+@THAT'S
+@THAT'S TRAGIC. >>> NBC CHARLOTTE LIVE AT 5:00 STARTS NOW.
>>> TRAGEDY ON
IT'S
IT'S HAPPENED AGAIN. GUNSHOTS RINGING OUT THIS TIME SHAKING BUTLER HIGH SCHOOL TO
ITS CORE.
STUDENTS RUNNING FOR THEIR
LIVES AFTER SHOOTING IN THE
MAIN HALLWAY.
ALL THIS AS THE SCHOOL DAY WAS
JUST STARTING.
THE VICTIM JUST 16 YEARS OLD
BOBBY McKEITHEN A SOPHOMORE AT
BUBBA HIGH SCHOOL.
WE ARE LEARNING MORE ABOUT HIM
AND WE ARE LEARNING MORE ABOUT
THE SUSPECT JATWAN CUFFIE WHO'S
ALSO 16 , FRESHMAN AND NOW
CHARGED WITH FIRST-DEGREE
MURDER.
TODAY'S SHOOTING SENDING
THEATER EVERY PARENT AT THAT
+@
TODAY'S SHOOTING SENDING THEATER EVERY PARENT AT THAT SCHOOL AS THEY WAIT TO GET WORD
ON LOVED ONES.>> YOU WOULD
NEVER THINK IT WOULD HAPPEN TO
YOUR CHILD.>> THE FEAR TURNED
TO CONFESSION -- FEAR AND
CONFUSION.
PARENTS MARCHED FROM A MEETING
POINT TO THE SCHOOL TO GET
THEIR CHILDREN.
THE NBC CHARLOTTE HAS SPREAD
OUT WITH THE LATEST ON THE
INVESTIGATION.
FRED SHROPSHIRE AT BUTLER HIGH
AND IT'S VERY EMOTIONAL FOR THE
ENTIRE COMMUNITY AND CMS
CANCELED SCHOOL TOMORROW.>>
Reporter: SO MANY EMOTIONS
GOING THROUGH THE COMMUNITY ARE
HERE AT BUTLER HIGH SCHOOL .
YOU NEVER THINK IT WILL HAPPEN
HERE, WE'VE HEARD THAT
COUNTLESS TIMES.
PARENT AFTER PARENT SAYING
THOSE WORDS AND AN EMOTIONAL
TIME FOR STUDENTS BUT IT DID
HAPPEN HERE AT BUTLER HIGH
SCHOOL IN MATTHEWS AND NOW THE
BULLDOGS ARE MORNING ONE OF
THEIR OWN.
HERE IS WHAT WE KNOW.
ALL THE INFORMATION WE GET FROM
POLICE INDICATES THE SHOOTING
IT STARTED BETWEEN TWO STUDENTS
AND BULLYING.
A GUN WAS BROUGHT TO CAMPUS
THIS MORNING.
THE SUSPECT IS 16-YEAR-OLD
JATWAN CUFFIE CHARGED WITH
FIRST-DEGREE MURDER.
THE VICTIM ALSO ONLY 16 YEARS
OLD, BOBBY McKEITHEN WAS A
SOPHOMORE.>> OUR HEARTS ARE
HEAVY TODAY AS WE MOURN WITH
THE VICTIMS FAMILY AND FRIENDS
AND LOVED ONES.
THIS MORNINGS TRAGIC AFFECT E
D. NOTHING COULD BE MORE TRAGIC
THAN WHAT HAPPENED TODAY.>>
Reporter: OUR CREW IS WORKING
EVERY ANGLE OF THIS STORY.
THERE ARE MULTIPLE PIECES TO
THE INVESTIGATION WE WILL START
WITH TANYA MENDIS.
I KNOW POLICE HAVE REVEALED A
LOT OF WHAT THEY FOUND OUT BUT
THERE IS MORE THEY ARE LOOKING
INTO.>> Reporter: POLICE SAY
THERE WERE LOTS OF WITNESSES TO
THIS.
WHEN YOU THINK ABOUT IT IT WAS
RIGHT BEFORE CLASSES BEGAN.
THERE WERE KIDS IN THE HALLWAY
WHO ARE NOW COMING TO GRIPS
THAT THEY SHOT ONE OF THEIR OWN
SHOT -- SAW ONE OF THEIR OWN
+@
THAT THEY SHOT ONE OF THEIR OWN SHOT -- SAW ONE OF THEIR OWN SHOT.
WHAT WAS NOT CAUGHT WAS THE GUN
+@
SHOT. WHAT WAS NOT CAUGHT WAS THE GUN WHAT -- WHEN IT ENTERED THE
SCHOOL.
FIRST CAME THE FIGHT.
THEN CAME THE SHOTS.
THAN THE SCREAMS.
