1 In Custody After Shots Fired At Carlsbad School

SNIPPET: "CARLSBAD, Calif. -- One person is in custody after shots were fired on the campus of Kelly Elementary School in Carlsbad, Carlsbad police said.

According to dispatchers, the shots were reported shortly after noon at Kelly Elementary School at Kelly and Hillside drives. The school was placed on lockdown due to the incident.

Minor injuries have been reported, but it has been determined that the injuries were not related to a shooting. A medical helicopter is landing near the school in response to the situation."

http://www.cnn.com/2010/CRIME/10/09/california.school.gunman/

“Police: Gunman faces six counts of attempted murder in school shooting”
By Sara Pratley, CNN
October 9, 2010 12:58 a.m. EDT

SNIPPET: “Construction workers at Kelly Elementary School detained a 41-year-old male suspect shortly after noon until officers arrived, Eppel said. Police do not suspect the man has a relationship with any students at the school.”

SNIPPET: “The man, dressed in black, was then tackled by other construction workers and witnesses.”

SNIPPET: “Police said the suspect provided three names, one of them a woman’s name, when asked for identification.”

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2604369/posts

“Shots fired at Carlsbad school; two children hurt, man arrested”
San Diego Union-Tribune ^ | 10/8/2010 | AARON BURGIN, KRISTINA DAVIS AND NATHAN SCHARN
Posted on October 9, 2010 2:01:05 AM PDT by South40

SNIPPET: “CARLSBAD — A man seemingly bent on violence and destruction stormed Kelly Elementary School in Carlsbad Friday and fired into a crowd of children on the playground, striking two girls, before being chased and tackled by nearby construction workers.

Brendan L. O’Rourke, 41, believed to be a transient, was arrested on six counts of attempted murder and various weapons charges, Carlsbad police said.

A trail of blood led to a classroom, which held two second-graders who suffered bullet wounds to their right arms, police said. The girls, ages 6 and 7, were flown to Rady Children’s Hospital for treatment and were doing well, Carlsbad Police Chief Gary Morrison said.

“We are grateful to God only two children were hurt,” Carlsbad Mayor Bud Lewis said. “We know in this tragedy, it could have been far worse.”

Several witnesses saw the gunman clad in black, running on the school grounds shortly after noon carrying a gas can and shooting at random during recess.

“He was dressed just like a bad guy,” in a black hooded sweatshirt and black pants, said neighbor Scott Chandler, who saw the violence unfold from his driveway near the schoolyard on Kelly and Riviera drives.

Chandler ran toward the school as fast as he could and caught up with two construction workers, Steven Kane and Mario Contreras, assigned to a cafeteria expansion project. They chased the gunman through the field and over a fence.

Carlos Partida, another construction worker, said he jumped into his black Ford F-150 pickup when his co-workers started chasing the gunman. Partida struck the man with his truck, knocking him to the ground, police said.

Partida, Kane and Contreras wrestled a .357 Magnum silver revolver with a wooden handle from O’Rourke.

Chandler said he noticed that one of the men was holding the gun and appeared ready to use it against the suspect.

“I said, ‘Dude, put the gun down,’ ” Chandler said.

As the men peppered O’Rourke with questions, the gunman’s only reply was a series of “growls and grunts,” Chandler said.

Witness Terry Lynn, who raced to the school in his van after seeing the shooting from his upstairs bedroom window, said the gunman came prepared to inflict damage.

“How many kids could he kill in five minutes?” he recalled thinking as he raced out of the house.

“He came prepared, with extra ammunition and reloaders packed in his pocket,” said Lynn, who waited with the men who captured O’Rourke until police came.”

First responders are not always emergency services, FLEAS /LEOS........Ain’t worth living if ya don’t try and save kids from such.

God Bless em that did such. Hope they get recognition for their actions.

Sad that the generations of school kids experienced an evolution of threats from indian attacks, fire drills, bert the turtle duck and cover nuclear threats and now this lock down crap......arm the damn, administration, teachers, volunteers and school employees NOW !

Enough is enough of letting this rabid trash prey on our kids.

BTW...no mention of (or I missed it) the local PD or Sheriffs Department school liaison officer(s)......???

We even have one in our small town school.

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.