News 12 at six o'clock, May 9, 2008

Augusta, GA---A fight back in March...that lead to a shooting in April...may have lead to the recent events at Cross Creek High School. News 12's Chris Thomas sat down for an exclusive interview with one of the young people pulled out of the school. He was shot, and now he's looking for the violence to stop.

It's a relaxing Friday afternoon. Kennard Ruffin, friends and family are having a bite of pizza, but family members say things haven't always been this calm.

"He had become like a different person," said Ruffin's mother. 17 year old Kennard started cutting class at Cross Creek High School and hanging out with friends instead. It got him suspended, and left his mother "a nervous wreck."

And rightfully so...Kennard ended up shot. "I was like am I gone die cause it was a lot of blood coming out of my arm," said Kennard.

"It was a scary situation because my child coulda been dead," said Margaret Ruffin. That was back in April...now fast-forward to May. Officers swarmed Cross Creek to stop a possible retaliation attempt in it's tracks. It is all becoming a vicious cycle.

"My momma didn't raise me like this, and I don't want them to have to come see me locked up for shooting somebody or robbing somebody, cause I didn't do what I had to do in school," said Kennard.

"When my friend call me this morning, and she said that I just said thank you God that he was at home and in the bed," said Kennard's mother.

Kennard says he's glad to be home following an earth shattering reality check. "Man listen to your mom and dad, cause if I had listen to my parents I wouldn't be sitting like this right now," said Kennard. He is sitting and hoping his friends will follow suit and get their acts in check.

"Yeah, because if we don't people gone end up dead or end up or in jail...just leave it alone," said Kennard.

Kennard's parents have pulled him out of school. He says he wants to turn his life around and start again with Youth Challenge in July.