It was a surreal announcement to many people on Tuesday, but it is becoming more and more common in American society.

When the news came over the Associated Press wire that 15 Jonesboro, Ark., middle school students had been shot and injured after they had gathered outdoors during a false fire alarm, the identities of the suspects shocked the nation more than the crime.

Mitchell Johnson, age 13, and Andrew Golden, age 11, both skipped their classes Tuesday and donned camouflage.

The duo then allegedly hid outside rural Westside Middle School and opened fire on the crowd.

Four school girls and a teacher were killed, while 11 others were wounded.

Both Johnson and Mitchell were captured at the scene of the shooting.

They are currently in police custody, detained until an April 29 hearing, according to AP.

They are being charged with five counts of murder and 10 counts each of first-degree battery.

Johnson, described by one acquaintance as “neat young man,” was by all accounts a church-going, polite student, according to AP.

Golden, on the other hand, is being portrayed as a troublemaker, whom one neighbor called “evil-acting.”

Perhaps even more confusing is that authorities are saying the “neat young man” may have been the instigator of the crime. He was reportedly upset after being dumped by a girlfriend, and had warned one friend that she was soon to find out “whether she’d live or die.” Johnson refused to further explain the statement to his friend, according to AP.

As of now, it is unknown what route authorities will take when punishing the boys if they are proven guilty.

There is talk of the boys being tried as juveniles, as well as rumors about a possible federal prosecution.

Though the grisly scene in Arkansas was far from Ames, local residents and students have expressed confusion and concern.

“I was just sad that [children that age] had the means to get weapons,” said Jessica Popenhagen, senior in human development and family science.

She blames the incident partially on the media and partially on the lack of “love” people in today’s society feel toward one another.

Jerry Stewart, senior in electronic media studies, said he thinks something is seriously wrong with Arkansas’ gun laws.

He said he knows someone from Jonesboro, and that person has commented to him that when there were fights after school, it was whom “could get to his truck first.”

“It’s unbelievable,” Stewart said, adding he did not know whether the incident was a joke or a prank. He said maybe after the aftermath, the boys will “realize what they did wasn’t right.”

John Kinley, principal of Ames Middle School, said many of his students have expressed shock at the crime and the ages of the suspects.

However, Kinley said he does not think there has been a dramatic increase in violence among younger teen-agers.

“I don’t think I could say there has been a dramatic increase,” he said. “Every year is a little bit different.”

In general, for students who are troubled or have emotional problems, Kinley said the best solution is for he and his staff to be aware of the students and their needs.

Although his staff is concerned about Tuesday’s shooting, he said there has not been overly aggressive behavior in any of his students as a result of the nationwide incidents of violence.

“I certainly hope they’re isolated incidents,” he said. “We can talk about safety and promote safety issues … [but] there isn’t any way you can absolutely predict [behavior.]

“It is of great concern to us who work with kids,” Kinley added.

Carolyn Cutrona, professor of psychology, said she feels the reasoning behind the two young boys’ alleged murder spree would be due to a combination of poor parenting and the excess of violence portrayed in today’s media, particularly television and video.

There is research that has led psychologists to believe that kids who are predisposed to aggression and violence often watch violent TV programs and movies that tend to “bring out that side of them.”

Cutrona said the media only plays one part in socializing a child; she said inattentive parents share the blame.

“It’s not just parents, not just television, but the kind of kids you hang around with can be a very powerful influence,” Cutrona said, noting these two boys had quite an effect on each other.

Cutrona also does not buy into the theory that the shooting spree was partially inspired by Johnson’s rage about being dumped by a girlfriend.

“A million people are jilted every day, and they don’t murder their girlfriends,” she said.

Brad Buschman, professor of psychology, disagreed somewhat, saying that the “break-up” theoretically could have incited the young man to act out.

“Anything that frustrates increases aggression,” he said. “Yeah it’s possible, I don’t know if it’s true in this case.”

Cutrona said she hopes the country will see this murderous trend as a “wake-up call, and start to do something.”

It is known that Golden’s father taught him how to use firearms.

As for the fate of the two young boys, Cutrona is unsure what she thinks would be best.

“I think in certain cases, society has to be protected,” she said. “I don’t think you can only consider the well-being of these boys. As a mother, I want us to protect other people’s children.”

Buschman thinks the punishment for the boys will depend on what society’s goal is for them.

“If the goal is to reform, punishment does not reform people, [it often] sends the wrong message … reinforcement is much more effective. [Punishment] models the behavior you’re trying [to correct.]

“If your goal is to keep them off the streets, prison and punishment are effective,” Buschman said. “Maybe some people are so dangerous, we have to keep them off the street.”