Tag: Hostages

Teacher in School Hostage Situation to Speak at Conference

A Barbour County teacher who helped keep students safe when a boy held a high school class hostage is set to speak at a conference.

Phillip Barbour High School teacher Twila Smith will be among the presenters Tuesday at the West Virginia Center for Professional Development’s Safe Schools Summit. It will be held at the Charleston Marriott Hotel.

Last August, a 14-year-old freshman took Smith’s class hostage at gunpoint. Smith tried to keep him and the other students calm. A teacher from another classroom alerted school administrators.

Police and the boy’s pastor ultimately talked him into giving up without harming himself or others.

Teenager to Stay in Juvenile Custody After Hostage Situation

The teenager who held a class hostage in August will remain in the custody of the Department of Juvenile Services.

WDTV-TV reports a Barbour County Circuit Court judge decided Thursday that the 14-year-old will remain in a secure juvenile detention facility until he is 21 years old.

The Barbour County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office said in a news release the court heard from numerous victims of the incident and an expert witness.

The student had previously admitted to 33 counts of wanton endangerment and a count of possessing a deadly weapon at an educational facility.

The 14-year-old held 27 classmates and a teacher at gunpoint on Aug. 25 at Philip Barbour High School. The standoff ended without a single shot fired and no one hurt.

Exit mobile version