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Red Lake shootings

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File:Red Lake High School-aerial color.jpg
Aerial photograph taken during the aftermath of the school massacre.

The Red Lake High School massacre was a school massacre that took place on Monday, March 21, 2005 in which Jeffrey Weise, a student at Red Lake High School in Red Lake, Beltrami County, Minnesota, killed seven people including a teacher and a security guard. He had previously killed his grandfather and his grandfather's partner at home before going to school to commit the massacre. Seven others were wounded. When police cornered Weise inside the school, he shot and killed himself. Another student believed to be involved in planning the event was arrested one week after the shootings. He was charged with conspiracy to commit murder based on several email messages he exchanged with Jeff Weise which involved plans for the Red Lake High School massacre. The conspiracy charge was eventually dropped, though he pled guilty to transmitting threatening messages through the Internet.

March 21 - Massacre on Red Lake reservation

Despite commonly being referred to as the Red Lake High School massacre, two of the victims died in their home on the reservation.

Killing at home

The incident began on the afternoon of March 21 when Weise shot his grandfather, Daryl "Dash" Lussier, with a .22 pistol while he was sleeping. It is not known how Weise got the pistol, but he is believed to have acquired it up to a year before the shooting.

Weise then stole Lussier's two police-issue weapons, a 9mm Glock and pump-action shotgun. He then shot Lussier's partner, Michelle Sigana, when she returned home.

Shooting at Red Lake High School

Weise then drove his grandfather's squad car to school, arriving at around 2:45 p.m. Central Standard Time (19:45 UTC). Passing through the building's main entrance, he encountered unarmed security guard Derrick Brun, who was manning the school's metal detector. Weise fatally shot Brun, and then proceeded down a hallway firing at students, killing five students and a teacher (Neva Rogers) and injuring seven others. Witnesses say he smiled and waved as he shot at people. In an incident reminiscent of events that took place during the Columbine High School massacre, one witness said that he asked one victim if she believed in God before he shot her.

A Time magazine article says that Chase Lussier, one of the students killed in the shootings, shoved his friend down to the ground and told her to "stay behind him," instead of running for his own life. The article said that as Weise entered the classroom where the two students were hiding, Chase's friend's and the gunman's eyes met. Weise fired his gun towards Chase's direction. The friend ducked and then, according to the article, "felt something warm and wet coating her jeans," which proved to be Lussier's blood. It is assessed by some experts that had he taken his own safety first, he would have survived the attack.

Brief shoot-out with police

FBI special agent Paul McCabe stated that at some point, Weise returned to the entrance where he had opened fire and engaged in a brief shoot-out with the police, which ended when he was wounded by at least two bullets. None of the officers were hit. .

A sheriff's deputy's e-mail to his family members was leaked to several media outlets, revealing that Weise had been shot in the hip and leg as he exchanged fire with the Red Lake police before retreating into the classroom. None of the police officers were hit by Weise's gunfire.

Weapons

Weise was armed with the following during the shooting:

  • .22 handgun - Unknown where Weise got this weapon from, may have posessed it for up to a year before the shooting.
  • 9mm pistol - Stolen from Daryl Lussier (police issued weapon).
  • Shotgun - Also taken from Lussier's home. Possibly police issued, presumably 12 gauge.

Victims of the school shooting

There were a total of 7 fatalities and 14 injuries in the school on March 21;

Killed

Faculty:

  • Neva Winnecoup-Rogers, 62, Teacher

Staff:

  • Derrick Brun, 28, unarmed security guard

Students:

  • Dewayne Lewis, 15,
  • Chase Lussier, 15
  • Chanelle Rosebear, 15
  • Thurlene Stillday, 15
  • Alicia White, 14

Injured

This list is incomplete; you can help by adding missing items.
  • Ryan Auginash, 14, gunshot wound to the chest.
  • Steven Cobenais, 15, shot in the forehead, airlifted to Fargo, North Dakota.
  • Lance Crowe, 15, gunshot wound to the hand and chest.
  • Jeffrey Green, 15
  • Jeffrey May, 15, tried to wrestle shooter, was shot in the neck.
  • Cody Thunder, 15, received a gunshot wound to the hip.

Other Deaths

Perpetrator

Killed prior to the Shooting

  • Daryl Lussier, 58, killed by several .22 shots to the torso
  • Michelle Sigana, 32, killed by at least one 9mm shot to the chest

Aftermath and Trivia

  • Louis Jourdain, the son of Tribal Chairman Floyd Jourdain Jr., was arrested in connection with the shootings on March 28, 2005 and charged with conspiracy. He was charged with conspiracy to commit murder based on several email messages he exchanged with Jeff Weise which involved plans for the Red Lake High School massacre. The conspiracy charge was eventually dropped, though Jordain pled guilty to transmitting threatening messages through the Internet.
  • President Bush praised security guard Derrick Brun on March 26, 2006. He said "Derrick's bravery cost him his life, and all Americans honor him... ...Although he was unarmed, Derrick ignored the pleas of a colleague to run for his life... ...by engaging the assailant; he bought vital time for a fellow security guard to rush a group of students to safety."

See also

External links

Websites

News Articles

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