Arapahoe High School Shooting 13 Dec

[Bob]

CNN and local news services, reporting a shooter in Arapahoe High School in Colorado, has killed themselves and has severely injured two other students. The school is in lockdown, and hundreds of authorities and emergency services are on scene.

http://www.cnn.com/2013/12/13/us/colorado-school-shooting/

The dead student wanted a confrontation with a teacher the Sheriff told CNN reporters.


http://chanlo.com/images/sh1.jpg

Local Sheriff updates - the one student a girl, was severely injured, the other was not shot that bad, but both are in the hospital.

The suspect (a former student) armed with a shotgun, killed themselves shortly thereafter, a self inflicted gunshot wound (to the head?) and their intent was to go after a specifically named teacher, who immediately left the school when informed there was a shooter there looking for them. The investigation continues, the Sheriff says they believe there was only one shooter.

ED Update: Tracey Murphy, a librarian (?) for the school, was the intended target of this former now dead student - according to a janitor there in the school who apparently was privy to the shooting.

The Sheriff with agreement of the Governor has requested that ALL Littleton schools are to be locked down - nobody in or out currently (as of 6PM eastern time).

[Bob]

Let's pray for the injured kids and their parents, the children who were traumatized by this event.

[Bob]

Shooter was an Arapahoe High School Senior - Littleton hospital is doing surgery on the injured girl, she is listed critical.

ED update: Arapahoe High School is a school of about 2000 students. Easily this could have turned much worse than had happened.

[sheme]

Any exercises going on near by? I send my prayers to those that are affected by this, Friday the 13.12. 2013 add those numbers up and you get 13.

[Bob]

Any exercises going on near by? I send my prayers to those that are affected by this, Friday the 13.12. 2013 add those numbers up and you get 13. I think the time the shooting happened or when the student entered was pretty darned close to 13:00 hrs, maybe even 13:13 ish... confusing on the timing though. There were no apparent maneuvers going on but the news reports were showing more police and emergency vehicles than I have ever seen in any one area and had gotten there faster than any other incident in memory. All agencies apparently are "on this", currently at the shooter's house combing it for any evidence or signs which would allow them to understand why the shooter was targeting some one in the school.

Ed update: BATF is combing a house in Highlands ranch, with local Colorado bureau of investigation (CBI) and Sheriff's officers. They are not saying if that is the shooter's house at this time.

Ed update: News reports that, "Scores and scores of investigators are combing every aspect of the Arapahoe High School" for any trace of evidence that may give them "clues" as to why the shooting happened. Students were told to leave in an orderly manner, hands raised up, leaving EVERYTHING behind, nothing taken out with them - many were full body searched by armed security in full riot gear. One student reports she was severely traumatized by the event.

Ed update: they are refining the time to 12:33 is when it started and it was all over by 13:00

[Bob]

Student reports are saying they had "trained" for such an incident, what to do. Arapahoe High school is not that far away from Columbine.

Columbine High School massacre was a school shooting that occurred on April 20, 1999, at Columbine High School in Columbine, an unincorporated area of Jefferson County in the State of Colorado. Also Seniors, Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold, murdered a total of 12 students and one teacher. They injured 24 additional students, with three other people being injured while attempting to escape the school. The pair then committed suicide, same as the Arapahoe school shooter.

ED Update: This school is also close to the Century movie theater in Aurora, Colorado, during a midnight screening of the film The Dark Knight Rises, where shooter James Holmes in July 2012 opened fire killing 12 and injuring 58.

This community is very very traumatized.

[aranuk]

Now this incident looks real. Not a put up job like the rest.

My sympathies to any victims and relatives.

Stan

[Gardener]

Ten Miles from Columbine, a year tomorrow after SandyH, how come this guy got in the school openly carrying a gun?

Prayers for those touched by this finger of evil.

[Bob]

Ten Miles from Columbine, a year tomorrow after SandyH, how come this guy got in the school openly carrying a gun?

Prayers for those touched by this finger of evil.

I just saw the interview with the Janitor who was outside in the parking lot - the gunman had the shotgun exposed in an attack poise, and was running towards a doorway, at which point had taken a shot and missed apparently of one of the teachers, then proceeded inside to go look for their target.

[Bob]

Ten Miles from Columbine, a year tomorrow after SandyH, [..].

