A 14-year-old home schooled South Carolina teenager was accused of killing his father and later opening fire on the Townsville Elementary School’s playground Wed. Sept. 28. Anderson County’s Sheriff Capt. Garland Major announced that the teenager was using a handgun and shot two boys on the leg and foot respectively. A female teacher who was trying to protect the boys was also shot in the shoulder during the shooting.

One of the boys, Jacob Hall, was taken to the hospital immediately under serious conditions. The less severely injured teacher, Meghan Hollingsworth, and boy were treated and released later that Wednesday.

More than 280 students from grades pre-kindergarten to sixth grade who attended the elementary school were later evacuated to Oakdale Baptist Church; they were all later reunited with their parents. Shortly after the shooting was reported at 1:45 p.m., the suspect, who the officials haven’t named as he is a minor, was apprehended before he could make it into the school by a 30-year-old veteran firefighter of Townsville Fire Department named Jamie Brock.

“It’s so scary to think that these kids were about to be become more injured if the teenager had entered the school. I’m curious as to why the teenager would suddenly show up at the elementary school and shoot harmless children,” stated Neshaminy junior Kirin Scott.

Investigators later found the 47-year-old father of the suspect, Jeffrey DeWitt Osborne, shot to death by his son about one mile from the school. Authorities said they believe that the teen had shot his father, took a pickup from somewhere to the school, and began shooting as he stepped out of the vehicle.  Although authorities have not released information about the motives for the shootings and if the teachers and students were targeted, officials believed Osborne’s death and the shooting at the school were connected somehow.

The teenager was charged Friday, Sept. 30 with three counts of attempted murder in connection to the murder of his father at his family home. His case is still being heard in family court; it is still undecided whether or not he will be tried as an adult.

“It’s terrifying to see that such a tragic and horrific event like this can happen so frequently. I hope that more tight security and changes will occur so that we avoid another school shooting,” stated Neshaminy junior Julianna Mathew.                                                             

The 6-year-old Jacob Hall was reported to have died Saturday, Oct. 1 after being put on life support at the Greenville Memorial Hospital. Hall was hit in his femoral artery at his thigh, causing major blood loss and brain injury.

A funeral service was held for Hall Wednesday, Oct. 5 at the Oakdale Baptist Church. More than 500 people arrived at the church sanctuary to give their support, and more than 1,000 mourners dressed as superheroes to honor his love for them.

According to CNN, in the “South Carolina school shooting: 6-year-old victim dies,” Renae and Rodger Hall give their thanks to the love their son Jacob had shown. “He showed us how to love, laugh and smile even on days we did not want to,” Renae and Rodger Hall said. “God gave him to us, and he was taken away from us by a senseless act. We know that Jacob has already forgiven this child for what he did to him and his family because that’s the kind of child he was.”