Depressed teen holds students hostage

By Staff Writer

This week, a high school student in France held 20 preschool children and their teacher hostage, the Indie Pro Pub reports. The teen, who is currently on medication for depression, used swords to threaten the class, according to Luc Chatel, French Ministry of Education.

Chatel reported that the hostage-taker did not threaten or harm the children, and allowed them to access the bathroom throughout the situation. A total of 14 students were released at first, with one escaping, according to Besancon Mayor Jean-Louis Fousseret, who would not confirm reports that the teen requested a gun to kill himself. However, Chatel did mention that the boy made demands.

Fousseret said the teacher led the remaining children out of the school calmly, where police met them with blankets, reported by the news source. The ordeal reportedly lasted approximately four and a half hours.

According to PBS, approximately 4 percent of adolescents develop serious depression each year. In addition, major depression affects approximately 15 million American adults - about 8 percent of the U.S. population age 18 and older - in a given year.