Bomb-squad says this Arapahoe High School shooter also had what appears to be a Molotov Cocktail, similar to a fire bomb (as did Colombine killers used a bomb). All the weapons produced by this shooter are items that are either made from over-the-counter items, and the shotgun is a recognized game weapon used worldwide in "sport hunting". It was neither a pistol nor an assault rifle.. It was not discussed if the shotgun was a 12 gauge, or smaller, but it was assumed by reporters that the gun was "sawed off" so that the killer could commit suicide.

Ed Note: Shootings by shotgun are not unheard of - September 16, 2013, Aaron Alexis, a lone gunman armed initially with a shotgun, fatally shot (12) twelve people and injured three others in a mass shooting at the headquarters of the Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA) inside the Washington Navy Yard in Southeast Washington, D.C. The attack began around 8:20 a.m. EDT in Building 197. Alexis was killed by police around 9:20 a.m. EDT. Alexis was reportedly hearing "voices" telling him what to do. We can only wonder if this troubled youth was as well.

[Bob]

Neighbors in the Highlands ranch area where the ex-student lived, say he was involved in National Debate competition, saying he was a great student. Reporters are not being allowed to name the student until the police say the name can be released. The student's mother was out of town caring for a sick relative according to reports. The police had gone to the home, entered and searched not seen taking anything out, then started asking neighbors for information. They are still doing such at this moment.

Ed Note - more on the shooter - "Karl Pierson" is the name going around with the students as to who they believe did it. They said Pearson was kicked out of the debate team (recently) by the Librarian who apparently was leading the debate team members. The librarian is the head of the team.

From a report from the Denver Post - "He had very strong beliefs about gun laws and stuff," said junior Abbey Skoda, who was in a class with the alleged shooter her freshman year. "I also heard he was bullied a lot."

Reporters are saying the neighbors in the Highlands Ranch area are "freaked" and not wanting to talk to reporters but are huddled together talking with themselves. It looks like about 12 people (the neighbors) huddled together with a few BATF agents talking. Neighbors were saying he was a dedicated, bright student from a religious family who attends Bible study meetings.

More from the Denver Post - "Pierson's parents divorced in late 2011, according to court records. The divorce was finalized in August 2012.

Thomas Conrad, who had been in an economics class with Pierson, described him as a very opinionated Socialist.

From Pierson's Facebook posts - In one Facebook post, Pierson attacks the philosophies of economist Adam Smith who through his invisible hand theory pushed the notion that the free market was self-regulating. In another post, he describes himself as "Keynesian."

"...I was wondering to all the neoclassicals and neoliberals, why isn't the market correcting itself?" Pierson wrote. "If the invisible hand is so strong, shouldn't it be able to overpower regulations?"

Pierson also appears to mock Republicans on another Facebook post, writing "you republicans are so cute" and posting an image that reads: "The Republican Party: Health Care: Let 'em Die, Climate Change: Let 'em Die, Gun Violence: Let 'em Die, Women's Rights: Let 'em Die, More War: Let 'em Die. Is this really the side you want to be on?"

Seeing that posted and looking at other Forum postings, (sigh) what is it that is happening? Anyone else seeing something like Pierson's posting around? Point it out please.

[Carmody]

All three of them (locations) are on the same ley line. It runs out to the center of the great salt lake, and the suspected underground base is located outside of Denver, to the west, on the same ley line.

[Bob]

All three of them (locations) are on the same ley line. It runs out to the center of the great salt lake, and the suspected underground base is located outside of Denver, to the west, on the same ley line.

The energy in that area has always felt terrible. If I recall correctly following that line, there was a terrible (and are frequent accidents) auto accident where 3 young girls were killed, ejected, while traveling over that line as it heads west through the mountains. There have been more accidents along that line.

[Gardener]

But;
With all the fuss about school security, and in THAT area, are we to understand that there were no special access locks on the doors? No security!

[Bob]

But;
With all the fuss about school security, and in THAT area, are we to understand that there were no special access locks on the doors? No security!

Correct, the shooter had entered the area where the least possible security existed, through an open door.

[Bob]

From the updated news conference from Sheriff Robinson 20:00 eastern time, from Colorado, Arapahoe County

THIS press-conference/interview was very revealing. In what was said and not said. It took about 35 minutes. This should be the last press conference for the day until the Sheriff chooses to release any other information, which could be Sunday or Monday according to his timeline.


http://extras.mnginteractive.com/live/media/site36/2013/0123/20130123__GraysonRobinson~p1.jpg

12:33 an armed student had come into the school, shot one student in the west area.

