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wowieJust been watching the news on the shootings that occurred at the Amish school in Lancaster, PA, this morning. How terrible.
Can't seem to escape the violence, no matter where you go, can you?
Pennsylvania Police: Amish School is 'Horrendous Crime Scene' After Shooting
NICKEL MINES, Pa. — Two female students and one older female — who may have been a teacher's aide — were shot and killed execution style when an armed truck driver entered a one-room Amish schoolhouse in Lancaster County Monday, according to Pennsylvania police.
State Police Commissioner Jeffrey Miller said three children were found shot dead at the scene, along with the suspect, who shot himself. At least seven more victims — some critically wounded — were transported to nearby hospitals, he said. One of the victims, a young girl, died in the arms of a trooper, Miller said. He could not confirm how many people died en route or at the hospital. The county coroner earlier reported six children killed.
The gunman brought in pieces of wood to board up the doors to the building when he entered the school, Miller said.
"It appears that the suspect entered school with the intention of taking hostages," he added.
The gunman also had wire ties and plastic flex cuff, which he used to begin tying the hostages feet together. He let the male students, as well as one adult female who was pregnant, to leave. Three other non-student females with infants were also allowed to leave. One shotgun and one handgun was found next to the suspect when police entered the building.
"It seems as though he wanted to attack young, female victims," Miller said.
There were also notes left by the gunman, identified as Charles Carl Roberts IV, a 32-year-old milk delivery man from nearby Bart, Pa., Miller said. The notes, left for Roberts' wife, indicated that he was seeking revenge for something that happened decades ago. Roberts has three children.
Although Miller said police had not yet thoroughly processed the school where the shootings took place, he described it as a 'horrendous crime scene.'
Lancaster County Coroner G. Gary Kirchner earlier said six were killed from the school shooting. "So far, six confirmed dead, and the helicopters are pulling into [Lancaster General Hospital] like crazy,"
It was the nation's third deadly school shooting in less than a week, and one of the deadliest in U.S. history.
Kim Hatch, spokeswoman for the Lancaster General Hospital, said three victims ages six through 12 arrived there with gunshot wounds — some to the head — and are in critical condition. Two of those victims were sent to Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, while the third was sent to the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. One other patient has been sent to Reading Hospital of Pennsylvania.
John Line, also from Lancaster General, told FOX News that center doesn't expect to receive anymore patients. The school is in Paradise Township on Mine Road — an Amish community within the township. There are a total of 27 students in grades 1 through 8 at Wolf Rock School, where the shooting took place.
Miller said the first emergency call came in at 10:36 a.m. Monday morning. The call said a male gunman had entered the school and taken hostages. There were 15 males ages six through 13 in the room, along with 10 to 12 female students of the same age. A teacher, along with some teacher's aides — who are normally slightly older than the students — were also in the room.
Miller said state troopers first responded at the scene and set up a perimeter at 10:45 a.m. The shooter had boarded up all the doors and stacked desks against the building's entrances.
Police could not communicate with the shooter until after a 911 call from a county facility came in, saying the gunman had called and said if police don't leave the school grounds in 10 seconds, he will begin shooting. Police then had the gunman's cell-phone number after he placed that call, and tried to contact him. Within a few seconds of this happening, Miller said, police heard "multiple shots in quick succession."
"It was that quick. We're trying to get the word out to do a coordinated assault and he starts firing — at the same time our negotiator is trying to get him on his cell phone," Miller said.
It appears the gunman had an automatic handgun, as well as a shotgun in his possession, Miller added.
Police late Monday morning surrounded the one-room schoolhouse, a tiny building surrounded by a white fence and farm fields in southeastern Lancaster County. The Lancaster County 911 Web site reported that dozens of emergency units were dispatched to a "medical emergency" at 10:45 a.m. Monday.
Hours after the attack, about three dozen people in traditional Amish clothing, broad-brimmed hats and bonnets stood nearby speaking to one another and authorities. Others gathered with a group of children at a nearby farm. Emergency responders were seen searching the school grounds for evidence.
The school is just outside Nickel Mines, a tiny village about 55 miles west of Philadelphia.
On Friday, a school principal was gunned down in Cazenovia, Wis. A 15-year-old student, described as upset over a reprimand, was charged with murder in the killing.
Just two days earlier, an adult gunman held six girls hostage in a school at Bailey, Colo., before killing a 16-year-old girl and then himself.
Nationwide, the 1999 Columbine High School massacre in Littleton, Colo., remains the deadliest school shooting, claiming the lives of 15 people, including the two teenage gunmen. Last year, a 16-year-old shot seven people to death at a school on Minnesota's Red Lake Indian Reservation, then killed himself.
Interesting, the newsperson was asking the Sociologist he was interviewing about the movie Witness, and they went back and forth on Amish culture, and speculated on whether or not the shooter was Amish (turns out he wasn't if you read under the cut), and discussed how Amish or not, there's violence that lurks in all of us.
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Date: 2006-10-02 06:57 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-10-02 07:01 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-10-02 07:29 pm (UTC)Whatever point he was trying to make is lost forever.
It takes me back to Dunblane in Scotland 10 years ago.
There was also the shooting in a Montreal college a few weeks back.
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Date: 2006-10-02 08:25 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-10-02 07:51 pm (UTC)The Red Lake Minnesota shootings were horrible personally because our family knew people up there.
It's just tragic no matter where they are, and they are happening too often.
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Date: 2006-10-02 08:27 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-10-02 09:26 pm (UTC)The world is gone mad...
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Date: 2006-10-03 12:10 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-10-02 09:32 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-10-03 12:11 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-10-02 11:26 pm (UTC)The state police commander giving the press conference had trouble getting through describing how this monster lined those young girls against the chalk board and just started shooting. One of the girls died in a policeman's arms.
It makes no sense at all.
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Date: 2006-10-03 12:07 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-10-03 01:14 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-10-03 08:24 am (UTC)why them of all people??
I still can't believe it.. *weeps silently*
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Date: 2006-10-03 10:15 am (UTC)Absolutely horrible.