Reporter Rushed to Scene of Kentucky School Shooting Only to Find That Her Son Was the Suspect

January 29, 2018

WRITER

In a world where school shootings are horrifyingly normal, parents worry that their kids will be next. A mother and newspaper editor faced a different nightmare last week in Benton, Kentucky when she rushed to the scene of a shooting at the county high school to discover that her 15-year-old son was the suspect.

Mary Garrison Minyard has declined to comment on the incident or her son, Gabe Parker, the Louisville Courier-Journal reported. He has been accused of using a handgun to shoot and kill two classmates and wound 14 other people right before class. The teenage boy now faces two counts of murder and at least 12 counts of first-degree assault, according to Reuters.

Is America's Violent Culture to Blame for School Shootings?

The two victims, Preston Cope and Bailey Holt, were also 15 years old.

On today’s show, Glenn pointed out that we’ve become numb to school shooting stories; they barely register as we follow the news. He wondered what we can pass on to our kids when we don’t really have a baseline for what “normal” means anymore.

“I hate to judge what ‘normal’ is anymore because I don’t know what ‘normal’ is anymore,” Glenn said. “Give my kids a ‘normal’ childhood? How? What is a ‘normal’ childhood?”

This article provided courtesy of TheBlaze.

GLENN: So, remember, last week, this -- this is horrible.

I should be able to get on and just say, so the school shooting. And we should all say, oh, yeah, last week. I'll bet you there was a good number of people that were like, there was a school shooting last week? There was another deadly school shooting that happened last week, and it happened in Kentucky. Now, imagine, you're a parent. And you're either a policeman, and so you hear about it. Or you're a reporter and you hear about it. And you rush to the school because you're trying to cover it.

But also, you're a parent. And you've got a kid in that school.

So you're trying to do your job. And you're freaking out about your kid. And is my kid safe? Is my kid safe? Is my kid safe? This was the problem with the editor of the Marshall County Daily online.

Tuesday morning, shots are fired. First, they think that it was in the shop. I think it was in the shop class. They heard the shots and thought it was just some banging on some metal. Then they realized after a few shots that it was actual gunfire.

So the word goes out. The police are dispatched. She's a member of the press. She runs out.

She's freaking out about her child.

And then she finds out that it is her son that is the shooter.

This is such a tragic story. I mean, for everybody involved.

15-year-old Gabe Parker, he's accused of pulling out a handgun and then fatally shooting two classmates, wounding 14 other people. It was just before the class was supposed to begin.

Everybody who said they knew him -- said, he was a really good kid. A nice kid. He was a sophomore. Played the trombone in the band. He was shy.

He would go fishing with his grandparents. They said that his grandma was his best friend.

One of the sophomores with him said, I was in the same math class with him. He was a really good kid. But he was quiet. Kept to himself.

Nobody knew, even mom standing outside. Nobody knew he had issues in school.

He was well-liked, everybody thought.

One of -- or some of his friends started telling one reporter that he was -- and they -- they said snappy. He was snappy when he came back from Christmas break.

And he started talking about violence and how he wanted to join the Mafia. We don't know yet what this kid's story is. But he was definitely trying to shoot -- he was definitely trying to shoot to kill. He shot two students right in the head.

Is that a shooter game? That is desensitized to that or at least made it so he's really good at that. Not blaming it on the game. I don't know what happened.

I do know that mom and dad were divorced. Dad apparently had a short fuse. Had a restraining order at one point.

But he's charged now as a juvenile with two counts of murder, 12 counts of assault. They're -- he's in jail now. And this week, they are going to try to move that he is tried as an adult.

Tomorrow, I want to talk to you a little bit about -- about this a little bit more in-depth. In a conversation that my son and I had last night. And, you know, I hate to judge what normal is anymore. Because I don't know what normal is anymore. I know what normal was for me is not normal anymore. Give my kids a normal childhood. How? What is a normal childhood? The one that I was raised in, or the one that my grandparents were raised in, or the one that's happening now? We'll talk a little bit about that, on tomorrow's broadcast.

What happens if Trump wins from prison?

Rob Kim / Contributor | Getty Images

If Donald Trump is sentenced to prison time, it will be the first time in American history that a former president and active presidential candidate is thrown behind bars. Nobody knows for sure what exactly will happen.