Immediately deputies activated the "Active Shooter Protocol" - something that is now in effect across the US. The protocol is designed to IMMEDIATELY "eliminate the threat" - that is the policy. This squad is a highly trained hit squad designed to instantly take out any "shooter" - The Sheriff says he believes the shooter knew this was going to happen to him and decided to take his own life.

The Sheriff says he acted in the "best interests of the community and the students". He says no people were injured (although one additional student was taken to Swedish Hospital, but not from the shooting).. He says he knows everyone is now safe, except for the two students who remain injured. One of those students, a 15 year old, the young girl still remains in critical condition. The other student who was minimally injured has been released.

He says he and his officers have a mountain of "evidence" that has already been collected (6 hours after the event), who will be sorting through it to determine relevance to this case.

He says he has the very very best, of the crime scene investigators (in the world) on-scene who are taking point in getting to the matter of why this happened. He says there is a lot of work still to do.

He says your personal property isn't going to be released, referring to teachers and students personal property - it is all part of an active crime scene (although such property may have been clear across the school no where near where the shooting happened).

He still refuses to release the identity of the shooter. He says there has to be proper identification before he releases the name. He says REVENGE was the reason the shooter, although that is not confirmed yet with proper investigative technique he says.

He says the amount of resources that responded to this tragedy was amazing - Federal Government, State, Local, County officers responded. These talents are available until the Sheriff says he releases them - so he is keeping mobilized all the officials, the hundreds of officers and departments will be used..

He says when this is all done, there will be a very thorough report released. He says his partnership is also directly with the School District, the Superintendent of Schools.. (what does that mean?)

That was his. Sheriff Robinson's statement to the Press. The District Attorney then started his press briefing. He thanked all the agencies for their support then asked for prayers from the community and the rest of the world who is listening. George Brauchler, the DA for Arapahoe county said that the actions of these highly trained officers saved lives. Of course he didn't point out that the shooter was dead long before any officers entered the building, from a self inflicted shotgun blast. He says the reason things are being done so meticulously is that he wants to establish a chain of evidence such as how did Pearson obtain the shotgun (and where did he get the gasoline (?) for the Molotov Cocktail)... He said everyone WILL BE forever effected by this action and the events that happened today. And then he gave a phone number for everyone to call in to report how they are affected by this event.

The Sheriff then came back to the mike, saying EVERY STUDENT in the school district, including any others, such as teachers, should also CALL IN and REPORT what they are feeling.

The Sheriff said TWO Molotov Cocktails were in the school, not just one as first reported. One of the devices was detonated in the school he reports. Apparently all there was was a significant amount of smoke. (such was not reported earlier by the first responders but is now being reported by the Sheriff as to "what happened").

The Sheriff will not report how the student just walked right in. He says "it takes someone very little to flip like this and for someone to do such a thing ..." (one could be lead to believe that this fellow thinks very low of human-kind and their ability to check themselves. That could appear very distressing at the face value that he would feel that way about people. )

He says basically screw any reports you are getting from anyone from anywhere except verbatim from his mouth. And he was highly animated and jabbing his finger into the air when he said that.

He says over the last 3-5 months, there have been quite a few ACTIVE training sessions, with teams going into the schools to train, regularly for said events. He says over and over, that this is why the officers responded so well to the event that happened this afternoon.

He says there are 3 crime scenes besides the School that they are looking at - the shooter's vehicle, the home that the shooter lived in, as well as a secondary temporary home location that the shooter frequented. He says the school has video recordings of those entering and leaving. He says that there were 65-80 students which were readily identified (immediately) by the video surveillance system who were in the area that the shooting happened. (that is very impressive when you think about the face recognizing technology that must have been installed in the SCHOOL)..

The school staff immediately knew there was something up when the former student entered the building. He says within 5 minutes of the student entering the building he was dead, long before any officer arrived on scene. He repeated that over and over numerous times during the press conference.

(The press is calling the Molotov Cocktails, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Molotov_cocktail fire bombs, "explosive devices")


http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/0/05/Molotowcocktail.jpg/330px-Molotowcocktail.jpg

He says (Sheriff Robinson) may do one additional briefing on Friday, two hours from now, but it is assumed that nothing new is immediately forthcoming. He says potentially 2-3PM locally (Colorado) is when he may do an update on Saturday, but it will only be a briefing. By Sunday/Monday he had said students and teaches in the school of 2000 will be most likely able to collect their personal belongings.

[SilentFeathers]

I'm curious what bizarre synchronicities will be involved with this case.....

