Give a Boy a Gun by Todd Strasser Page B

Then they turned the gym speakers back on, and this calm voice said, “Brendan? Gary?” Brendan started firing at that tiny microphone. You could tell he didn’t like what was happening.
    â€”Deirdre Bunson
    It wasn’t the same person [on the loudspeaker] as before. This guy was really calm and professional. He told Brendan and Gary that even if they managed to hit the mike and put it out of commission, they’d just send down another one. At first Brendan was fit to be tied, but then hecalmed down. I guess he figured out that he was still in control.
    â€”Dustin Williams
    Brendan’s mom and dad got on the speaker. It was really pitiful. His mom was crying. His dad sounded like he was in agony. They both pleaded with him to stop and give up. They talked about how much they loved him and wanted to help him and how wrong it was to hurt other people and why hadn’t he told them how stressed he was? I couldn’t see his face because of the mask. But I really wished I could.
    â€”Chelsea Baker
    They put on Gary’s mom next. She tried to talk, but her voice cracked and she just started to bawl. Then the negotiator guy comes back on and starts talking about how they’renot just hurting the people in the gym, they’re hurting their families, too. They’re destroying their parents’ lives. Brendan walked over to Sam Flach, who was still lying there bleeding. He looks up at the little camera and asks if the negotiator guy can see him. The cable turned a little, and the guy said yes. Brendan asked if they could see all the blood seeping out of Sam’s knees, and the negotiator said yes. Brendan knelt down and put the barrel of his gun right next to Sam’s ear and said that if they didn’t remove that camera and mike right now, he would put a bullet in Sam’s head. The next thing we knew, the camera and microphone started to rise back up to the ceiling.
    â€”Allison Findley

    â€œÂ â€˜The big thing about firearms is that they do give the weak a way to defend themselves against the strong.’”
    â€”William Ruger Sr., president of Ruger, a manufacturer of semiautomatic weapons, Making a Killing

    Paul had the nail clippers, but with the lights on, Brendan and Gary could see us. I was praying to God as hard as I could that the lights would go off again.
    â€”Dustin Williams
    I’m not sure I believe in miracles, but ever since that night, I definitely believe inangels. Only you never know who they might be or what form they might take. If Allison Findley could be an angel, anyone could.
    â€” Dick Flanagan
    I heard a really horrible groan. Allison was kneeling over Sam, and at first I thought she was torturing him or something. But she’d taken off her belt and put it around one of Sam’s thighs and was tightening it like a tourniquet. Brendan yelled at her to get away from Sam. Allison said no without even looking at him. Brendan came over and said he’d kill her if she didn’t leave Sam alone. Allison looked up at him and said, “Know what, Brendan? I know you don’t care about living. Well, neither do I. Go ahead and kill me.” Maybe she knew Brendan wouldn’t shoot her. Maybe she truly didn’t care.
    â€”Chelsea Baker
    Paul and I weren’t that far from Sam. Allison used her belt to try and stop the bleeding in one of his legs, and then she started to look around for another belt. So naturally shelooked at guys. Paul had his hands behind him, like he was pretending they were still tied. He had the nail clipper in his fist. Allison walked over to us and looked down at him. My heart was beating so hard I thought I was going to puke.
    â€”Dustin Williams
    Brendan and Gary were standing shoulder to shoulder, arguing. One faced one way, the other faced the other way. So they were each watching 180 degrees of the room. I assumed they were fighting about Allison. At first I didn’t quite grasp it. What