WHAT THE F@#&ING HELL?!
As has been reported here previously, Tucker Thayer was a 15 year old high school student in Utah. He died November 15th after a .38 loaded with a blank discharged close to his head, apparently by his own hand (accidentally). The school administration claimed that they had never seen the gun, but they had still allowed it’s use in the production (of Oklahoma) on the conditions that:
1. The parent brought the blank gun to and from the school.
2. The blank gun would never leave the parent’s possession.
3. Only the parent would discharge the blank gun during the production.
4. At no time would a student be in possession of the blank gun.
5. The parent would take the blank gun home each night after the production.
Ok, so it’s bad enough that the school, after being locked down and surrounded by cops a month before when the wooden prop rifles were seen, agreed to allow a working firearm into the school SIGHT UNSEEN. Even worse that the “blank gun” was actually a very real .38 pistol, with nothing done to make it safer for “prop” use other than loading it with blanks instead of bullets. But here, my friends, is the kicker:
At this time we do not know how the gun came into the possession of the student.
Oh really?
Then please explain this video, taped several days before the accident. It shows Tucker Thayer, while being interviewed by a fellow student, describing his job on the show: Running followspot, plus loading, and firing the gun.
That’s right. He was handling and firing the gun the days before he died as part of his show responsibilities.
Now, I understand that a teacher, especially a high school teacher, can’t be responsible for every action that a student takes. My father was a high school teacher, and a pretty good one. Even so, there were times that a student, or students (including me, or my brother, or my friends…) did things that resulted in damage or minor injury a handful of the hundreds of times that we weren’t directly supervised. This is not to say that any time a student is unsupervised they will do something stupid. Most of the time they will do exactly what they should be doing, or at least nothing stupid (and being supervised does not necessarily stop stupid behavior from happening, as any teacher or parent will attest). High school students must be trusted with some responsibility, and teachers must be allowed to give them that responsibility, within reason. We do not punish the shop teacher if a student decides to suddenly throw a hammer at another student.
But what if hammer throwing had been allowed, or even encouraged in the past (such as at a trash can)?…
This was not a case of a student “somehow” getting ahold of the gun. This was not just an unfortunate case of students getting into something they should not. This student had been using the gun prior to the night he died. I cannot believe that this teacher, regardless of dealing with the production or the given problems of a new theatre, did not know that this student was handling this gun. This gun that had been given special permission (regardless of how stupid that was) to be on school grounds, with specific requirements that had to be met. Does any theatre teacher really not know who is running what on a production? Was this teacher just as oblivious as to who was dealing with costumes, or the curtain, or scene changes? What happened to the parent that should have been the only one near that gun every day?
I realize that this teacher must be devastated by Tucker Thayer’s death. And I do feel bad for this teacher, as I do for Tucker’s parents. But this was not a case of a student somehow getting into something that he shouldn’t have. This was a student doing something that he had been told/allowed to do previously, and repeatedly. This teacher will, and should, be fired. The parent who supplied the gun should face criminal charges for gross negligence. The administration that allowed this weapon in the first place should all be suspended, without pay, for not bothering to do even 15 minutes of research into what this gun actually was and alternatives to its use.
That won’t be what happens, of course. The teacher will be fired. Everyone else will claim that it was someone else’s responsibility, and after much throwing blame around, no one else will even be reprimanded. The school district will adopt new rules for the theatre that go far beyond firearms, and will probably prevent students from even holding fake weapons of any sort, as well as prohibiting even supervised operation of lighting or rigging. The students will end up educationally punished by an administration’s over-reaction to try and make up for it’s previous inaction.
Hudson & Gaines
The best demonstration of a prop gun’s power is the old paper demonstration. If you haven’t seen it, it goes like this: The prop master (or trained staff member responsible for the prop gun) hangs a large piece of drawing paper at about chest height and then fires the gun (with a blank in it) at the paper from about 6-8 feet away. Despite firing a “blank”, the paper gets a nice big hole in it and lots of black powder. I find it’s the quickest, most visual demonstration of “why you should never aim this at anyone or yourself”.
I agree 100% with what you had to say.
This was an accident. Tuckers job was stage hand and spot light. During the production he ran spot light and before and after he help with maintenance of the set. tucker had been given permission to fire a blank once within the supervision of the parent. because of this for a SCHOOL interview like anyone feeling cool for firing a gun decided to mention and exaggerate the gun. it wasn’t his role to fire the gun. it was that because he was familiar with them he had fired one within supervision.
we’ve all been to high school and like to exaggerate the truth alittle. and as we all found out the hard way having a gun with blanks wasnt the smartest idea. but it was an accident.
January 9, 2009
RE: Tucker Thayer
To whom it may Concern,
Our son Tucker Thayer was killed at Desert Hills High School on November 15, 2008 while preparing for the last performance of Oklahoma. He was shot in the head with a .38 caliper blank at close range. The gun was allowed on school property by the St George City Police resource officer and the Washington County School District Administration.
They allowed this gun to be brought on school property even though on October 10 they had a school lock down, due to a report of a man entering the school with a rifle. The report was a false alarm, it was actually Tucker bringing back a school prop that had been broken during practice and he had volunteered to bring home to repair. The drama teacher was aware that Tucker had taken the prop home to repair. When they identified who the “gunman” was, Tucker was taken out of class at gun point. We feel that the school should have been extra aware of gun safety at that point.
