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Etowah High School Student Andrew Messina Killed by Sniper After Threatening to Kill Mother

May 2, 2012 by
andrew messina 222x300 Etowah High School Student Andrew Messina Killed by Sniper After Threatening to Kill Mother

Etowah High School Student Andrew Messina Killed by Sniper After Threatening to Kill Mother (Facebook)

JESUS TAKE THE WHEEL: Etowah High School sophomore Andrew Messina was killed by police after he barricaded himself in his Cherokee County, Ga., home during a police standoff. The teen had threatened to kill his mother with a .357 Magnum revolver, according to media reports. She called 911 because she feared for her life, the Cherokee County Sheriff’s Office said.

The deputies were able to remove the woman from the home safely, but the teen barricaded himself inside the home, which is located in the Eagle Watch subdivision.  The teen was seen pouring alcohol on the curtains and deputies heard him threaten to burn the home,” Lt. Jay Baker said in a press release. The suspect was killed by a sniper after he either fired through the glass on the front door or used the gun to break the glass.

Andrew Messina was shot once in the abdomen and transported to WellStar Kennestone Hospital in Marietta, where he was pronounced dead, Baker said. Where in the world did this kid get a .357 Magnum? What is happening in our world today? Andrew Messina’s friends set up a Facebook memorial page in his honor. Still doesn’t answer the question of why he threatened to kill his mother and why he had a .357 Magnum revolver in his possession.

UPDATE:  The parents of the teen maintain he was suicidal and upset over a bad grade. They believe the police overacted.

04 Etowah High School Student Andrew Messina Killed by Sniper After Threatening to Kill Mother
pixel Etowah High School Student Andrew Messina Killed by Sniper After Threatening to Kill Mother
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About Janet Shan

Janet Shan is a freelance journalist, blogger and social media consultant. Janet specializes in political and social commentary, as well as business writing. She is the founder and managing editor of the Hinterland Gazette. She is putting the finishing touches on her new novel, a mystery based in the hills on Montego Bay, Jamaica.

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  • Mayday

    These police are out of control. I knew this kid, these police must be investigated and held responsible. They take lives and get away with it. This is a disgrace and a tragedy, police state has got to stop!

    • Waylonthomas

       thats ignorant. these police did what they should have done. he was threatening his own mother. he pulled a gun and was clearly dangerous. he went at an officer the sniper did the right thing.

      • http://blackpoliticalthought.blogspot.com HinterlandG

        Waylon Thomas — I agree with you. He threatened to kill his mother and by all accounts that could have very well been the case had she not called the police. It’s unfortunate that was killed, but he had a .357 magnum gun and reportedly doused the drapes with alcohol. He was up to no good. I am amazed that some people ignore the fact that he threatened to kill his mother, the very person who brought him into the world.

    • http://blackpoliticalthought.blogspot.com HinterlandG

      Mayday — Police state? The kid threatened to kill his mother with a .357 magnum. Did you just want them to ignore her plight? The disgrace is that this kid seems to have had some mental issues and didn’t get help or his family tried and the system ignored them.

      • heytaytay

        he got killed because he broke window and they felt theatened

  • Helenkemp

    I knew this boy too and he was not menacing like this picture makes him out to be.  He was actually a funny child who was a good friend to my daughter.  I don’t know what happened or what he got into but this was a sad tragic event.

    • http://blackpoliticalthought.blogspot.com HinterlandG

      Helen — Have you ever threatened to kill your mother with a .357 Magnum? Um, that sounds like he made a threat against his mom to me.

      • Kitty

        you’re retarded. you didn’t know him at all, obviously. do some research.

  • superwhuffo

    The Cherokee County Sheriff’s department rarely does the right thing…search: Kerry Walker Story

  • Eyes of TX

    He threatened to kill his Mom yes BUT the article states that the Mom was safely out of the house. Now if the police thought he was shooting at them then I guess I understand why he was shot. However these were snipers so they could have shot to wound him not to kill him. Unfortunately these situations are so high pressured you only have one chance to get it right. This is another tragic situation. We have gone way too far with these guns. This youngster couldn’t have gotten a gun on his own. I say find out who provided him with the gun and charge them too.

