Franklin Regional High School- April 9, 2014
I was working in a temporary position at my place of employment
when I heard the reports coming out about Franklin Regional High School. The information was from the full- time
employees. One of them was on the phone. She had a child in the district. Franklin Regional High School is in a wealthy
community a few miles east of Pittsburgh city limits. So, this breaking news was close to my home
here in Pittsburgh.
A sophomore at the high school went on a stabbing
attack. Alex Hribal, his name has been
in print since the beginning, even though he was only 16 at the time. He slashed and stabbed his way through his
school. Some of the injuries he
inflicted on others were life threatening. The stabbings happened over four years ago
now, but the reports are still active because the family secured a lawyer who kept getting trials delayed.
As I have made myself clear about many times, the mental
health issues are mitigating circumstances and not excuses. I think at some point; all violence is due to
mental health issues. No one is truly in
their right mind if they maim with intent to kill or actually kill someone. States of rage, crimes of passion, drug
induced killing, the devil made me do it---are all mitigating circumstances. Someone else is still dead or injured.
Google the
reports. This link is one example.
.https://abcnews.go.com/US/teen-school-stabbing-suspect-kitchen-knives-cops/story?id=23253018.The lawyer talks on ABC national news and says no history of issues
Later reports, say Hribal attempted suicide at the age of 10; history of depression?
The governor calls the people in the school heroes:
"Following the shooting Wednesday afternoon, Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Corbett drove to Export from Harrisburg for a press conference.
“Let me commend the efforts of not only the school but the law enforcement officers, the first responders, police departments and the FBI. There are a number of heroes. Many are students – students who stayed with their friends and didn’t leave their friends. Cafeteria workers that cared for students who were bleeding. Teachers and aides who pulled students out of hallways and into rooms, protecting those children. Obviously, the school resource officer, the sergeant injured, and the principal and assistant principal,” said Corbett"
Notice that the article used the word,shooting when it was stabbings--"
In May, 2018 one of the victims filed suit against the family and school. http://triblive.com/local/westmoreland/13652594-74/franklin-regional-stabbing-victim-sues-attacker-alex-hribal-his-parents-school-and.
According to this report, it is the only lawsuit filed at this time.
According to this report, it is the only lawsuit filed at this time.
The news on January 22, 2018 was about Hribal, who was sentenced
after years of delays due to his attorneys.
I copied a link to my FB page about the issue back in January
2018, and made this comment:
“Finally sentenced. This happened in 2014. They tried to
blame it on his mental health. He followed the Columbine effect. I worked with
people who got the phone call that day in 2014. I must admit I am glad he is
going to jail. This kid had a lawyer. So many do not. Jail is deserved. This is
one example of why I will never forget my experience in 1998. It may be. 20
years but attacks happen at schools constantly. One of this kid’s victims
needed a liver. Not sorry after all these years for speaking up. Someone should
have for this kid before he slashed and stabbed his way through a school
hallway.”
I surprisingly received a response through Messenger from a
local television host. He asked:
JAN 22ND, 5:06PM
Hi Marian
My name is Beau Berman
I'm a reporter with WTAE TV
I saw your post about Hribal.
What was your experience 20 years ago?
So, I answered him, briefly, about a week later. ( I don't use Messenger often and I had no idea who he was with the name.) He hasn’t responded back to me. I did a bio search of the reporter. “Berman
was one of the first reporters at Sandy Hook Elementary School after the
tragedy and also reported from the shoreline as Hurricane Sandy pummeled
Connecticut in 2012.”
I hope Beman is reading some of my reports. My son called me on the day of the Sandy Hook
Elementary School massacre and asked me if I was sitting down as he told me the
news. I lived in my apartment on Shore Road in SP, NJ and can still remember where I was
standing. I lived in New Jersey as Hurricane
Sandy pummeled New Jersey and left two fellow church members homeless (Pleasantville, NJ).
You know that six degrees of separation thing—it is
true.
Hribal's parents reached out to the media after the
sentencing to become voices of prevention at about the same time the media reported that the lawyers were planning an appeal. So they should start with home, please and thank you. The parents prevented nothing and can only speak as people suffering consequences of their ignorance and their son's vengeful actions.
Some of their story is now
on video. This one I picked randomly
today. Listen to it. I do not have a lot of sympathy for these
parents at this time. They are blaming
bullying, etc. Since when is retribution
okay? The parent’s of the “knifer” asked the media to let them speak. The segments can be found on the web extra
pages of the local CBS affiliate.
The father talks about what a teacher did after Columbine for her class. Did they not think that there troubled child could be a copycat kid? Harsh? Well, murder and stabbings are harsh. The truth will help them heal once they come to grips with it.
As many know, one of my friends is a parent of a man who
killed three people and is on death row in Pennsylvania where there is no moratorium. I have empathy for her. I know
her son was an adult when it happened. I
know the struggles she continues to live because of her son’s actions. It is a cross she bears- different from the victim's families. It is a cross the parents of Alex Hribal will
bear. Their cross is also different than the victim's families. Neither sets of parents is a voice
for prevention. My friend would readily
tell you that.
The Hribal’s, if really concerned about prevention of the next
violent attack, would not have been fighting the charges for as long as they
did. They should have had their lawyers
have their client take responsibility for his actions from the start. Instead, they tried to make the real victims the reasons
for the “knifing spree”. Nothing Alex
Hribal did was in self- defense.
Due process is guaranteed under our Constitution, lying and making excuses is not.
The sentenced to jail, Alex Hribal, is wearing a necklace Cross in the pictured news story. Let's hope he relies on the justice of God and the mercy shown when true repentance is in the heart.
For now, the jury is still out for me. After all these years, what have we learned if we don't realize that repentance and forgiveness work together. Without true repentance, not just remorse, there is no heavenly forgiveness.
The Murrysville community was very good to the family. But a community's reputation is now tainted by a national news story on school violence- 22 stabbed with a knives.
The hero resource officer, a police officer, retired.
Marian R. Carlino
June 7, 2018