With the election only a few months away, the left is working overtime to come up with any means of beating Trump, including tying him up in court or even throwing him in jail. Glenn recently had former U.S. DoJ Assistant Attorney General and Center for Renewing America senior fellow Jeff Clark on his show to discuss the recent resurrection of the classified documents case against Trump and what that could mean for the upcoming election. Clark explains that despite the immunity ruling from the Supreme Court this summer, he thinks there is a decent chance of a prison sentence.

What would that even look like if it happened? This is a completely unprecedented series of events and virtually every step is filled with potential unknowns. Would the Secret Service protect him in prison? What if he won from his jail cell? How would the American people respond? While no one can be certain for sure, here's what Glenn and Jeff Clark speculate might happen:

Jail time

ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS / Contributor | Getty Images

Can they even put a former president in prison? Jeff Clark seemed to think they can, and he brought up that New York County District Attorney, Alvin Bragg, had been talking with the New York jail system about making accommodations for Trump and the Secret Service assigned to protect him. Clark said he believes that if they sentence him before the election, Trump could be made to serve out his sentence until his inauguration, assuming he wins. After his inauguration, Clark said Trump's imprisonment would have to be suspended or canceled, as his constitutional duty as president would preempt the conviction by New York State.

House arrest

BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI / Contributor | Getty Images

Another possibility is that Trump could be placed under house arrest instead of imprisoned. This would make more sense from a security standpoint—it would be easier to protect Trump in his own home versus in prison. But, this would deny the Left the satisfaction of actually locking Trump behind bars, so it seems less likely. Either in prison or under house arrest, the effect is the same, Trump would be kept off the campaign trail during the most crucial leg of the election. It doesn't matter which way you spin it—this seems like election interference. Glenn even floated the idea of campaigning on behalf of Trump to help combat the injustice.

Public outrage

Jon Cherry / Stringer | Getty Images

It is clear to many Americans that this whole charade is little more than a thinly-veiled attempt to keep Trump out of office by any means necessary. If this attempt at lawfare succeeds, and Trump is thrown in jail, the American people likely will not have it. Any doubt that America has become a Banana Republic will be put to rest. How will anyone trust in any sort of official proceedings or elections ever again? One can only imagine what the reaction will be. If the past is any indication, it's unlikely to be peaceful.

POLL: What topics do YOU want Trump and Harris to debate?

Montinique Monroe / Stringer, Win McNamee / Staff | Getty Images

Does Kamala Harris stand a chance against Donald Trump in a debate?

Next week, during the second presidential debate, we will find out. The debate is scheduled for September 10th and will be hosted by ABC anchors David Muir and Linsey Davis. This will be the second presidential debate, but the first for VP Kamala Harris, and will feature the same rules as the first debate. The rules are: no notes, no chairs, no live audience, and the debater's microphone will only be turned on when it is his or her turn to speak.

This will be the first time Trump and Harris clash face-to-face, and the outcome could have a massive effect on the outcome of the election. Trump has been preparing by ramping up his campaign schedule. He plans to hold multiple rallies and speak at several events across the next several days. He wants to be prepared to face any question that might come his way, and meeting and interacting with both voters and the press seems to be Trump's preferred preparation approach.

With the multitude of issues plaguing our nation, there are a lot of potential topics that could be brought up. From the economy to the ongoing "lawfare" being waged against the former president, what topics do YOU want Harris and Trump to debate?

The economy (and why the Biden-Harris administration hasn't fixed it yet)

The Southern Border crisis (and Kamala's performance as border czar)

Climate change (and how Trump pulled out of the Paris Agreement)

The "lawfare" being waged against Trump (and what Trump would do if he were thrown in prison)

Voting and election security (and how to deal with the possibility that illegal immigrants are voting)

3 ways the Constitution foils progressive authoritarianism

ANDREW CABALLERO-REYNOLDS / Contributor, Kevin Dietsch / Staff, Pool / Pool | Getty Images

This is why it is important to understand our history.

Over the weekend, the New York Times published a controversial article claiming the Constitution is a danger to the country and a threat to democracy. To those who have taken a high school American government class or have followed Glenn for a while, this claim might seem incongruent with reality. That's because Jennifer Szalai, the author the piece, isn't thinking of the Constitution as it was intended to be—a restraint on government to protect individual rights—but instead as a roadblock that is hindering the installation of a progressive oligarchy.

