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Cover Story

Cover Story - Spanish Version

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Comprehension Quiz

Teacher's Guide and Worksheets

Blood And Tears In Arkansas

No one can explain the tragedy that unfolded last week at Westside Middle School in Jonesboro, Arkansas. There, on a sunny Tuesday afternoon, four students and one teacher were shot and killed. Ten others were injured. The most shocking part of all: the bullets were fired by two students.

Mitchell Johnson, 13, and Andrew Golden, 11, had stolen guns from the home of Andrew's grandfather. Then, dressed in camouflage uniforms as if playing a war game, they set out for school. Andrew apparently sneaked inside and set off the fire alarm. As kids and teachers trooped out, the boys, hidden in nearby woods, opened fire. One girl was saved when a teacher threw herself in the path of a bullet.

Americans struggled last week to explain the tragedy. Some wondered: Have guns become so plentiful in America that any child can get one? Have hours of target-shooting on video games made it too easy for kids to pull real triggers? What made the two boys crack?

Despite the bloodshed in Jonesboro, a new study shows that violence is not on the rise in U.S. schools. That's comforting news. But it means little to the devastated families of Jonesboro, or to Mitchell or Andrew, who wept in jail last Thursday. Both may face prison sentences.

Next: Update: A Darn Good Lake