Cops kill school kid
The week's news at a glance.
Longwood, Fla.
Police officers shot and killed a 15-year-old boy who had brought a realistic-looking pellet gun to his middle school. Christopher Penley pulled out the gun in class and fought off another student who tried to wrestle it away from him. Sheriff’s deputies and a SWAT team cornered Penley in a school bathroom, where they say he raised his weapon toward them. “The student said he was going to kill himself or die,” said Sheriff Don Eslinger. Penley’s classmates described him as an emotionally troubled loner. “He told me he wanted to kill himself dozens of times,” said 15-year-old Patrick Lafferty.
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
-
The genetic secrets of South Korea's female free-divers
Under The Radar Unique physiology of 'real-life mermaid' haenyeo women could help treat chronic diseases
-
Democrats: How to rebuild a damaged brand
Feature Trump's approval rating is sinking, but so is the Democratic brand
-
Unraveling autism
Feature RFK Jr. has vowed to find the root cause of the 'autism epidemic' in months. Scientists have doubts.