Bath Michigan Proves It’s Time To Start Playing More “Defense” and Less “Offense” To Protect Schools [PICTURES]

It's hard for most of us to conceive the evil notions that go through someone's mind while planning and carrying out a plan like the one last Friday in Connecticut or the tragedy in West Virginia, the two deadliest school "shootings" but neither was worse than the actual "massacre" that took place at the Bath Consolidated School in 1927.

When we think of what happened in West Virginia, Connecticut or Colorado (twice), it's hard to imagine anything worse.  Yet, as hard as it may be to believe, there is and I venture a guess not many know of this story.  I tell the story to make a point which I will get to at the end of the story.

It was in 1927, May 18th, Andrew Kehoe blew up the North wing of the Bath Consolidated School in Bath Michigan. He actually intended to blow up the entire school but the timer on the South wing, wired to 500 pounds of explosives, failed to go off.  The blast killed 45 people, including 38 children (grades 3-6) and another 58 people wounded.

So why did he do it?

Let's back up because this is where it gets unbelievable.

Andrew Kehoe was actually elected in 1924 as the treasurer of the Bath Consolidated School board. Then, in 1925 he filled a temporary position as the Bath town clerk but lost in the upcoming election in the Spring of 1926.  So, this was his revenge for being "rejected" by his community. It's also fact that he had stopped making mortgage payments on his farm because he felt that he paid too much so he was being foreclosed on as well.   It's gets more bizzare.

Kehoe was known as quite the handyman so even though he was a board member of the school, he was asked on occasion to perform routine things so he had free access to the school at anytime without being noticed.  So he spent months and months planting explosives in both the North and South wings with his intent to bring down the entire school and everyone living soul in it.

So here's how it all went down because you won't believe the whole story.

On the morning of May 18th around 8:45 AM, Andrew Kehoe blew up his entire farm but not before killing his wife who was terminal with TB 2 days earlier with a blunt force blow to the head. Her body, which he put in a wheelbarrow behind the home, was walked past by 100 people for two days in the aftermath before they realized it was her; or a body for that matter. He blew up his home, the buildings, everything. Kehoe even locked his horses in the barn and tied their front legs together with wire to make sure even they couldn't escape.

Kehoe actually waited till the fire crew showed up then warned them to get out of there and get to the school and he then drove off.  On his way to the school, around 8:45 AM, the first timer blew up the North wing. Kehoe showed up around 9:15 AM and motioned School Superintendent Emory Huyck who was heroically rescuing children and adults from the disaster. As soon as Kuyck walked up, Kehoe pulled a rifle and shot into the back seat which he had also loaded with dynamite and completely full of metal shrapnel. Old shovels, ax heads etc. Anything that would project out and kill more people. Kehoe was instantly killed along with Huyck and several others, including a child who survived the first blast that had been seen staggering out of the blast zone.

Here's my point: It's not just guns.  It's not just crazy people.  It's not new. Andrew Kehoe was on the Board of Directors for this school, went to church every Sunday and the least likely to have done something of this magnitude; but he did. There is just no way of knowing when something like this is going to happen and we can only hope it never will again.  But you and I both know that these tragedies only provide fuel for the next madman out there who wants to top the last one and it will happen again.  Like it's some kind of damn game.  What is the answer?  How do you spot crazy and stop it before it shatters lives.?  I don't know the answer and we probably never will so we MUST start with the schools and protecting our children at all costs. We have concentrated on the "Offense" and in my humble opinion it's time to start making "Defense" our primary focus. How many more have to die before we start trying something different and if that means arming teachers or letting ex military volunteers help, then I am all for it.  Who better to protect our kids. We protect them while crossing the street on the way to school every day so why should we stop at the crosswalk?

And finally, is it just me that finds it odd that every single school tragedy I know of has been at the hands of "male caucasians?" Perhaps it's the caucasian 'male genetic code' that needs to be studied.?