TWO STUDENTS FIGHTING IN THE
HALLS OF BUTLER HIGH SCHOOL
WHEN ONE SHOT THE OTHER RIGHT
IN FRONT OF KIDS WHO WERE
GETTING READY TO START THE
DAY.>> THEY WERE WRESTLING AND
I WAS RIGHT THERE AND I HEARD
POP, POP, POP.
EVERYONE WAS RUNNING AND
TRAMPLING EACH OTHER.
>> I SAW HIM PULL OUT THE GUN
AND POINT AND THEN I RAN.
>> Reporter: STUDENTS SCRAMBLED
AND THE SCHOOL WENT ON
LOCKDOWN.
THE SCHOOL RESOURCE OFFICER GOT
THERE WITHIN SECONDS.
>> GSW CUTLER HIGH SCHOOL.
>> MATTHEWS PD IS ADVISING ONE
MALE STUDENT IS INJURED.
>> Reporter: THE VICTIM 16-YEAR-
OLD BOBBY McKEITHEN SHOT AND
DIED.
OLE SAY IT'S BECAUSE OF
BULLYING THAT BOILED OVER.
>> THE CONFLICT BEGAN WITH
BULLYING THAT ESCALATED OUT OF
CONTROL.
AS FEAR TOOK OVER, A YOUNG
PERSON BROUGHT A GUN TO SOLVE
THE PROBLEMS.>> Reporter: THE
SHOOTER JATWAN CRAIG CUFFIE A
16-YEAR-OLD FRESHMAN
SURRENDERED TO A TEACHER AND
ADMITTED WHAT HE'D DONE.
HE NOW FACES MURDER CHARGES.
POLICE SAY THERE IS AN
IMPORTANT MESSAGE, IF YOU SEE
SOMETHING THEN SAY SOMETHING.
IF YOU HEAR ANYTHING SPEAK UP
BECAUSE APPARENTLY THERE'S
INFORMATION THAT THERE WERE
PEOPLE WHO KNEW THAT WAS GOING
TO BE A CONFRONTATION TODAY,
PERHAPS THEY DIDN'T KNOW THIS
WOULD HAPPEN BUT THEY KNEW
THERE WOULD BE AN ALTERCATION.
THIS WAS BREWING FOUR DAYS BUT
NO ONE AT THE SCHOOL WHO WAS IN
ANY KIND OF AUTHORITY HAD ANY
INFORMATION TO STOP IT.
I'M TANYA MENDIS NBC CHARLOTTE.
IT'S SO SAD THAT THIS WAS THE
OUTCOME.
WE ARE DIGGING MORE INTO THE
VICTIM AND THE SUSPECT.>>
Reporter: BOTH VICTIMS GOT INTO
THE SITUATION WE KNOW IT WAS A
REPORTED FIGHT AND A FIGHT THAT
ENDED IN GUNFIRE.
RICHARD DEVAYNE IS DIGGING
DEEPER INTO THE FEUD.
WE KNOW THESE TWO KNEW EACH
OTHER AND ACCORDING TO POLICE
THIS WAS AN ISOLATED EVENT.
>> Reporter: POLICE ARE VERY
STERN AND TELLING US THIS WAS
THE ISOLATED EVENT IT WAS NOT
JUST A RANDOM ACT OF VIOLENCE.
THEY KNEW EACH OTHER.
THE SUPERINTENDENT TELLING ME
REGARDLESS SOMEONE BROUGHT A
GUN ON CAMPUS AND NOW FOR THAT
VERY ADULT DECISION THIS
JUVENILE FACES ADULT TIME.
A SO-CALLED BEEF BETWEEN THE
VICTIM AND JATWAN CRAIG CUFFIE
IS WHAT MATTHEWS POLICE SAY IS
THE REASON BEHIND THE SHOOTING
AT BUTLER HIGH.
SOMETHING SCHOOL BOARD MEMBER
SAYS IS TRAGIC.
>> THEY MAKE RASH DECISIONS AND
WE'VE SEEN IT HAPPEN TODAY.
>> Reporter: IT STARTED BEFORE
THE WEEKEND, DURING THE FIGHT
JATWAN CRAIG CUFFIE A FRESHMAN
PULLED THE GUN AND STARTED
SHOOTING AT 16-YEAR-OLD BOBBY
McKEITHEN.
STUDENTS RAN AND A SCHOOL
RESOURCE OFFICER TRIED TO HELP
THE VICTIM.
MOMENTS LATER JATWAN CRAIG
CUFFIE WAS IN CUSTODY.
>> HE ADMITTED TO WHAT HE DID
AND WAS READY TO SURRENDER THE
LOCATION WAS GIVEN TO OFFICERS
THAT WERE IN THE SCHOOL
ALREADY.
IT WAS 7:25 AM AND THERE WERE
FOUR OFFICERS INSIDE THE
SCHOOL.
