Hostage Situation in Small Wisconsin Town

On Monday, November 29th, a little Wisconsin town was in shock as Samuel Hengel, 15, took 23 students and a teacher hostage. He attended Marinette High School of Marinette, Wisconsin.

This student’s actions are a complete mystery, as he was 'popular' and had a good home life. Fellow classmates say that he looked depressed, but was not suffering from any peer abuse. Investigation is still being held over the cause of Hengel’s distress.

Sam allegedly broke into the classroom in the middle of the afternoon, and interrupted students who were simply enjoying an educational film. Hengel carried two guns with him- a knife was also later found in the room. The sophomore used one of his guns to shoot at several objects around the room, including a projector. Students stared in shock as the situation unfolded. Hengel confiscated their cell phones, and the rest of the school was unaware of the first three gun shots. At approximately 3:10 PM EST, the situation was discovered by the Principal and Assistant Principal.

Most of the hostages were held for six or more hours. Five select students were released earlier in the day- some claiming to have to use the restroom, another being called down to the office. Emergency vehicles waited outside along with many citizens residing in Marinette.

Many hostages claim that, while inside the classroom, Samuel was very laid back. He showed a calm, sullen expression and casual conversation occurred. He did not seem to have threatened any of the hostages.

After Hengel released the captives, the police immediately swarmed the surrounding area. The boy allegedly shot himself as soon as the team drew close. He was brought to the hospital upon contact.

At 10:44 AM EST on November 30th, Sam was pronounced dead in the Green Bay hospital where he was admitted the night before.

While the motives are still unknown, we can only guess as to what caused Sam’s tragic end. Some theories include disturbance, mental illness, and severe depression. Whatever the case, it is safe to say that the residents surrounding the area are in more shock than ever. No one could have saw this coming.