    • http://blackpoliticalthought.blogspot.com HinterlandG

      Eyes on TX — Unless you were on the scene as a law enforcement officer, you can’t speculate as to what they should have done. The kid allegedly had a .357 Magnum gun in his possession. He could have also shot and killed an officer. I have covered far too many cases in which law enforcement agents were shot and killed in the line of duty. Let’s wait for the results of the investigation to see where blame should lie. Shooting someone to wound them doesn’t mean they will be incapacitated to the point where they can’t shoot back.

      You ask an important question — where did he get the gun? I would love to know that as well. It was a very tragic situation and while guns don’t operate themselves, they often fall into the wrong hands.

  • Towne Lake Resident

    He did NOT threaten to kill his mother. His mother did NOT fear for her own life,she feared for her son’s life. Deputies did NOT “safely remove the mother from her home.” She walked out of the house on her own accord before police even arrived.

    • http://blackpoliticalthought.blogspot.com HinterlandG

      Towne Lake Resident — Nice try. I scarcely believe the Cherokee County Sheriff’s deputies had nothing better to do. Why was there a 911 call to that home? Where did the teen get a .357 magnum gun? Why would the deputies lie about that? How do you know he didn’t threaten to kill his mother? Were you privy to the conversation? Seems to me that you are dancing around an obvious tragedy for all the wrong reasons. The police would not have come to the home and engage in a stand-off if there wasn’t a reason to do that.

      • Guest

        If you know none of these answers maybe you should not be asking theses questions. try listening to the 911 call to see how “right” you are.. don’t believe everything you read in the news.

        • http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1134266804 陳美志

          If that person knew the answers why would he be asking the questions? -.-

      • vector theta

         The kid’s mother called 911 to get help FOR her son! She walked out of the house under NO threat what-so-ever. The gun was NOT loaded. SWAT even KNEW the gun was NOT loaded. YOU ASSUMED that this article was correct. It was NOT correct about almost everything! Town Lake Resident obviously did a little research before spewing forth misinformation.

  • Guest

    HinterlandG– maybe you should read up on what actually happened… you sound like an idiot.  As Towne Lake Resident said, she feared for her sons life.  She was actually outside while on the phone with 911.  The police did what they felt was the right move, and I do not judge or flaw them.  Please stop abusing this for your own personal attention.  Unless you where there, which obviously you weren’t, just STOP posting on your “expertise” on the situation.  If you’d like more information, since you are so involved in this case, you should listen to the 911 call. Or just get a life.

  • neighbor and witness

    Hinterland, listen to the 911 tapes and you will know where he got the gun. 

  • http://www.facebook.com/dmajeske Dawn-Marie Majeske

    This article is total BUNK! The mother is quoted on video saying she was not in fear of her own life and hoped the police could TALK to him, not shoot him! This article blatantly lies! The mother was already out of the house before the police arrived. She was not “safely removed by deputies.” Are you people really more concerned that there is a gun in a house with a teenager than the fact that the police can MURDER a boy with no repercussions. Lets look at some facts and logic. The boy had 1 hand pistol with no gun training, and NO ONE ELSE IN THE HOUSE. The police showed up in numbers, with multiple assault weapons, snipers, and tanks! I’m sure they were all wearing full protection gear. How much danger is a sniper in, at probably a pretty good distance, from a drunk boy with a hand gun he doesn’t know how to use? What happened to no-lethal weapons? I can think of a hundred scenarios in which a trained officer could have safely removed this boy from the situation. Here’s a lesson, if you invite a police officer into your home, there is nothing stopping him from killing you or your family. Nothing.

  • felixthecatxxxx

    Disgusting abuse of police power. What are we becoming?

  • Scott

    The picture is so misleading. That seems to be an obvious costume.