Instead just two weeks later Tucker came home and told me that they were bringing a gun on campus to use as a sound effect. I was concerned and asked who would be shooting this gun and he said the father whose gun it was would be. My concerns at that time were put to rest. Tucker did come home later and was excited that he got to shoot the gun once; I thought that it was a onetime occurrence and that he was supervised. I was not aware that the gun had somehow become his responsibility to shoot in the play.
We just recently found out through police reports that Tucker was allowed to play with the gun before and during the play. On numerous occasions students complained the Tucker was pointing the gun at them and him. The drama teacher Mr. Eaton and the parent of the gun never did anything to prevent this. They left the gun in Tucker’s presence and knew Tucker had the combination to the lock box and allowed him to shoot the gun unsupervised during the play.
I would like the public to know that the Washington County School District, Desert Hills High School, Mr. Eaton, the principle Ray Brooks, and the parent of the gun have all denied all of this and have done all they can to sweep this under the rug.
We asked if a memorial page be placed in the school year book. Representative Craig Hammer and Principal of Desert Hills High School Ray Brooks refuse to honor Tucker Thayer with a memorial page in the year book. Ray Brooks originally said it was a District policy that they do not do them. When my husband went to talk with him Craig Hammer said that that was not the case that it was up to the Principal of the individual High School.
My husband went to D.H. H.S. to speak with Ray Brooks on January 7 and was told again by Ray Brooks it was a district policy, when my husband countered that with the information that Craig Hammer had given him he changed his response to “I would have to think about what I would be comfortable doing”. This implies that he is in fact the one with the authority to make that decision.
All we ask is that Tucker’s death is for nothing. We hope that nothing like this ever happens again and school officials do the job they are paid to do PROTECT OUR KIDS.
Ron & Cathie Thayer
Tucker’s parents
Derek,
Tucker’s parents appear to disagree with you on what exactly had been going on prior to the accident, as do the police reports.
Accidents are preventable. There was no need to “find out the hard way” that having a real working gun was a bad idea. 15 minutes of research could have told everyone involved with that production that it was a bad idea.
I have to agree with Patrick, accidents like this are entirely preventable and highlight the real dangers of not following best practice in a theatrical environment. Too many accidents occur in schools during theatrical performances and more needs to be done by educational authorities to ensure that accidents like these do not happen and that whilst undertaking theatrical activities a healthy professional like work ethic and health and safety policy is adhered too.
Ron and Cathie,
My heart goes out to you on the loss of your son.
The incredible lack of common sense shown by everyone involved in that production boggles the mind. Professional theatres, with professional, adult actors still lock up all firearms (usable or fake) at all times that the weapon is not used. Only the props person and the actor for whom the gun is for are allowed to touch any firearm (real, or fake). Not even other stagehands are allowed to handle these guns.
Why a school would allow a working .38 to be used for a SOUND EFFECT baffles me. A recorded sound would have done the job, or even two 2×4’s smacking together can produce a similar sound. Even a cap gun would have been a better choice.
Regardless of your son’s actions, this weapon never should have been near the school. The gun, or Tucker, should have been removed from the production the moment he was found to be handling the gun in any way, and especially after he had pointed it at other students. Not only did they not bother to find alternatives to using this weapon, but they didn’t even adhere to the very rules they had set to allow the use of the weapon.
It was an accident waiting to happen, and as I have said before, 15 minutes of research by the teacher or the administration would have shown that.
-Patrick Hudson
I work with all levels of theatre, from middle school to professional. There is and has been for many years plenty of information available to any drama instructor about the dangers of bringing in a real gun into any theatre for any reason. For Mr Eaton (the drama instructor) to claim that he didn’t think that having a real gun was dangerous is simply beyond understanding. The circumstances can only point to one of two conclusions:
1) Mr Eaton is incompetent, ill-trained, and unqualified to teach or direct for theatre at any level, or
2) He simply demonstrated gross negligence and a complete disregard for the safety of his crew.
This was not an “accident” in the typical sense. This was recklessness of the first magnitude. The criminality of the incident is for lawyors to sort through, but the stupidity is glaringly obvious.
Richard Pallaziol
Ron and Cathy,
I’m sorry for your loss.
I am a high school drama teacher and given the same choice during my career I’ve used a starter pistol (cap gun basically.)
I hope you are planning to take all involved – particularly the administration, to the cleaners. They deserve it.
Douglas Stewart
At this point in time, No one has taken responsibility for this murder. By law we have to give them a 60 day letter of intent to sue. It is day 23 and no one has contacted us to settle. They will no dought force us to sue them.
Ron Thayer
Tucker’s Dad
Desert Hills High School didn’t learn their lesson they are still handing out guns to the students. This year they gave assault rifles to the seniors on the Football team for their football season program.
Cathie Thayer
Tucker’s Mom
Dear Ron and Cathie:
I am a professional stage fight director, and published author (Fight Directing For The Theater) of 35 years experience working out of the NY area. I read with great sadness about your son’s accident days after it happened, and have been following the story since. My heartfelt condolences go to you and your wife.
This whole thing could have been prevented by the school spending $90.00 on a blank firing, solid barrel pistol.
Just so you know, I teach hundreds of college level students each year, and part of my job is to teach firearm safety. During that class, I tell the story of your son’s accident. It might comfort you to know that, at least on a small level, because of your son’s experience, all of my students come away from class with a serious respect for theatrical firearms of all types. Let’s all hope that this type of tragedy doesn’t happen in the future.
My respects,
J. Allen Suddeth