Gunman Kills Himself After Firing on Schoolchildren

A man walked onto a school football field Friday with a rifle and a handgun and started firing at random at sixth- and seventh-graders in a gym class, wounding four before killing himself, authorities said.

Two children were hospitalized, but none of the students were seriously hurt.

The gunman, identified as Kevin Newman, 29, died at a hospital less than four hours after the shootings, officials said. His motives were not immediately clear.

“He just walked onto the field and started shooting at everybody,” said Dan Bremkamp, a pupil who was on the field. “At first, we were all in shock, and then the teacher said to go inside and get under a table or something.”

Listed in fair condition at Sheridan Memorial Hospital were Danny Schultz and Cory Butler, both 12. The other two students injured at Central Middle School, Justin Sprague, 11, and Lindsay Belliveau, 12, were treated for minor injuries and sent home.

No one saw the gunman as he approached the field.

“There were two groups playing and he walked onto the middle of the field and started shooting,” said Russell Carlson, school superintendent in the north-central Wyoming town of 14,000 people.

One teacher, Vicky Hanft, said that when she realized what was going on she “started waving kids off the field,” Carlson said. “Fortunately, she’s an experienced teacher who knew how to react in a serious situation.”

Newman shot himself in the head and died at Sheridan County Memorial Hospital.

Classes were dismissed at the school, which has an enrollment of about 550 students in the sixth and seventh grades.

A crisis team of counselors will be present when classes resume Monday, Carlson said.