School Shooting:Multiple Deaths in Lancaster, PA Amish School, Shooter Kills Self

Fox News Alert ^ | 02 OCT 06

[DCBryan1]

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.

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[bonfire]

Be interesting what they find on his computer....if he has one.

[PennsylvaniaMom]

>>>>I hope and pray that the electrical devices in the hospital are not something they objected to.

The Amish don't shun medical treatment, or the use of medical devices. From what I have heard/read this a.m. the 7 year old had 'catastrophic' injuries.

Words can't truly describe the horror and insanity of what happened. Just please say a prayer.

[Joe Brower]

"What causes school shootings? I'm not sure, but I think it's a switch in the perps noggin that just "flips" on or off by some stray neuron firing."

One thing is for certain, and is readily observable if one studies the last decade's worth of these incidents -- when one incident happens, others quickly follow.

The reason for this is plain: The media plasters stories of the initial event all over the front page and TV screen for days on end, thereby pushing any borderline "fence sitters" over the edge. Whether intentional or not, this effect is seen in almost every instance.

So in a sense, the media itself, in making such a spectacle of tragedy, sets the stage for the next bloodbath.

As my brother (A sociology major) said years ago, "the media keeps the crazies thinking about it".

[DCBryan1]

It makes me sick that you are more worried about keeping your damn guns freedom of speech then you are about innocent 7 year old girls be gunned down. Spare me I am a RINO? I wear the horn with pride. Mean while in the last week 7 little innocent girls are now dead. Hope you feel good about keeping your guns freedom of speech.

Just how many inaliable rights are you ready to surrender? I'm keeping my damn guns whether 7 year or 70 year olds are gunned down everyday. Its bleeding hearts like you that have us in such a moral deficiency today.

[Sisku Hanne]

5 children have died, two of them technically in these hours after the shooting. But the little girl at Hershey had been on life support this whole time. It could also be the case for the one in Christiana Hospital. It could be initial reports may have been confusing because some of these children were initially without unsupported signs of life.

It could be very difficult to sort out who the children were, especially if injured so critically. The families are very genetically intertwined and their coloring is pretty homogeneous- light brown to blonde hair and usually blue eyes. And the children are clothed the same with the same hairstyles. They don't have stacks of family photos around to help sort out identities, either.

[Joe Brower]

"A drunk driver killed 3 people this past weekend. Should I feel guilty about keeping my car?"

Excellent point. Interesting how only firearms have some sort of magical, evil property that singles them out for special treatment when they are misused.

[DCBryan1]

A drunk driver killed 3 people this past weekend. Should I feel guilty about keeping my car?

What ignorant people (ignorance can be cured, liberalism and stupidity can't BTW) such as defconw don't realize that cars and personal transport are not explicitly guaranteed in the Constitution, yet those "evil" guns are.

[BubbaHeel]

Are you saying they have no moral right to ask an outsider, ie the police, to come in and stop the killing of their children done by an outsider? How heartless!!

Don't you think it's just a little odd that they don't believe in defending themselves, but that they do believe in calling in the police to defend them?

And as for "heartless", don't you think it's more than a little "heartless" to be so ruthlessly pacifist that you will stand by and watch your loved ones be murdered just so that you can maintain your perfect, flawless, 100% unblemished record in the pantheon of pacifism?

[dirtboy]

Unfortunately, the liberal media jackals in Pennsylvania are already using this to bolster call for more gun control laws in Pennsylvania, even though none of the laws being proposed would have made any difference in this situation. So the concern by some is justified. I'd rather we not have to worry about such so soon after this tragedy, but the liberals will not excerise the same constraint about politicizing this today that FR exercised yesterday.

[BubbaHeel]

Anabaptists are radical pacifists. They do not fight, they leave.

But do they believe in calling in the police to do their fighting for them?

[anymouse]

A total weapons ban would not have kept this nut from murdering these little girls. Evil people will find a way to kill, with or without weapons. Pray for the families of the victims and stop blaming inanimate objects for the evil acts of disturbed people.

[PennsylvaniaMom]

Wow conflicting media releases (again). I heard, on KDKA radio, that the child the killer lost was nine years ago, a little girl, and his first born. The reporter then went on to list the ages of his three subsequent children (with the youngest being 1). So according to the reporter I heard, only two got on the school bus. So I wonder where the one year old was, who was watching the baby (or in other words) who else came in contact with this monster before he set out on his assault.

We may never know what happened, but I guess we all (media included) just look for that small red flag that foretell of his plan.

[BubbaHeel]

It's perfectly possible. Romans 13 has much to say about governing authorities and being subject to them. It wouldn't be too much of a stretch for them to not interfere when the government is administring justice or fulfilling what they consider is its responsibility. I'm NOT saying that is it for sure, but it could be interpreted that way from Scripture.

The other thing is, as I understand it, it was one person who called the police. I don't know if that is a reflection of the philosophy of the whole community or not. Even if she acted on her own in violation of that, once the police were called, they were involved.

But you do understand the moral depravity of the situation: "WE won't fight [and possibly die] to defend the lives of our loved ones, but we're more than happy to call in the police and let THEM fight [and possibly die] to defend the lives of our loved ones..."

[TAdams8591]

Prayers and tears for the little girl, all the victims and their families.

Frequently, I really hate the world we live in.

[lastchance]

The argument about packing really would make no difference in this situation. The Amish do not carry arms. They may use guns in hunting ( I don't know) but their religion teaches non violence. That is why they do not enlist in wars or conflicts and were exempt as CO from being drafted when the US had the draft.

No doubt the sick bastard who did this was well aware that no adults would likely be armed and able to defend against the attack. The news reports claim this crime was done as an act of revenge against young girls for something that happened 2o years ago. I am betting with a very sinking dread that the something will turn out to be that this sicko was prosecuted for molestation and the main witnesses against him were young girls. So he gets out of jail and this is what happens.

God grant peace to the families of these girls and may the arms of Jesus welcome the victims into heaven.

[Sisku Hanne]

I keep getting waves of tears and goosebumps. It's as if the heartache is so intense you can almost touch it.

[dirtboy]

School shootings have been stopped twice by private citizens with guns. But because the gummit doesn't trust good folks with guns around kids in schools only insane a**holes with guns are found around kids in schools.

That argument does not work in this situation. The Amish largely do not believe in firearms, and even if the teacher had a gun in a desk drawer, I doubt she could have gotten a draw on this guy given the situation.

Let's save the gun arguments for when they have relevance.

[TAdams8591]

It isn't the guns. It is the increasingly immoral and chaotic world we live in.

[just me]

I wouldn't call the Amish pacifists, they have a forgiving heart.. Just as the Bible teaches all of us should have.
If the man who shot the children had the same forgiving heart this never would have happened.
Perhaps if our country would go back to the teachings of Jesus a lot of bad things wouldn't happen out of revenge.

[Sisku Hanne]

His children had a babysitter, who gave witness to what he said & did when he sent his kids off to school yesterday.