this national celebration of music, but at this time of global uncertainty, the health, safety and well-being of all Canadians must stand at the forefront of any decisions that impact our communities," organisers said in a statement.

And in Quebec province, Premier Francois Legault unveiled a series of measures to prevent the spread of the coronavirus, including placing all travellers returning from overseas under quarantine for two weeks.

Quebec also banned indoor gatherings of more than 250 people.

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Agencies
August 3,2020

Manila, Aug 2: The number of COVID-19 cases in the Philippines has exceeded the 100,000 marks with a record 5,032 new infections registered on Sunday, the Health Ministry's data showed.

With the total cases now reaching 103,185, the spread of COVID-19 in the Southeast Asian nation is steeply rising. The daily growth rate just this Thursday set a record at over 3,800 cases, the next day there were nearly 4,000 new infections detected and on Saturday, over 4,800 cases were detected.

More than 65,000 people have recovered from the ailment, while 2,059 people have died.

The Philippines' epidemiological dynamic mirrors that of many Southeast Asian nations, where COVID-19 infections have only recently begun to climb. 

Most other nations in Europe and the Americas experienced an initial spread of the virus which later tailed off only to begin climbing again after easing of restrictions.

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