SC parents sue school district after elementary students witnessed school shooting

Three parents are suing an Anderson County school district and the local sheriff’s office after their children witnessed the 2016 shooting at Townville Elementary, according to court documents.

Jeff Theis, Brittany Alewine and Mary Olsen all claim their children were friends of 6-year-old Jacob Hall, who died after being shot on the elementary playground, and were witnesses to the attack, according to the lawsuits filed Friday.

“The Plaintiff’s children had close personal and direct relationship (sic) with Jacob Hall and his teacher and suffered severe shock and emotional trauma caused by witnessing the serious injury and death of Jacob Hall,” all three suits, which were filed by lawyer Thomas Dunaway, read.

A first grade teacher and another unnamed student were also shot and injured during the incident when then 14-year-old Jesse Osborne opened fire at the school, according to the Washington Post.

The parents claim that since the September 2016 shooting, their children have suffered from anxiety, depression and even suicidal thoughts, according to the lawsuits. Anderson County School District 4 is partially to blame for their children’s suffering, the parents believe.

“...School District 4 knew, or should have reasonably known, the likelihood that an active shooter or violent trespasser could likely enter the premises and inflict serious or deadly harm against Townville Elementary students and faculty,” the suits read.

Parents also point the finger at the Anderson County Sheriff’s Office, who allegedly received a donation of life-saving trauma kits to be distributed at all county schools but left them sitting at the department for years, according to multiple lawsuits.

Friday’s lawsuits aren’t the only one making that accusation. In late August, Jacob Hall’s estate sued the school district and sheriff’s office for wrongful death, stating the trauma kits could have helped staunch bleeding.

Jacob Hall died after a bullet severed his femoral artery, the Greenville News reported.

All three parents who filed lawsuits Friday are seeking an unnamed amount of money to help compensate for their children’s suffering, according to the suits.

Meanwhile, Osborne’s criminal case is ongoing. The now 16-year-old boy faces charges of murder and attempted murder, and is being tried as an adult, according to court records.

In early September, Osbourne pleaded not guilty.

This story was originally published September 25, 2018 at 11:57 AM.