Glenn recently covered this unbelievable article during his show and revealed the telling critiques Szalai made of our founding document. She called it an "anti-democratic" document and argued it is flawed because Donald Trump used it to become president (sort of like how every other president achieved their office). From here, Szalai went off the deep end and made some suggestions to "fix" the Constitution, including breaking California and other blue states away from the union to create a coastal progressive utopia.

Here are three of the "flaws" Szalai pointed out in the Constitution that interfere with the Left's authoritarian dreams:

1. The Electoral College

Bloomberg / Contributor | Getty Images

The New York Times article brought up the fact that in 2016 President Trump lost the popular vote but won the Electoral College, and thus won the election. This, as Szalai pointed out, is not democratic. Strictly speaking, she is right. But as Glenn has pointed out time and time again, America is not a democracy! The Founding Fathers did not want the president to be decided by a simple majority of 51 percent of the population. The Electoral College is designed to provide minority groups with a voice, giving them a say in the presidential election. Without the Electoral College, a simple majority would dominate elections and America would fall under the tyranny of the masses.

2. The Supreme Court

OLIVIER DOULIERY / Contributor | Getty Images

President Biden and other progressives have thrown around the idea of reforming the Supreme Court simply because it has made a few rulings they disagree with. Glenn points out that when a country decides to start monkeying around with their high courts, it is usually a sign they are becoming a banana republic. Szalai complained that Trump was allowed to appoint three justices. Two of them were confirmed by senators representing just 44 percent of the population, and they overturned Roe v. Wade. All of this is Constitutional by Szalai's admission, and because she disagreed with it, she argued the whole document should be scrapped.

3. Republicanism

Chip Somodevilla / Staff | Getty Images

To clarify, were not talking about the Republican Party Republicanism, but instead the form of government made up of a collection of elected representatives who govern on the behalf of their constituents. This seems to be a repeat sticking point for liberals, who insist conservatives and Donald Trump are out to destroy "democracy" (a system of government that never existed in America). This mix-up explains Szalai's nonsensical interpretation of how the Constitution functions. She criticized the Constitution as "anti-democratic" and a threat to American democracy. If the Constitution is the nation's framework, and if it is "anti-democratic" then how is it a threat to American democracy? This paradox is easily avoided with the understanding that America isn't a democracy, and it never has been.

Kamala Harris' first interview as nominee: Three SHOCKING policy flips

Anadolu / Contributor | Getty Images

On Thursday, Kamala Harris gave her first interview since Joe Biden stepped down from the race, and it quickly becameclear why she waited so long.

Harris struggled to keep her story straight as CNN's Dana Bash questioned her about recent comments she had made that contradicted her previous policy statements. She kept on repeating that her "values haven't changed," but it is difficult to see how that can be true alongside her radical shift in policy. Either her values have changed or she is lying about her change in policy to win votes. You decide which seems more likely.

During the interview, Harris doubled down on her policy flip on fracking, the border, and even her use of the race card. Here are her top three flip-flops from the interview:

Fracking

Citizens of the Planet / Contributor | Getty Images

In 2019, during the 2020 presidential election, Harris pledged her full support behind a federal ban on fracking during a town hall event. But, during the DNC and again in this recent interview, Harris insisted that she is now opposed to the idea. The idea of banning fracking has been floated for a while now due to environmental concerns surrounding the controversial oil drilling method. Bans on fracking are opposed by many conservatives as it would greatly limit the production of oil in America, thus driving up gas prices across the nation. It seems Harris took this stance to win over moderates and to keep gas prices down, but who knows how she will behave once in office?

Border

PATRICK T. FALLON / Contributor | Getty Images

In her 2020 presidential bid, Harris was all for decriminalizing the border, but now she is singing a different tune. Harris claimed she is determined to secure the border—as if like she had always been a stalwart defender of the southern states. Despite this policy reversal, Harris claimed her values have not changed, which is hard to reconcile. The interviewer even offered Kamala a graceful out by suggesting she had learned more about the situation during her VP tenure, but Kamala insisted she had not changed.

Race

Tasos Katopodis / Stringer | Getty Images

When asked to respond to Trump's comments regarding the sudden emergence of Kamala's black ancestry Kamala simply answered "Same old tired playbook, next question" instead of jumping on the opportunity to play the race card as one might expect. While skipping the critical race theory lecture was refreshing, it came as a shock coming from the candidate representing the "everything is racist" party. Was this just a way to deflect the question back on Trump, or have the Democrats decided the race card isn't working anymore?

Glenn's Show Prep