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About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (May 22, 1998)
Thurston High School Shooting Recent school shootings in the United States In the last six yea/s, at least eight stoobngs have occurred by students around the nation. Today, shootings occurred m Spring field: Onaiasta. Wash.; and Houston, ■ MAY 1,1992: CHrvehurst Calif. — Eric Houston, 20, kifted four people and wounded 10 in an armed siege at his former high school Prosecutors sard the attack was retri bution for a faffing grade. ■ JAM. It, 1993: Grayson, Ky. — Scott Pennington. 17, walked into Deanna McQantfs seventh period Engfish class at East Carter High School, and shot her in the head. He then shot janitor Marvin Hicks in the abdomen. ■ FEB. 2,1996: Moses lake. Wash. — A14-year-old stu dent turned an assault rifle on his algebra class, killing two classmates and a teacher. ■ FEB. 19,1997: Bethei, Alaska—A 1&-year-old student opened fire with a shotgun tn a common area of Bethel High School. Killed were school principal Ron Edwards and classmate Josh Paiacious. Two other students were in jured. ■ OCT. 1,1197: Pearl. Miss.—A 16-year-oto outcast was accused of killing Ws mother, then going to school and shooting nine students. Two of them died, including the toy's ex-girlfriend. ■ UK. 1,1997: Paducah, Ky.—A youth opened fire on a student prayer circle in a hallway at Heath High school. Three students were toiled and five others were wounded ■ MARCH 24,199#: Jonesboro, Ark.—Two boys opened fire with rifles on classmates and teachers when they came out during a false fire alarm at Westside Middle School. Four girts and a teacher were lolled and 11 people were wounded. ■ MAY 29, 1998: Fayetteville, Tenn., — A high school se nior shot and killed another student in the school parking lot at the Lincoln County high school three days before they were scheduled to graduate. SOURCE: cm Wrt site MATT GARTON/Emeratd Shooting: One shot while disarming assailant ■ Continued from Page 1A Quimby said. "People started screaming, 'Gun, blood, get down,’ and that's when I real ized it was real." After Kinkel’s arrest, initial questioning of the suspect led in vestigators to 88082 Chita Loop in Springfield, where they dis covered what are believed to be the bodies of Kinkel’s parents, according to Lane County Sheriff Jan Clements. The two gunshot victims were found at 9:26 a.m.. but the time of death has yet to be determined. Kinkel’s older sister, a former University student and cheer leader in 1994, was out of the state at the time of the shooting. In all, 22 students and one ad ministrator were admitted "to McKenzie-Willamette Hospital in Springfield and Sacred Heart Medical Center in Eugene after the shooting at Thurston. “We haven’t had anything this devastating in the history of Sa cred Heart,” said Beverly May hew, director of public affairs for the medical center. “We did two things," she said. “First, we put out an alarm for trauma alert. In addition, we called a disaster alert, which no tifies the entire hospital that something’s going on. We’re lucky to have two excellent hos pitais in tne area. The school shootings came one day after Kinkel and one oth er student were suspended pend ing expulsion for possession of a firearm on school grounds. Police were notified of the concealed weapons incident and arrested Kinkel, who was re leased Wednesday to his parents after being charged with posses sion of a stolen firearm. Springfield Police Chief Bill DeForrest said Kinkel's only oth er involvement with authorities came when he was referred to a Eugene juvenile facility after throwing rocks at cars from an overpass in Deschutes County. Kinkel returned to campus early Thursday morning, parked his car a few blocks away and walked onto the closed campus allegedly armed with a .22-cal iber semi-automatic rifle, a .22 caliber handgun and second handgun identified as a “dock” by Capt. Jerry Smith of the Springfield Police Department. The school’s cafeteria was un usually full that particular morn ing because of a school-spon sored senior event, along with the normal breakfast crowd. According to broadcast re ports, students said the suspect, wearing a cream-colored trench coat, put the rifle at his hip and ran through the cafeteria shoot ing at