Police Kill College Hostage Taker

aol news ^ | 9.18.03 | WOODY BAIRD

[freepatriot32]

DYERSBURG, Tenn. (Sept. 18) - A 26-year-old man with a history of mental problems held at least a dozen college students at gunpoint during a nine-hour standoff before a SWAT team stormed the school building and killed the suspect.

Authorities said the gunman, Harold Kilpatrick Jr., had left a note at his sister's house before the standoff Wednesday saying he ``wanted to kill some people and die today.''

Police rushed into the building at Dyersburg State Community College around 10 p.m. after hearing shots and killed Kilpatrick. Two hostages were wounded, but it was not immediately clear they were injured by police or Kilpatrick.

The wounded hostages were airlifted to the Regional Medical Center in Memphis, said police spokeswoman Lisa McDowell.

Kilpatrick's cousin, Carolyn Reed, who was at the college Wednesday, said he was being treated for mental problems, but was not taking his prescribed medication. Police said Kilpatrick was not a student or college employee.

Dyersburg Police Chief Bobby Williamson said there were 12 to 16 people in the basic math classroom when the standoff began. About three hours later, three students were released - all women, one of whom was pregnant. The teacher remained in the classroom.

The gunman, believed to have had a 9mm pistol and what looked like a butcher knife, made no demands - aside from food and drink - during the standoff. In the evening, he asked for six pepperoni pizzas and two six-packs of soft drinks, which police delivered.

The gunman claimed to be a member of al-Qaida, and Williamson said that although authorities had no reason to believe the claim, the FBI had been called in. Justice Department officials in Washington also said they had no evidence that the gunman was a member of the terrorist organization.

Authorities said Kilpatrick, of Memphis, was staying with his sister in Dyersburg. In the suicide note, left at his sister's house, he also said he didn't like Americans and had spoken with al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden, Williamson said.

Officers communicated with the gunman through student hostages on their cell phones, but Kilpatrick wouldn't speak directly to police, Williamson said. They talked to his sister at the scene, but the gunman wouldn't talk to her, Williamson said.

Kilpatrick faced criminal charges of assault and kidnapping in another case, Dyersburg police spokesman Charles Maxey said. He had no details but said Kilpatrick had been scheduled to appear in a Memphis courtroom Wednesday.

09/18/03 06:32 EDT

[twigs]

Agreed.

[mvpel]

Nine hours too late thanks to the usual university anti-gun rules.

[Varda]

Exactly this is another illustration that gun laws do nothing to deter criminals, even mentally ill ones.

[kkindt]

The police say he started to fire on the hostages and that's why they went in

[kkindt]

If he had mental problems that is usually a sign he was a Muslim. You have to have mental problems to be a Muslim and believe in a ridiculous god that expects you to kiss a black stone that he sent to earth for you to smooch and then to think that there is a god who will reward you with a wonderful heaven for slaughtering even little babies.

[Heatseeker]

Have you ever noticed how anyone who commits a crime of any type other than a white, christian male has mental problems and is therefore not responsible?

Ah...yes. :)

[steplock]

THAT's why the picture has not been published in the newspapers!

[null and void]

*shrug* It really isn't a good photo for a newspaper to publish.

It's too dark, not racially, in terms of illumination. The lighting shadows half his face into nothingness.

Even a fairly high quality color image doesn't show much detail on the illuminated half.

Convert to newsprint black and white, add grainy half tone, and it would look like darn near anyone - or no one.

Artistically, it's a good photo. Handsome subject, dramatic lighting, a hint of mystery, but usable in a newspaper? No.

[Travis McGee]

Lucky for us, this self-selected islamofascist cruise missile was dud.

The next one could just as easily hit a mall or a stadium.

[.38sw]

Those photographers at the Shelby County Warrants Office know how to take an artistic photo!

Too bad no one in that class had a nice .45 auto tucked away in their book bag.

[null and void]

Those photographers at the Shelby County Warrants Office know how to take an artistic photo!

Yes Cheri, too bad they don't know how to take a photo that can actually be used to ID someone.

I bet the photog was a lib-uh-rhul arts major...

[DrNo]

Police said Kilpatrick was not a student or college employee.

So why did he go to a college campus?

Can you say gun-free victim zone?!

[SouthernFreebird]

On the news this morning they showed a black woman (his sister...?) asking why the police had to go in and shoot him.....why did they do this?....he was a mental patient.... it was a jaw dropping moment to say the least.

[Rodney King]

Williamson said there were 12 to 16 people in the basic math classroom when the standoff began

It used to be that colleges didn't offer basic math courses, but then the liberals took over and ruined the high schools and then dumbed down the college admmissions.

[Frank_2001]

I've noticed:)