[Bob]

I'm curious what bizarre synchronicities will be involved with this case.....

Something just feels wrong besides the ley lines after watching this interview.. I did not like what I saw in the last press briefing. This was very different presentation than any other shootings that were covered; there appeared to be some sort of anger in the guy's voice and facial features, however, when the DA spoke up, the DA looked sincerely affected but there was also something staged. It seems anyone who recorded that press briefing may want to keep an eye on this and others coming up and report what they see. Any shooting obviously is frustrating, tragic, but one can feel from their hearts when something is happening that reaches them. Maybe he was just feeling that it was so stupid for a student to behave in that manner. I dunno.

Ed Note - the after press conference "talking heads" dialogued between themselves; they described how the Active Response Protocol was developed after Columbine's tragic shooting. That these teams ARE needed to protect us (from?), and that people will always remember this tragedy, and to please call in and seek help if you are troubled about this (event).

They never used to say such things, seems like some sort of evaluation surveying happening.

This is terrible obviously what happened to the children who were shot, and the shooter himself who was apparently driven to such a sad method of dealing with their "frustrations". Was that a madness? Was that a "voices in the head" scenario? Was it the stresses from being on negative ley lines?


==================================

thats all I have for this evening on this sad event. thank you for reading and your prayers.

[SilentFeathers]

Hi Bob, I'm so busy working right now I haven't had much time to surf and research this yet, so I'm basically relying on this thread for info......Avalon, the one stop shop!

I also noticed today on the Druge Report that there was another FBI setup terrorist attack prevention in I think Kansas, I find it odd this is happening right now too.

But not to derail the thread, I am more drawn to pay attention to this shooting than the Kansas incident, I get the vibe there will be some bizarre synchronicities about it.

We already have ley lines, Colorado again, school again....they also made sure its a shotgun this time? hmmmm

I'm predicting they will also push mental illness and gun control too......

[Bob]

I'm curious what bizarre synchronicities will be involved with this case.....

I'm all for connecting the dots on this one. Finally sheriff admitted Karl Pierson after numerous students who knew the fellow and a Denver post interview pointed out his name and Facebook posts..

The talking heads were really continuing to show how many ma's were worried, how thankful we have this new instant task force who will protect us, instantly from a madman. What all indications are showing from neighbor reports the kid was a good kid who had buttons pressed. What pressed them could be very revealing.

I think a good discussion is in order and asking and connecting some dots I don't think is going to derail..

Lets try to keep this on topic as to why did he do it, is this something that could have been prevented, if so by what means, is this going to lead to more controls, was that why if his buttons were pressed, is there a movement to cause folks to flip out and hurt others? Can that be addressed? Lots of questions, thinking out loud.

Going over them solving, connecting the dots has lead to removing the complex issues why such problems happen.

[SilentFeathers]

This is the general narrative thus far that I can find, most stories are reporting the same type of scenario....

This article is from Aurora Advocate, go figure huh?


CENTENNIAL, Colo. (AP) -- A teenager who may have had a grudge against a teacher opened fire Friday with a shotgun at a suburban Denver high school, wounding a fellow student before killing himself.

Quick-thinking students at Arapahoe High School alerted the targeted teacher, who quickly left the building. The scene unfolded on the eve of the Newtown massacre anniversary, a somber reminder of the ever-present potential for violence in the nation's schools.

The wounded student, a 15-year-old girl, underwent surgery and was in critical condition. Authorities originally said a second student was wounded, but Arapahoe County Sheriff Grayson Robinson said Friday night that the other girl taken to a hospital was covered in blood from the first student and wasn't injured.

Robinson identified the shooter as Karl Halverson Pierson, 18. The sheriff did not elaborate on any possible motive except to say Pierson had a "confrontation or disagreement" with the teacher. He didn't know if the injured girl was intentionally shot.

Pierson made no attempt to hide his weapon after entering the school from a parking lot and asking for the teacher by name, Robinson said.

When the teacher learned that he was being targeted, he left "in an effort to try to encourage the shooter to also leave the school," the sheriff said. "That was a very wise tactical decision."

Jessica Girard said she was in math class when she heard three shots.

"Then there was a bunch of yelling, and then I think one of the people who had been shot was yelling in the hallway, 'Make it stop,'" she said.

Two suspected Molotov cocktails were also found inside the school, the sheriff said. Robinson said one was lit and thrown, but no one was injured.

The school was swiftly locked down. Within 20 minutes of the first report of a gunman, officers found Pierson's body inside the school, Robinson said.

