Exclusive: Remorseful student explains why he brought Glock to North Myrtle Beach school
Katrina Madagan’s thoughts were racing when she received a call from her son’s school last month telling her that she needed to get there immediately.
But nothing could have prepared her for what she was told next. Derek had brought a gun to school with the intention of committing suicide.
“I could not have imagined he attempted suicide,” Madagan said. “I was devastated and horrified.”
The incident happened on Oct. 3 at Valorous Academy in North Myrtle Beach, where the 15-year-old had been attending school. The mother and son decided to share their story with the public through the Sun News in hopes that it will bring attention to suicide awareness and prevention.
Both the school and Valorous Church declined to comment for the story. The school is a ministry of the non-denominational church.
A teacher was able to take the gun away from Derek, who was charged with unlawful carrying of a handgun and possession of a firearm on school property.
He had a court hearing on the charges Thursday, where the juvenile solicitor decided not to dismiss the charges. His next court date is Dec. 1. He could face possible time in juvenile detention center.
Madagan seeks understanding for her son, who she says was sexually assaulted and is suffering from PTSD and depression. The family is now working through the difficulty of Derek having to testify in court against the man accused of sexually assaulting Derek and other minors in Virginia, where the family used to live.
For Derek’s part, he just wants everyone at school to know he’s sorry.
“I hold a lot of guilt and shame for what I’ve done,” Derek said. “The last thing I wanted to do on that day is hurt anyone. That wasn’t even a thought in my mind. The No. 1 thing … I want to tell everyone at school (is) how sorry I am. If I could go back in time and stop myself from doing it, I would do it.”
‘It is a very serious mistake’
On that October day, Derek had brought the handgun to school in his backpack.
The school doesn’t have metal detectors, wands or bag checks, according to Madagan.
The Glock belonged to his mother, who had it locked in a safe. However, Derek was able to find the key to open the safe and took the gun without his mother knowing. The ammunition was kept in a separate storage area.
At about 11 a.m., while Derek was in class, he pulled the gun out of his backpack and got against the wall, he said.
“A few minutes from killing myself, I was terrified about what I was doing, what I was about to do,” Derek said.
His teacher, Kelly Stewart, was able to take the gun away and was credited by North Myrtle Beach Police with de-escalating the situation. Stewart received the department’s Citizen’s Valor Award for his quick action. No one was injured.
“When he grabbed the gun out of my hand, I just went limp and I started sobbing and crying,” Derek said.
According to a police report, the principal at Valorous Academy called police at 11:50 a.m. on Oct. 3 stating staff had removed a gun from a student who had brought the weapon to school and was threatening to harm themselves.
Valorous Academy is a private school with students from pre-K to 12th grade and college.
Derek had sent text messages to some of his friends before his suicide attempt, but no one told anyone who could help him, said Madagan, who showed the thread of conversations with one friend.
“I felt worthless. I wanted my pain to stop,” Derek said.
Since the incident, Derek no longer attends the school, and he has been banned from the property, which includes the church that both his mother and the son attended. Madagan can still attend the church, but “it feels uncomfortable if your child’s not able to go,” she said.
Madagan said she feels like they have been outcast by the church.
“That part has been very hurtful for us,” she said. “As Christians … we all have our imperfections, we make mistakes. It is a very serious mistake.”
Mother and son sought fresh start in North Myrtle Beach
The mother and son relocated from Winchester, Virginia, to North Myrtle Beach more than a year ago “for a fresh start with the healing process,” Madagan said.
The man who is accused of molesting Derek was a neighbor who lived in the home across the street from the Madagans. Derek was 13 years old at the time of the sexual assault.
Joseph Edward Adams, 62, a former police officer, is charged with nine felony counts, including taking indecent liberties with a child and producing child pornography, according to a story by the Winchester Star.
The offenses are alleged to have occurred between Nov. 1 and 30, 2021, and between Feb. 1 and May 31, 2022, according to the newspaper report.
Madagan contacted police after she became suspicious about the relationship between Adams and her son, she said.
She said Adams knew the family and was like a father figure to Derek. Derek was friends with his grandchildren.
Madagan still owns the Virginia house located across from Adams, who has been released on bond and allowed to return to his home.
Trying to get back to normal
Derek spent about a month in the hospital after the incident at school. He was released to come home on Nov. 8.
He had been seeing a therapist for about a year, and continues to see one now, Madagan said.
Madagan, a single mother with three boys altogether, took a leave of absence from work to be with Derek.
The family is working to get Derek a service dog through Canine Angels, a nonprofit organization. In the meantime, she and Derek are trying to return to normal activities, such as going to the movies and ordering pizza. And Derek wants to return to things that make him happy, like playing video games and running.
Derek will eventually go back to school, doing a hybrid education plan where he will be home-schooled part of the time and attending a private school the rest of the time.
But ultimately, he doesn’t want to be looked at as a criminal because he made the decision to harm himself at school. He hopes that others understand that people are dealing with mental health issues.
“At the end of the day, I just want to go back to my normal life,” Derek said.
Editor’s note: The story was updated to clarify that the mother and the son attended the church. (Updated 12/13/2023 at 2 p.m.)
This story was originally published November 18, 2023 at 12:00 AM.
