Account established for student who reported shooter

By Perrin Stein
Gillette News Record
Via Wyoming News Exchange
 
GILLETTE — A Gillette couple has set up a fund at Campco Federal Credit Union for the Sage Valley Junior High School student who alerted administrators last week that Dale Warner, 14, had brought a gun to school.
“It is incredible to think that a school shooting was stopped because one student spoke up,” said Joel Elbert, who created the fund with his wife, Adreanna Elbert. “It is very difficult to think about what might have happened because, based on the information that’s come out since, it seems like the only thing left for (Warner) to do was shoot.”
The student was at his locker the morning of Nov. 13 when Warner walked down the hall, showed him a 40-caliber handgun tucked in his waistband and told him not to tell anyone, according to court documents. The student was so startled he returned to class, but after a couple of minutes, he went to the main office and reported Warner to administrators.
Principal Terry Quinn then removed the other students from Warner’s classroom, took the gun from him and retrieved a 9mm handgun from his locker. Sage Valley was locked down for 90 minutes while police interviewed several students and ensured the school was safe.
The student who reported Warner, whose name authorities haven’t released, will be given the money from the Campco account through Sage Valley staff.
“It’s a small way for us to say, ‘Thank you for stopping a mass murder,’” said Elbert, whose daughter is a Sage Valley student and was in a class with Warner. “Hopefully, the student can use it for something that makes their life a little better … because they made all of our lives a lot better.”
At least three other students knew Warner had two handguns and dozens of rounds of ammunition and planned to shoot students and staff, according to court documents. The other students told police they didn’t report Warner either because they were scared of what he might do to them or because they thought he wasn’t serious about harming people.
Shortly after the threatened shooting, dozens of people on social media expressed interest in recognizing the student who had alerted Sage Valley staff about Warner. In response, Elbert thought about buying a giant card at Walmart and having community members sign it.
“I decided that wasn’t a big enough gesture because what the kid did is worth more,” he said. “If it weren’t for him or her, we could be going to funerals today and could be under a national spotlight.”
Those interested in donating to the Sage Valley Hero account can call Campco at 307-682-6105 or visit the federal credit union at 1110 E. Boxelder Road.
Warner, who has been charged as an adult, faces nine counts of attempted first-degree murder. Each count is for a student or staff member he intended to target.
Warner told police he planned to shoot students and administrators he didn’t like in honor of his father who had recently died and who, as a teenager, brought guns to school with the intention of shooting people, according to court documents. He also said he wanted to follow in his father’s footsteps by going to jail.
“When the student told staff, heor she likely didn’t know how serious (Warner’s) plans were or that he or she would be recognized,” Elbert said. “He or she did it because it was the right thing to do, and we should honor that.”