Hero Teacher Valerie Burd Helps Prevent Shootings in Wisconsin School Standoff

Yesterday, a Marinette, Wisconsin student took classmates and a teacher hostage. Thanks to teacher Valerie Burd and the other students, no one but the gunman was injured.

By Kathryn Hawkins. Posted on November 30 2010

A terrifying school hostage incident took place yesterday at Marinette High School in Marinette, Wisconisin. Around 1 p.m., a 15-year-old student entered a classroom brandishing a gun, and took 23 students and a teacher hostage for nearly five hours.

Fortunately, the social studies teacher, Valerie Burd, was able to keep control of the situation. Burd “was nothing short of heroic. She kept a very cool head and kept the suspect as calm as possible,” Marinette Police Chief Jeff Skorik told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. The teacher acted as a liaison with law enforcement officials, speaking with them by cell phone.

When police finally came in after the long standoff, the armed student shot himself. He’s now being hospitalized with life-threatening injuries. However, he didn’t injure a single one of the hostages during that five-hour ordeal. Though one of the student hostages called the event “very traumatizing,” it could have been a much more tragic situation—and credit is due to Burd and the students for staying calm and keeping the gunman under control.

Our hearts go out to the people of Marinette. Watch one of the hostages, Zach Campbell, speak out about the incident in the video below.

Filed under: Heroes,

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