An 11th grader purportedly despondent about his grades brought a rifle to Springfield High School in Montgomery County this morning, fired high into a wall to frighten other students into a hallway and then shot himself to death, witnesses and officials said.No one else was injured, authorities said. […]Montgomery County District Attorney Bruce Castor told reporters at a late afternoon news conference that Halligan died after putting the barrel of the AK-47 semiautomatic rifle under his chin and firing.

Castor said that a suicide note was found in the right front pocket of Halligan’s jeans and that the suicide followed an argument with his parents Monday about falling grades on his report card.

“He felt that things he saw as important in his life were being taken away from him,” Castor said.

Castor said that Halligan was told by his parents that if his grades did not improve he would have to cut back his hours as a volunteer fireman and would not be allowed to go to National Guard boot camp next summer.

The gun used in the suicide, Castor said, was one of “multiple guns” Halligan’s father kept in a cabinet in the back of a closet locked with two keys. Castor said the student stole the keys Monday night to unlock the cabinet and take the rifle.

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