Posted on 10/02/2006 9:16:45 AM PDT by DCBryan1
Edited on 10/02/2006 12:55:46 PM PDT by Admin Moderator. [history]
Developing....
School Shooting injures one person,
Hostage situation may be developing.
Update: Multiple Shooting Victims and Possible Hostages in Lancaster County
Not many details available yet, but an incident has been reported from Mine Rd. in Bart Township in Lancaster County involving multiple gunshot victims. Dennis Buterbaugh reports live from our newsroom. abc27 has a news crew on the way. We will update with details as they become available.
Update 2: Pennsylvania Police: Amish School is 'Horrendous Crime Scene' After Shooting
NICKEL MINES, Pa. — At least two female students and one slightly older female — who may have been a teacher's aide — were shot and killed execution style in what police say may be a revenge killing for something that happened 20 years ago.
State Police Commissioner Jeffrey Miller said Monday that truck driver Charles Carl Roberts IV entered the one-room Amish schoolhouse in earlier in the day. The gunman brought in pieces of wood to board up the doors to the building when he entered the school. He also stacked desks against the building's doors.
"It appears that the suspect entered school with the intention of taking hostages," Miller said.
Roberts had wire ties and plastic flex cuff, which he used to begin tying the hostages feet together after they were lined up along a blackboard. He let go 15 male students, as well as one adult female who was pregnant. 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.
After a half hour inside, Roberts began shooting. When the gunfire stopped, three females were found shot dead at the scene, along with the suspect, who shot himself, Miller said. At least seven more victims — some critically wounded — were transported to nearby hospitals, he said. One victim, 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 but then backed off of that statement.
I feel sorry for the perps kids, too. It's not their fault that their father did this. Their lives will probably be ruined also.
If he is capable of tying up little girls and shooting them in the head, he's certainly capable of lying to anyone and everyone about why he wanted to do it.
I'm suggesting that in all likelihood, nothing DID happen twenty years ago. He made it up. This is a script he wrote for how he wants to be remembered. Don't give him the credit of believing him.
Amen Joanie...and well said. Would to God that all of our communities would rekindle and maintian such faith that called forth such wisdom, comfort, and strength in the face of whatever tragedy. Truly, it is the bedrock foundation of our society and our entire system of governance. The further we depart from it, the worse off we become.
TXBubba is a lovely and kind woman. I've met her.
Good grief! One of my daughters is a cheerleader and I had already decided this will be her first and last year of it. They don't wear flimsy costumes or do suggestive moves but have uneasy feeling about such a public image with the perverts and crazies we seem to have everywhere these days. I expect some here would ridicule me for that but first instinct is to protect.
And by the way, my family is originally from PA and I visited Lancaster and the "Amish country" just about every year until I was 14. I've also bought and had furniture made by them and have had dealings with them. So, I am familiar with them. I feel terrible for these people. But I feel terrible for any child who witnesses such evil, Amish or not.
Never is there an excuse for this horrible behavior. But, I don't necessarily disbelieve it. Something very serious may have happened to him, couple that with schizophrenia and parnoia, no medication or therape, and you have a recipe for disaster
I do too... His whole family is no doubt going to be going through some very hard times as they try to figure this out, especially his children. I haven't heard anyone mention past problems with this person as of yet, either. I'm sure they will be blaming themselves, even if there was no signs of impending trouble, and nothing they could have done to prevent this...
I pray God will comfort his wife and children.
Well, the guy left multiple suicide notes, didn't he? I would've thought that warranted a call to the cops. I'm with that Cliff Van Zandt guy on MSNBC who doesn't think this guy just woke up this morning and turned into a homicidal maniac. Darn, if the perp's wife had even the slightest inkling something was horribly wrong, like multiple suicide notes maybe, she should've tried to get him some help.
Family members shouldn't stick their heads in the sand.
"Where in the ranks of humanity does one come across a man who could bind such a young child, force her to stand in front of a blackboard in her classroom, point the muzzle of a gun at hear head, and shoot her dead?"
Islam.
But that's just 1 consistent answer.
(Sorry for the straying, but it really is a good "profile" of an answer.)
I think in the presser this afternoon he stated the notes were rambling and didn't make much sense...
She came home AFTER he left and found the notes. He was already at the school. What was she supposed to do?
When I say disbelieve it, I was referring to (disbelieve that nothing happened to him).
This whole thing is horrible, sickening. Everyone hug your kids tonight.
As for what she could've done: Called the cops. Even if they couldn't have stopped it, the wife could take some comfort that she tried.
TXBubba is a woman and a mother. I'm removing your post as well because personal disputes should be handled elsewhere so that replies can be made.
We don't know that she didn't contact police either at this point, just that she didn't know where he was. I guess we will have a clearer picture over the next day or so. I can hear your frustration and I understand, but I can also imagine his family grieving intensely and blaming themselves as well.
That's right.
I listened to a press conference on the radio. I missed the beginning, so I don't know the identity of the speaker, but he was speaking for the PA State Police.
32 year old truck driver, father of three. He delivered milk. He was scheduled for a random drug test today, which every truck driver must submit to from time to time. No word on whether or not he showed up for that. No known criminal history. He did leave suicide notes to his kids. His wife found the notes, read them, and called him on his cell phone. By then, the police were already at the school. He had sent all the boys and some of the adults out, and tied the girls' feet together, and lined them up at the chalk board. When the police arrived, he called a local radio station, and told them if the police didn't leave, he'd begin shooting in ten seconds. Which he then proceded to do. The police broke in through the windows, as he had the doors blocked with 2X4s and 4X4s, which he brought with him. He was already dead by the time they got in. The spokesman said something about this possibly being related to something that happened twenty years ago, but he didn't elaborate. I'm curious to know what that's about.
After a lengthy explanation of the situation, and several well thought out questions from reporters, some reporterette asked if all the students were Amish. He gave her a straight answer, but I would have had to tell her "No, half of them were Muslim." Come on! She had to be surrounded by bonnets and straw hats, and that's the best question she could come up with?
Our sympathies and prayers for the families of the victims.
This ping list is for the "other" articles of interest to homeschoolers about education and public school. If you want on/off this list, please freepmail me. The main Homeschool Ping List by DaveLoneRanger handles the homeschool-specific articles.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.