This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2010, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Marinette, Wis. • A 15-year-old gunman who shot himself at the end of a five-hour standoff with police died Tuesday.
Samuel Hengel, of Porterfield, Wis., had two firearms, a knife and a satchel of ammunition in a Marinette High School classroom when he took the sixth-period class hostage near the end of the school day Monday.
The teen shot himself when authorities entered the classroom after hearing three gunshots, according to Jeff Skorik, police chief of the city of 11,000 about 50 miles north of Green Bay, Wis. At the time, 18 students and a teacher remained in the classroom. Five hostages had been released earlier. No other injuries were reported.
The hostage-taking occurred sometime after 1 p.m. Students arriving for the seventh period were redirected to the library by of a note posted on the classroom door, Skorik said.
Staff became suspicious when the sixth-period students didn't show up for the next class.
"That was the start of putting together some pieces of the puzzle that didn't seem right," Marinette school Superintendent Tim Baneck said. The 911 call from the 800-student school came in about 3:40 p.m.
One of the students held hostage, Zach Campbell, said a student helped break the ice by with the gunman by asking about hunting.
"We talked for, I'd say, six hours," Campbell said. "He was calm. He was laughing with us, having a conversation."