A FATHER, disgruntled that his son had been dropped from his high school American football team, shot the coach.

Jeffrey Robertson faces a charge of attempted murder after he ambushed Gary Kinne in the clubhouse and fired a single bullet from a large- calibre pistol into his chest.

Mr Robertson, 45, an air-conditioner repairman, fled the school in his black pick-up truck. He was found by police in woods near by having slit his wrists and stabbed himself in the thigh in an apparent suicide attempt.

Mr Robertson, one of whose arms is tattooed with the words “Born to raise Hell”, was known around Canton, east Texas, as a bully who was wont to turn disputes physical. His son was banished this week from the football team and told that he could no longer take part in school athletics because of his volatile outbursts.

At a party the previous night, Mr Robertson had told friends that he planned to take on some of the town’s residents, including Mr Kinne. Mr Kinne had arrived at Canton High School two years ago and initially was hailed for turning a previously losing team into a winning one. There was mounting ill-will towards him, though, because the team’s progress was built largely around his son.

Mr Robertson had clashed previously with coaches and other parents over football. Last August he grabbed an assistant coach and verbally abused him.

Mr Kinne underwent emergency surgery on Thursday and was in a critical but stable condition yesterday.

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