Cairo Association of Teachers - Newsletter

CAT Tracks for May 12, 2007 FLIPS OUT

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Police: 3 boys shoot at Flips Gymnastic

By: Erica Byfield

McCRACKEN COUNTY, Ky. - Three people are behind bars, accused of shooting up a local gymnastic studio. While no one was hurt, police say the situation at Flips gym in Reidland could have been a lot worse.

From the outside you can see four gaping bullet holes in the building housing Flips Gymnastic. Depending on whom you ask you'll get different accounts of how they got there.

Police arrested Brian Johnson's sons 18-year-old Mario and 14-year-old Marshal along with an unidentified juvenile Monday night.

Police say all three boys confessed to firing the gun in the air the two younger suspects allegedly took aim at the building. But Brian Johnson's having a hard time believing his older son did anything wrong "Mario is not back there. Mario doesn't do anything like that; Mario plays basketball, that's his whole life that all he does is play ball."

In fact, Mario Johnson is a star player on the Riedland High School basketball team. "He has a bunch of colleges calling for him" said his father. "He was a pretty funny guy, really good basketball player, pretty much knew everyone at the high school" said Samuel Riley a graduate of Riedland High.

Detective Robert Caskey tells me he believes Mario Johnson is involved. Police say the shooting happened on a Friday night three weeks ago, when Flips would have been packed with little ones. Officers found a bullet logged in the air conditioning duct.

But, Brian Johnson's not buying that either "there are no kids in the building because I went back there, it was a Sunday and the lot was empty." There is some debate about the actual date because the owner of flips didn't notice the bullet holes until a few days ago. Johnson hopes this turns out to be nothing but a mistake, if not, his oldest son could find himself battling in a much different court.

Each boy faces 15 felony counts of wanton endangerment.

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