Amish School ShootingOn Monday, October 2, 2006, 32-year-old Charles Roberts entered West Nickel Min
Amish School ShootingOn Monday, October 2, 2006, 32-year-old Charles Roberts entered West Nickel Mines School, a one-room Amish schoolhouse, just before 10:30 AM and asked the students if they had seen a missing clevis pin on the road. The children answered that they had not and Roberts left, only to return minutes later brandishing a 9 mm handgun. Several adults, including the teacher, fled to get help as Roberts ordered the male children to help unload items from his truck. Next, he ordered everyone out of the schoolhouse except for the ten female children. Several remaining adults fled along with the male students. By 11:00 the police had arrived and ordered Roberts off of the property. Roberts replied that if the police did not leave then he would begin firing. Shots rang out seven minutes later and ended abruptly, with Roberts committing suicide. Five of the ten girls died from the injuries. Roberts left behind four suicide notes - one for his very confused wife and one for each young child he left behind. In the wake of the shooting, the Amish community reached out to his wife, inviting her to funerals and shielding her from photographers. The Amish reaction drew media attention who were surprised by the acceptance and love shown toward the killer’s wife. The twisted motives behind Roberts’ actions were never truly discovered. In his suicide note to his wife, Roberts explained that he had molested two female family members when he was twelve and had been having pedophilic urges. This possible motive was supported by a bottle of K-Y Jelly found in Roberts’ belongings at the scene. However, both family members vehemently deny that any abuse occurred. Could Roberts’ ill mind have made up the tale? Were the murders simply a rampage by a man gone mad, or was something else at work? -- source link
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