Teacher Slain At Seattle School -- Man, 45, Shot In Back As He Came In Door At Whitman

A teacher at Whitman Middle School in North Seattle was shot and killed at the school early today.

He was identified as Neal Summers, 45, a veteran geography and U.S. history teacher. Summers died in the emergency room at Harborview Medical Center at 7:23 a.m., hospital spokesman Larry Zalin said.

The school canceled tomorrow's classes to allow students and staff time to deal with the shock their shock, grief and fear.

Summers was shot about 6:30 a.m., according to Seattle police. He had just arrived at the school, in the 9200 block of 15th Avenue Northwest, in the North Beach neighborhood. He was shot in the back as he entered or just after he stepped into a side entrance to the school.

School employees first called 911 to say that they had heard an explosion.

Summers was found in a hallway by an employee who had heard the shots. There apparently were no eyewitnesses to the shooting.

The assailant fled. Police searched the building, including the roof, before students were allowed inside. Working on the possibility that Summers may have been shot by someone outside, police also searched the parking lot for shell casings or other evidence.

A niece of the victim, Jenny Summers of Ballard, said the family has no idea why anyone would have wanted to harm him. "He was a great man and a wonderful uncle," she said.

Students arriving for classes today were led to a gathering in the school's auditorium. There they were informed that a staff member had been shot. During their first-period classes, Principal Bi Hoa Caldwell announced over closed-circuit television that the victim was Summers. During the second period, the principal made another announcement that Summers had died.

Parents were allowed to pick up their children from school, which houses grades 6, 7 and 8 and has 1,100 students and 55 teachers.

Students were given information to take home today describing the kind of counseling available through the district and other agencies.

The school's flag flew at half staff.

As many as 15 school-district counselors were brought to the school this morning to help students cope with the situation, said district spokeswoman Dorothy Dubia.

"Our first concern is to be sure the children are taken care of," she said.

She also noted that 10 handguns have been confiscated in Seattle schools this school year. "It's an indication that we have a serious problem in our society," Dubia said.

Times staff reporters Marla Williams, Diedtra Henderson and Constantine Angelos contributed to this report.