THOSE OFFICERS MOVED INTO THE
AREA WHERE THEY WERE ABLE TO
TAKE THE SUSPECT INTO
CUSTODY.>> Reporter: WE CAN
TELL YOU THE SUSPECT HAS BEEN
TAKEN TO JAIL.
HE FACES FIRST-DEGREE MURDER
CHARGES AND THE NEXT DECISION
IS WHETHER HE WILL BE TRIED AS
AN ADULT OR JUVENILE AND WE
WILL FIND THAT OUT.
WE DO WANT TO TELL YOU THE
SUPERINTENDENT SAID THERE WERE
NO METAL DETECTORS.
+@
SUPERINTENDENT SAID THERE WERE NO METAL DETECTORS. WE ASKED POINTEDLY IF PARENT
SHOULD FEEL SAFE ABOUT THEIR
STUDENTS IN SCHOOL AND HE SAID
THEY SHOULD.
THERE WAS NO SCHOOL TOMORROW
FOR BUTLER HIGH SCHOOL
TOMORROW.
RICHARD DEVAYNE BACK TO YOU.>>
Reporter: THAT'S A TOUGH
DECISION FOR PARENTS TO SEND
THE KIDS BACK TO SCHOOL BUT WE
KNOW ONCE PARENTS GOT WORD THIS
WAS GOING ON A LOT OF THEM WENT
BACK TO THE SCHOOL AND THAT'S
WHEN THEY WERE TOLD THE
STUDENTS WOULD BE SENT TO
ELEVATION CHURCH.
IT SPARKED CONFUSION AS THE
PARENTS TRY TO CONNECT WITH
THEIR CHILDREN.
>> I WAS ASKED IF I COULD SIGN
HER OUT.>> I'M READY TO SEE MY
KID.>> WE ARE GOING TO GET OUR
KIDS.>> YOU'RE GOING NOW?
>> YES.>> Reporter: THAT'S WHAT
THEY LITERALLY DID.
THEY MARCHED NEARLY ONE MILE
FROM THE CHURCH TO THE SCHOOL.
ALL OF THIS CONCERN AND
COMMOTION SHUTDOWN TRAFFIC
ALONG INDEPENDENCE BOULEVARD.
NBC CHARLOTTE'S MICHELLE
BOUDIN JOINS US.
CMS EARLIER ADMITTED THERE WERE
FAILURES THIS MORNING BUT THEN
THEY BACKTRACKED FROM THAT.>>
Reporter: IF YOU LISTENED, TO
THE SUPERINTENDENT HE
ACKNOWLEDGED COMMUNICATION WAS
A PROBLEM.
PARENTS WERE GETTING TERRIFYING
TEXTS FROM THEIR STUDENTS.
THEY DIDN'T HEAR FROM CMS OR
POLICE.
THEY WERE HERE AT ELEVATION
CHURCH EXPECTING TO BE REUNITED
AND WHEN THAT DIDN'T HAPPEN
THEY TOOK IT INTO THEIR OWN
HANDS.
>> IT'S RIDICULOUS.
CHOKED THEIR PARENTS WERE
DESPERATE AND TOTAL CONFUSION
AT THE SCHOOL.
>> THEY NEED TO COMMUNICATE
BECAUSE I DIDN'T GET A PHONE
CALL I JUST GOT AN EMAIL ABOUT
THE LOCKDOWN.
JOKE PARENTS WERE TOLD TO GO TO
ELEVATION CHURCH.>> THEY SAID
WE HAD TO WAIT DEER.
TOOK A 15 MINUTE WALK BUT ONCE
THERE PARENTS GOT NO
INFORMATION.>> I'M TRYING TO
GIVE YOU INFORMATION I
UNDERSTAND.
>> Reporter: AFTER HEARING
NOTHING AND NOT SEEING THEIR
KIDS THERE WAS SOMETHING OF AN
UPRISING.
>> WE ARE GOING TO MARCH ACROSS
INDEPENDENCE.
>> Reporter: THEY MARCHED
ACROSS ONE OF THE BUSIEST ROADS
TO GET TO THEIR KIDS.
>> MY DAUGHTER ASKED IF I WOULD
SIGN HER OUT.
THEY ARE NOT LETTING US GET THE
+@
SIGN HER OUT. THEY ARE NOT LETTING US GET THE KIDS.
JOKE SEVERAL HOURS AFTERWARDS
PARENTS WERE ALLOWED TO PICK UP
THEIR STUDENTS AND THE CMS
SUPERINTENDENT ACKNOWLEDGING
THINGS DID NOT GO SMOOTHLY.
>> THAT WAS NOT HOW THINGS WERE
SUPPOSED TO PLAY OUT.
I UNDERSTAND PARENTS WERE
UPSET.
