Martinsville teen recovering from gunshot wounds

Before school Friday morning in Martinsville, 15-year-old Chance Jackson was shot in the stomach at Martinsville West Middle School.

According to the Indiana State Police, the shooter was not supposed to be at school that morning. The alleged shooter, Michael Phelps, 15, was suspended from school earlier last week.

Tensions had been high between Jackson and Phelps because of a feud involving a girl. After a few days, the conflict became aggressive, which led to Phelps confronting Jackson at school  with a gun.

Now Jackson is being treated at Methodist Hospital in Indianapolis. According to officials, he is currently in critical but stable condition. Jackson has come out of one surgery already and was scheduled for a second one Sunday.

Jackson’s mother has been using a web page to update friends and family about her son’s condition.

“Chance has endured several injuries and has undergone surgeries. His condition right now is critical but stable,” she posted on the page. “We are very hopeful with time and healing that his condition will improve each day.”

Family friends have also been using a Facebook page, “Praying for Chance Jackson,” to relay new information and voice support to its more than 5,000 members.

Friends and strangers alike have also been using the page to raise money for Jackson’s medical costs.

One group is selling shirts for $10 and giving the profits to Jackson’s family.
Indianapolis resident and friend of Jackson’s John Haley offered to set up a bank account for Jackson’s Facebook group fund. He said if every member of the group could donate $10 to the cause, the group could raise about $50,000.

Group members are now discussing how to coordinate their efforts. Some have proposed the group open a savings account at a local bank for Jackson’s cause.
“I have been praying the last couple days and nights about Chance and his family,” Haley said. “I could not imagine what they’re going through. I have a 3-year-old daughter and would be devastated.”

Martinsville resident Chasity Carter said she is also in shock about what happened, especially when she thinks about how her son could have been shot instead.

Carter’s son, Aaron Smith, is a close friend to both Jackson and Phelps. Smith had plans to spend time with Jackson before school Friday but was running late after
oversleeping.

Carter said her son is still shaken up about what happened even though he did not make it to school before it was locked down.

Smith said he has broken up fights between the two before, and he told his mother he would have done it again.

“I asked Aaron what he would have done if he were standing behind Chance that morning,” Carter said. “He said he would have tried to talk to Michael and stop him. I have a feeling my son would have taken a shot for his friend if he were there that morning.”

Carter said she is glad her son was not at school Friday. She also said the school had the opportunity to prevent this.

“It is just so heartbreaking that this happened,” Carter said. “Yes, they could have prevented it. They could have called the police. They could have done anything. (Principal Suzie Lipps) was warned in advance that this was going to happen, and she ignored it.”

Carter said she is concerned because she gets a call when her son does something as small as uttering a swear word but not when the school has received multiple reports about a serious threat.

Lipps said she denies that the administration knew an act of violence was likely to occur that morning.

Because the administration could not prevent the shot from being fired, Carter said she is scared to send her son back to school. Smith told his mom he was scared to
return, too.

“Aaron came up to me and said, ‘Mom, there’s no security. If I go back to school, how do I know that somebody’s not going to be mad at me and shoot me?’” Carter said.
But Martinsville students will have one week to relax during their spring break before returning to school.

Student Kensi Ray, a close friend of Jackson’s, said she feels ready to go back to school though she has not felt safe there for a while.

“I go to the high school now, but I used to go to West,” Ray said. “I never really feel safe at school though, because there’s been at least four threats at the high school this year and three at West.”

Carter said parents, friends and school administrators can do many things to prevent another school shooting. She said she moved from Indianapolis to Martinsville for a better atmosphere for her children, but now would like to see metal detectors installed at the schools.

Carter said her son has anger problems and is going through anger management for treatment. She said she wishes the same would have been done for Phelps. It is important for friends and families to pay attention to signs that a child might need help, she said.

“If you can’t talk to anybody, I’m always here,” Carter said. “I always tell Aaron’s friends to text me, call me or talk to me on Facebook. Somebody can always
help you.”