A member of the Panama City, Fla., school board says the shooting Tuesday is still surreal. He also says he believes it was a miracle from God that the superintendent is still alive.
Several board member were held at gunpoint by the husband of a woman who was fired by the school board. Clay Duke, 56, sat in the audience during the first portion of the Bay District Schools, Florida, school board meeting Tuesday afternoon as local children were honored for their achievements.
Duke spray-painted a red “V” with a circle around it on the wall, brandished a small-caliber handgun and ordered the room cleared at a Panama City schools building saying, “Six men stay. Everyone else leave.”
Ginger Littleton, a board member, returned to the room and swung a purse at him — bravely, but ineffectively grazing his shoulder. She was knocked to the ground by the gunman, but not shot.
After a discussion primarily with Superintendent BIll Husfelt, who tried to negotiate, Duke fired a shot at Hesfelt and then the other five board members. He missed them all, and was shot and wounded by Mike Jones, chief of security. Duke then shot himself fatally in the head.
Many news sites have posted the incident, which was streamed live on the Internet (See YouTube Search Panama City School Board Shooting)