WE TRIED TO KEEP IT ORDERLY.
>> Reporter: ORDERLY IS THE
LAST WORD PARENTS WE SPOKE TO
WOULD USE TO DESCRIBE THE
SITUATION.
THE SUPERINTENDENT ADMITTED
THEY WILL GO BACK TO SQUARE
ONE, THOSE ARE HIS WORDS TO
FIGURE OUT A BETTER WAY OF
DOING THINGS.
MICHELLE BOWDEN NBC CHARLOTTE.
>> Reporter: THAT'S A LOT TO
FIGURE OUT ON THE DISTRICT
SIDE.
THANK YOU.
WE KNOW THERE IS A LOT TO
PROCESS IN TERMS OF EMOTIONS
FOR STUDENTS, FACULTY AND
PARENTS.
WE KNOW OF TWO CANDLELIGHT
VIGILS TONIGHT.
THERE WILL BE ONE AT MATTHEWS
UNITED METHODIST CHURCH.
THEY WILL GATHER HERE TONIGHT
AT BUTLER AND WE WILL BE HERE.
BACK TO YOU.
>> THAT IS SO SAD AND SCARY FOR
SO MANY PEOPLE.
THANK YOU.>> ACTIVE SHOOTER
DRILLS OUR PRACTICE THROUGHOUT
THE YEAR AND BUTLER HIGH SCHOOL
+@IS NO DIFFERENT . WE WERE THE
DRILLS OUR PRACTICE THROUGHOUT THE YEAR AND BUTLER HIGH SCHOOL +@IS NO DIFFERENT . WE WERE THE@
EARLIER IN THE YEAR.
TODAY, THERE WAS NO WARNING, NO
INDICATION A STUDENT BROUGHT A
GUN TO SCHOOL.>> NATHAN
MORABITO IS COVERING THE
WEAPONS.
WHAT DID YOU LEARN?>> Reporter:
IT'S INTERESTING A LOT HAS BEEN
MADE ABOUT HOW IN THE WORLD A
TEENAGER BROUGHT A GUN INSIDE A
HIGH SCHOOL.
ACCORDING TO RECORDS, SOMEONE
BRINGS A GUN INTO A CMS SCHOOL
MORE THAN ONCE A MONTH.
THE DIFFERENCE THIS TIME IS
SOMEONE USED A GUN.
STUDENTS AT BUTLER HIGH SCHOOL
CREATED THE SAFETY VIDEO
EARLIER THIS YEAR.
A TRAINING GUIDE FOR AN ACTIVE
SHOOTER .
>> WE WANT TO BE PROACTIVE AND
-- WE WANT TO MAKE SURE OUR
KIDS UNDERSTAND THAT IF
SOMETHING WERE TO HAPPEN HERE
ON CAMPUS AN EXTREME EMERGENCY,
THAT THEY WOULD HAVE IN THEIR
MIND WHAT THEIR NEXT STEPS
WOULD BE.
>> Reporter: ONE PARENT TOLD US
SOME STUDENTS WERE LEFT
UNATTENDED DURING THE SHOOTING.
HER SON FORCED TO BARRICADE
HIMSELF WITHOUT ADULT
SUPERVISION.
BUTLER ALSO HAS EXPERIENCE WITH
GUNS.
CMS LEADS THE STATE IN THE
NUMBER OF GUNS FOUND AT
SCHOOLS.
19 DURING THE 2016 2017 SCHOOL
YEAR.
TWO INCIDENTS RIGHT HERE AT
BUTLER.
>> WALKING THROUGH THAT DOOR
WITH A GUN WITHOUT BEING
CHECKED, IT'S SCARY.
>> Reporter: TODAY SHOOTING
REOPENED A DEBATE ABOUT METAL
DETECTORS.
>> ONLY ONE WAS SHOT THIS TIME
BUT HOW MANY NEXT TIME?>>
Reporter: THE SUPERINTENDENT
QUESTIONS THE ISSUE THAT STARTS
+@
Reporter: THE SUPERINTENDENT QUESTIONS THE ISSUE THAT STARTS BEFORE A CHILD WALKS INTO
SCHOOL.
>> I DON'T KNOW HOW A YOUNG
PERSON GETS A HANDGUN IN THE
STATE.>> Reporter: WE'VE
REQUESTED THE NUMBER OF GUNS
FOUND SO FAR THIS SCHOOL YEAR
DISTRICTWIDE AND RIGHT HERE AT
BUTLER HIGH SCHOOL.
THE DISTRICT SAID IT'S PULLING
THE NUMBERS AND THE
SUPERINTENDENT DR. CLAYTON
WILCOX SAID AS FAR AS THAT THE
CLAIM OF THE KIDS BEING
UNATTENDED.
HE'S NOT HEARD THOSE