Gunman kills five girls at Amish school

NICKEL MINES – Survivors clung to life yesterday as police tried to puzzle out why a local man carried out an “execution style” shooting in an Amish schoolhouse, killing four girls before shooting himself.

The fifth girl died later in hosiptal. Seven (now six) other girls were wounded after the heavily-armed gunman with a grudge burst into the one-room rural school building early Monday, ordered out the boys and adults, bound the girls then opened fire.It was the third fatal killing in a US school in a week.State Police Commissioner Jeffrey Miller named the gunman as 32-year-old truck driver Charles Roberts, a married father of three who was not Amish.Miller said Roberts told his wife, in a final conversation before killing himself, that he wanted “revenge” for something that happened 20 years ago.”He was angry, angry at God,” Miller said, adding that Roberts “was equipped for a lengthy siege.”Three girls, including a teenage teaching assistant, died on the scene, police said.A fourth girl died in hospital hours later, according to Lancaster General Hospital spokeswoman Kim Hatch.Police called to the scene stormed the building at the sound of gunshots and found “horrendous” carnage inside the Georgetown Amish school, Miller said.The incident stunned this normally quiet farm region 88 kilometres west of Philadelphia, where Amish men in their typical suspenders and straw hats rushed from their fields to gather in shock outside the schoolhouse.Police said Roberts entered the school shortly before 10 am Monday.He ordered the adults and 15 boys aged six to 13 to leave, keeping behind 11 girls, three teenage teachers aides and eight younger girls.Police were notified about 45 minutes later when a teacher who escaped placed a call from a nearby farm house.They said Roberts had nailed lumber across the inside of the door.The girls had been bound with wire and plastic cord and lined up against the blackboard.Police surrounded the school at around 11:45 and frantically tried to make contact with Roberts, then rushed the building after hearing several rapid gunshots in succession.Nampa-AFPSeven (now six) other girls were wounded after the heavily-armed gunman with a grudge burst into the one-room rural school building early Monday, ordered out the boys and adults, bound the girls then opened fire.It was the third fatal killing in a US school in a week.State Police Commissioner Jeffrey Miller named the gunman as 32-year-old truck driver Charles Roberts, a married father of three who was not Amish.Miller said Roberts told his wife, in a final conversation before killing himself, that he wanted “revenge” for something that happened 20 years ago.”He was angry, angry at God,” Miller said, adding that Roberts “was equipped for a lengthy siege.”Three girls, including a teenage teaching assistant, died on the scene, police said.A fourth girl died in hospital hours later, according to Lancaster General Hospital spokeswoman Kim Hatch.Police called to the scene stormed the building at the sound of gunshots and found “horrendous” carnage inside the Georgetown Amish school, Miller said.The incident stunned this normally quiet farm region 88 kilometres west of Philadelphia, where Amish men in their typical suspenders and straw hats rushed from their fields to gather in shock outside the schoolhouse.Police said Roberts entered the school shortly before 10 am Monday.He ordered the adults and 15 boys aged six to 13 to leave, keeping behind 11 girls, three teenage teachers aides and eight younger girls.Police were notified about 45 minutes later when a teacher who escaped placed a call from a nearby farm house.They said Roberts had nailed lumber across the inside of the door.The girls had been bound with wire and plastic cord and lined up against the blackboard.Police surrounded the school at around 11:45 and frantically tried to make contact with Roberts, then rushed the building after hearing several rapid gunshots in succession.Nampa-AFP