- "He was accused of."
"And convicted."
"And unfairly convicted of killing eight children, not twenty seven." - ―Elizabeth Bates and Rick Flag, Sr.[src]
The Destruction of Sunnyhill School was the result of an old man and several police officers attacking the Weasel after seeing him play with the students accidentally starting a fire.
Background[]
After school hours, Sunnyhill School kept its playground open for students to play after school hours. Nine children remained unsupervised on the grounds. Three of them stumbled upon a strange creature hiding behind a bush - Weasel - who they quickly befriended by earning his trust with food. The children spent the rest of the afternoon happily playing catch with their newfound friend, unaware they were being watched by a suspicious old man. Mistakenly believing Weasel to be a feral animal attacking the children, the man hurried back to his cabin, armed himself with a shotgun, and called the police.[1]
Destruction[]
That same night, while playing outside, the children noticed that the school's front door had been left open. Curiosity got the better of them, and they sneaked into the classroom with Weasel. Exploring the teacher's desk, they found their grades, and one child grabbed a bottle of alcohol to play with. Their mischief led them to the boiler room, where they began playing with whatever they could find. One child discovered a box of matches, and amidst their continued games with Weasel, Georgie accidentally dropped the bottle of alcohol just as another child struck a match. The combination ignited a fire that quickly began to spread.
At that moment, the old man entered the boiler room, armed with his shotgun. He fired at Weasel, but the shot struck the boiler instead. Weasel watched in horror as oil leaked toward the flames. In a desperate act, he managed to carry one girl to safety, but the resulting explosion destroyed the school just as the police arrived. Standing amidst the chaos, Weasel realized the full scale of the tragedy and witnessed Georgie's death along with the rest of the children. Spotting the girl he had saved still alive, he attempted to pull her away from the fire.
However, the police, mistaking Weasel for a threat, opened fire on him. Despite being wounded, Weasel made several attempts to escape the burning building with the girl. As he neared the front door, the officers shot him again, causing him to drop her. In a final effort, Weasel tried to save her as the building collapsed, but she was lost in the rubble. Injured and distraught, Weasel could only screamed in despair as he was apprehended and arrested by the police.[1]
Aftermath[]
Following the incident, Weasel was blamed for the destruction of the school and the deaths of the children. Unable to communicate effectively, he was incapable of proving his innocence. Despite his lawyer Elizabeth Bates' best efforts, Weasel was sentenced to Belle Reve. While incarcerated, he was forcibly recruited into Task Force X and, two years later, into Task Force M for a mission in Pokolistan.
Throughout this time, Bates continued her efforts to prove her client’s innocence, but her attempts were unsuccessful. Though often dismissed as a hyperactive and animalistic being by most of his teammates, Weasel remained deeply traumatized by the events that led to his imprisonment. The haunting memories of that fateful night have continued to plague him, leaving him unable to properly express or process his pain.[1]