BREAKING NEWS-Gunman in Waterville Maine Shoots Young Girl

Kaelin Cegelski, Assistant Editor in Chief|February 28, 2020

Police outside the Summer St. home investigate the shooting of a young girl. From https://wgme.com/news/local/police-shut-down-waterville-intersection

WATERVILLE, ME FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 28—A gunman reportedly shot a young child in downtown Waterville.

Colby College student Sam Scott was witness to a shooting that has just occurred in downtown Waterville, Maine. Scott confirms that the shooting was not near Colby College, but that it involved a 7-year-old girl who was shot in her home on the corner of Summer and Gold St.

Local news channel CBS 13 has reported that the child has been transported to MaineGeneral. At this time, no one has been apprehended but State and Waterville Police are investigating the incident. The story is ongoing, and updates will be posted as soon as we know more.

Scott, was just three blocks away, volunteering at a teen center, when it happened.

“There were four of us down in South End, volunteering at the Teen Center there when we got wind of the fact that there had been a shooting. It was unnerving; we were in a building full of kids who wouldn’t have had any way to defend themselves, and all we could do was be thankful when the news came that it wasn’t a threat to us. I mean, we weren’t prepared to handle that kind of situation. It would’ve been improvisational, when it comes down to it. The South End Teen Center did everything they could to protect both us and all of the kids, but there are only so many precautions you can take. You don’t realize how little hero you’ve got in you until there’s someone with a gun driving around town, aiming at second-grade girls. It’ll scare you. I don’t know if we were lucky or just out of the way, but yeah, I called my mom afterwards. It was tough”.

Active shootings are a very real, very scary scenario that can happen anywhere. Over the past few years, the rise of shootings has not gone unnoticed by the media and U.S. citizens. There have been countless protests and attempts at gun safety reform in recent years to prevent the heightening issues.

There are ways to increase your odds of survival during an active shooting. The simple general rule is to run, hide and fight. New York Times suggests the following active-shooter safety tips:

Look for exits
Look for places to hide
Call 911, if you can
Turn any lights off
Stay silent
Barricade yourself if you can
Fight as a last resort
Do not open the door for others–even if they are hurt–until you’re sure the gunman isn’t near
When help arrives, put your hands up to show them you are not the threat; show don’t tell