Moment lone gunman armed with fake firearm stormed Crawley College and started shooting before he was tackled by two hero teachers – as he’s jailed for five years over attack that caused staff and students to flee in terror

• Sandijs Dreimanis, 18, said he wanted to make himself a target for armed police 
• He told police he wanted the people who made him feel bad to be scared 
• Dreimanis fired 16 shots and tried to stab members of staff at Crawley College 
• Hundreds of armed police swarmed Crawley College with snipers 

Terrifying footage has revealed the moment a teenage lone gunman armed with a fake firearm stormed a college and started shooting at students who fled in terror.  

Sandijs Dreimanis, 18, who has been jailed for five years for the attack, said he wanted to make himself a target for armed police after rampaging through Crawley College which he attended in West Sussex.

CCTV footage shows the moment the teenager strolls up to the campus holding his fake pistol before firing towards students and walking towards the entrance of the building. 

Horrified students scatter in a desperate attempt to get out of the line of fire with some running into the college building and others running down the street. 

Two members of staff are then seen heroically running toward Dreimanis even as he raises his pistol and begins firing at them. 

CCTV footage shows the moment the teenager strolls up to the campus holding his fake pistol before firing towards students and walking towards the entrance of the building

Horrified students scatter in a desperate attempt to get out of the line of fire with some running into the college building and others running down the street

Sandijs Dreimanis (pictured), 18, said he wanted to make himself a target for armed police after rampaging through Crawley College which he attended in West Sussex

The teachers then tackle him to the ground before police arrived.  

Dreimanis told police he wanted the people who made him feel bad to be scared.

He fired 16 shots and tried to stab the two members of staff who tackled him to the ground on April 26 last year.

Lewes Crown Court heard ‘the real button was pushed,’ as police feared a terror attack or an American college campus, lone gunman style attack.

Hundreds of armed police swarmed Crawley College with snipers taking up positions on nearby roofs.

Sandijs Dreimanis, who was born in Latvia and came to the UK aged ten, tried to deny he had the blank firing gun to cause fear of violence.

Dreimanis (pictured) told police he wanted the people who made him feel bad to be scared

He changed his plea in January following psychiatric tests.

His mother watched in court as Dreimanis, wearing a grey prison tracksuit, spoke only to confirm his name.

Dreimanis had been excluded from college the previous December for fighting with another student and was only allowed on campus for one class.

He bought the gun days before for £130 and hid it with the knife on the pathway to the college.

Dreimanis approached a group of students and told them to Run before opening fire.

Police activity at Crawley College, Crawley, West Sussex, following the incident on April 26 last year 

Staff who heard loud bangs and saw him brandishing the pistol dialled 999.

Workshop technician Simon Wilson and college lecturer Peter Davidson rushed towards Dreimanis as students scattered even as he raised his pistol again and fired directly at them.

Her Honour Judge Laing QC described their bravery as outstanding.

Dreimanis told police he felt he had been bullied and discriminated against at college.

‘You have a poor ability to regulate your own emotions and your mental state can change rapidly and you contemplate suicide, but you had planned it,’ HHJ Laing said.

Sandijs Dreimanis arrives at Lewes Crown Court today for sentence after entering the grounds of Crawley College last year armed with a gun 

‘You bought the gun days before and had hidden it with the knife on the pathway to college.

‘You told police someone said something bad to you and got stressed.

‘You were trying to be happy but realised no one really cared about you and snapped and wanted to get shot by police.’

The judge said it was not hard to imagine the terror he would have caused.

‘I have no doubt at all you knew perfectly well the fear it would engender in all those students.

‘I am prepared to accept your ultimate aim was to get yourself shot by police but there is no doubt you got satisfaction from causing that amount of fear.

‘You told police you wanted to scare those who you deemed had been mean to you.’

Armed police at Crawley College, Crawley, West Sussex, following the incident last year 

The judge said the bravery shown by Mr Wilson and Mr Davidson was remarkable.

‘They both ran after you and you fired directly at them. They carried on running at you with no hesitation at all. It is quite remarkable.

‘They tackled you to the ground and got the gun out of your hand. You got the knife and attempted to stab Mr Wilson with it.

‘Mr Davidson also sustained cuts to his hands. He was repeatedly telling you to drop the knife and striking your hand,’ the judge said.

Maryam Syed for the prosecution told Lewes Crown Court the gunman had spoken to members of staff before going on his violent rampage.

She said he told staff: ‘The people who will judge me are God and the people I care about.

‘He then left in apparent good mood. That was lunchtime.

‘By 1512, police had been called after report of someone with a gun at the college.’

He was described as looking odd and aggressive.

Within minutes, at 3.19pm, he had been pinned to the ground by Mr Wilson and Mr Davidson.

Richard Furlong for the defence described Dreimanis as a young man at the end of his tether.

‘This is an unfortunate and sad young man who made a serious attempt to end his own life in the most grotesque and public way possible,’ he said.

Dreimanis was described as having an emotionally unstable personality disorder.

He admitted possession of a firearm with intent to cause fear, two counts of ABH and possession of a knife on school premises.

He was sentenced to three years and nine months in a young offenders institution for the firearms offence, 12 months, six months and 21 months for the other three charges to be concurrent and consecutive to count one.

HHJ Laing praised the two staff members for their bravery.

‘It is clear Mr Wilson and Mr Davidson deserve special recognition.

‘They are both very modest and do not think they have done anything out of the ordinary. Their bravery was utterly extraordinary.

‘Their instinctive desire to run towards danger is one of the most remarkable things I’ve seen in this job.

‘They may play it down, saying they had a feeling the gun was imitation, but they had no way of knowing that.

‘They did not hesitate at all. There is no doubt they saved the life of this defendant.

‘Armed police were minutes away and he would in all likelihood been shot dead,’ the judge said.

Both men were given a £5,000 High Sheriff award.

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