random. "I closed my eyes, then opened them and saw Jake and Josh Ryker run towards him to tackle him,” said Quimby, a Thurston junior, referring to two of her classmates. Jake Ryker, who was shot in the chest, is one of several stu dents who helped detain and disarm the assailant and are be ing called “heroes” by local au thorities. He is listed in critical but stable condition as of 2:35 p.m. on Thursday. His brother, Josh Ryker, was unharmed. “We have several student he roes who wrestled with the sus pect and in all likelihood proba bly prevented wounding and killing more students,” DeFor restsaid. Students said Thurston was a “safe school” and this incident came as a shock. “When I was a freshman, my friend got stabbed,” Thurston se nior Isaac Sharp said. “I've been here four years, and I’d never in my whole life picture something like this happening.” Utner community members arrived on the scene to assist. “I’m just here to help,” said Bill White, a minister at the Mt. Vernon Church of Christ in Springfield who said several stu dents and parents were members of his congregation. “It’s a tragedy,” he said. “It makes it really hard when it strikes this close to home.” Authorities said Kinkel is the lone suspect in the shootings. However, investigations contin ue at both the school and Kinkel’s residence. “An incident of this type re quires very careful investiga tion,” DeForrest said. Thursday’s investigations led authorities to deploy a bomb squad to both Kinkel’s car and home to check for evidence of explosives. Kinkel’s arraignment will be held today at 1:30 p.m. at the Lane County Jail. District Attor ney Doug Harcleroad said the suspect will be tried as an adult under Oregon law, but will not be subject to the death penalty if found guilty. School throughout District 19 will be closed today. However, Thurston Middle School will be open for grieving students, facul ty and staff. LAURA GOSS/Emerald St. Alice Catholic Church was the site of counseling services and community-provided lunch in the aftermath of the shooting. LAURA GOSS/Emerald Mourners left flowers in the fence at Thurston High School in support of the victims of Thursday’s shooting. Injured: Mayor plans counseling ■ Continued tram Page 1A a.m. They arrived on the scene to find shooting suspect Kipland P. Kinkel, a 15-year-old Thurston freshman, physically detained by students and faculty. Units from the Springfield Fire and Safety Department as well from Eugene Fire/Emergency Medical Services also responded to the initial call and established a triage and treatment area in the cafeteria. All patients were trans ported from the scene within one hour. Of the 23 wounded taken to local hospitals, 12 were taken to Eugene’s Sacred Heart Medical Center and 11 were transported to Springfield’s McKenzie Willamette Hospital. According to Lottie Duey of McKenzie Willamette Hospital, all victims arrived at the hospital sustaining gunshot wounds. All victims taken to Sacred Heart Medical Center also sustained gunshot wounds, a City of Spring field press release stated. The 12 victims at McKenzie Willamette Hospital included: Jennifer Alldredge, 17, critical condition; Elizabeth McKenzie, 15, fair; Ben Walker, 17, in a deep and irretrievable coma; Jesse Wal ley, fair but stable; Joshua Pear son, 17, fair and discharged; Ryan Atteberry, 17, serious; Kyle Howes, 16, fair but stable; Tara McMullen, 17, fair but stable; Melissa Taylor, 27, serious ; Mel lissa Femrite, fair and discharged; Sara Branom, fair and discharged; and Christine Osbourn, 17, fair but stable. The 11 victims taken to Sacred Heart Medical Center included: Tony Case, critical but stable; Nathan Cole, fair; Tabitha Fain, 14, good; Trina Harty, 17, fair; Betina Lynn, 18, fair but stable; Carolyn McClain, 15, fair; Teresa Miltonberger, critical; Richard Peek, 17, fair but stable; Amber Ramsey, 15, serious; Jacob Russel Ryker, serious; and Gabriel Thomas, 17, treated and released. The deceased, Mikael Nicko lauson, was pronounced dead at the scene of the incident by para medics. The incident has prompted Springfield's mayor and others to plan counseling sessions to help affected community members. “Unfortunately it takes some thing like this to get peoples’ at tention," Springfield Mayor Bill Morrisette said. "We will heal to gether.”