Several other Denver-area school districts went into lockdown as reports of the shooting spread. Police as far away as Fort Collins, about a two-hour drive north, stepped up school security.

Arapahoe High students were seen walking toward the school's running track with their hands in the air, and television footage showed students being patted down. Robinson said deputies wanted to make sure there were no other conspirators. Authorities later concluded that Pierson had acted alone.

Nearby neighborhoods were jammed with cars as parents sought out their children. Some parents stood in long lines at a church. One young girl who was barefoot embraced her parents, and the family began to cry.

The shooting came a day before the anniversary of the Newtown, Conn., attack in which a gunman killed 20 children and six adults at Sandy Hook Elementary School.

Arapahoe High stands just 8 miles east of Columbine High School in Littleton, where two teenage shooters killed 12 classmates and a teacher before killing themselves in 1999. The practice of sending law enforcement directly into an active shooting, as was done Friday, was a tactic that developed in response to the Columbine shooting.

Since Columbine, Colorado has endured other mass shootings, including the killing of 12 people in a movie theater in nearby Aurora in 2012. But it was not until after the Newtown massacre that state lawmakers moved to enact stricter gun control laws. Two Democratic lawmakers were recalled from office earlier this year for backing the laws, and a third recently resigned to avoid a recall election.

The district attorney prosecuting the theater shooting, George Brauchler, lives near Arapahoe High. At a news conference, he urged anyone who needed help to call a counseling service and gave out a phone number.

Tracy Monroe, who had step-siblings who attended Columbine, was standing outside Arapahoe High on Friday looking at her phone, reading text messages from her 15-year-old daughter inside.

Monroe said she got the first text from her daughter, sophomore Jade Stanton, at 12:41 p.m. The text read, "There's sirens. It's real. I love you."

A few minutes later, Jade texted "shots were fired in our school." Monroe rushed to the school and was relieved when Jade texted that a police officer entered her classroom and she was safe.

Monroe's brother knew a teacher killed in the Columbine shooting, Dave Sanders.

"We didn't think it could happen in Colorado then, either," Monroe said.

After hearing three shots, freshman Colton Powers said everyone "ran to the corner of the room and turned off the lights and locked the door and just waited, hoped for the best. A lot of people I couldn't see, but they were crying. I was scared. I didn't know what to do."

His mother, Shelly Powers, said she first got word of the shooting in the middle of a conference call at work.

"I dropped all my devices, got my keys and got in my car," she said. "I was crying all the way here."

More than 2,100 students attend Arapahoe High, where nine out of 10 graduates go on to college, according to the Littleton Public Schools website.

___
http://www.auroraadvocate.com/ap%20general%20news/2013/12/13/gunman-18-wounds-classmate-in-colorado-school

[Bob]

Claire Davis, the 17-year-old high school senior shot by a classmate at their Colorado school, died Saturday at the hospital where she was being treated.

Dec - 21 2013 rest in peace..


A link to Hallelujah by John Cale - very touching..

http://chanlo.com/images/john_cale_hallelujah.mp3

[Bob]

added a tribute to Claire - Hallelujah - by John Cale (in the previous post) - not a dry eye here..

I've heard there was a secret chord
That David played and it pleased the Lord
But you don't really care for music, do you?
It goes like this
The fourth, the fifth
The minor fall, the major lift
The baffled king composing Hallelujah

Hallelujah

Your faith was strong, but you needed proof
You saw her bathing on the roof
Her beauty and the moonlight overthrew you
She tied you
To a kitchen chair
She broke your throne, she cut your hair
And from your lips she drew the Hallelujah

Hallelujah

Baby I've been here before, I know this room
I've walked this floor
I used to live alone before I knew you
I've seen your flag on the Marble Arch
Love is not a victory march
It's a cold and it's a broken Hallelujah

Hallelujah

There was a time you let me know
What's really going on below
But now you never show it to me, do you?
I remember when I moved in you
And the holy dove was moving too
And every breath we drew was Hallelujah

Hallelujah

Maybe there's a God above, all I ever learned from love
Was how to shoot at someone who out drew you
And it's not a cry you can hear at night
It's not somebody who's seen the light
It's a cold and it's a broken Hallelujah

Hallelujah
Hallelujah


---------------

thank you Grip for your finds..

[gripreaper]

added a tribute to Claire - Hallelujah - by John Cale (in the previous post) - not a dry eye here..

RIP Claire...


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u5ayPhf75Kc


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uz6BkBbqlVg