The 911 Call to Uvalde, Texas, April 24, 2009: A Story of a Girl who Was Abducted, Locked and Interrogated by a 911 Shooter

By that time, there were several armed responders waiting outside of the classrooms, talking, checking equipment, and looking for tools, while a team entered the room and killed the shooter.

They could hear her trying to help her teacher Eva Mireles, who had been shot and later died, while also giving their room number to Khloie, who was fairly new to Uvalde and the school. Miah tried to keep Khloie and the other fourth graders quiet when Khloie told them to keep quiet.

The audio should be heard by the officers who were at the scene so they can appreciate what the kids are going through.

A total of 376 officers from state and federal agencies responded to the scene, but they did not know how many of them were near their friends and teachers. One child and a teacher died later in the attack.

Miah had been injured when she flew shrapnel in her shoulders and head, and now her parents want all the officers to hear her call.

Children call and say they are hurt in the school, that shows the responding officers that they are just as bad as the children.

The chaotic, prolonged response on May 24 has been decried as a failure for months. But full details of what happened and when are still being withheld and Texas’s top cop did not provide an update as expected at a public meeting last week. Instead, Col. Steve McCraw, director of the Texas Department of Public Safety, listened to family members’ anger and acknowledged some mistakes, before saying his officers “did not fail the community” of Uvalde.

Khloie’s father Ruben Torres, praised his daughter’s actions and again contrasted them with the inaction of the officers after he heard the 911 call. “That day, the things that she did were absolutely incredible,” he said of his daughter. None of the adults had courage on that day, according to him.

Wednesday was the first time Miah’s parents had heard the call and they said it helped them to understand more of what Miah had told them about that day and what she had gone through.

“Hi, can you please send help?” Miah asked at 12:14 p.m., 46 minutes after the shooter entered the room but still 30 minutes from when he was stopped.

“Are they in the building?” she asks repeatedly about the law enforcement response. Her mother said Miah believed officers were still trying to find a way to get close to them, never imagining that they were stacked up on the other side of the door, just feet away.

Her family tried to shield her from learning more about the failed response but last month, she found some of the body camera video online, showing the distraction, delay and lack of communication.

Miah was able to tell CNN days later how she smeared blood on herself and played dead in the hope the gunman would leave her alone if he came back from the adjoining classroom. She even testified to the US Congress, sending a video message to a House committee investigating gun violence when she said what she wished for was “to have security.”

“She’s not Miah anymore,” her mother said simply, remembering how her middle child used to love playing pranks with her siblings and is now afraid of any loud noise.

The Texas School Shooting of 17 February 2023 and the Gun Violence Archive: A New Generation of Gun Laws and Resources for Education and Schools

Monday’s attack was the deadliest US school shooting in nearly a year and the 19th shooting at a school or university so far in 2023 that left at least one person wounded, a CNN count shows.

The gunman, Nikolas Cruz, has been sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. The school resource officer faces charges for failing to confront the shooter at the high school.

In states where the politics of gun-control legislation have become a bigger issue than school safety, the idea that some teachers could be armed has been put up for debate.

Depending on the circumstances, mass shooting is defined differently by different groups. But the Gun Violence Archive, a nonprofit research group that tracks gun violence using police reports, news coverage and other public sources, defines a mass shooting as one in which at least four people are killed or injured. As of late March, the archive has counted 130 mass shootings in the United States in 2023.

The Texas tragedy spurred the creation of the first major federal gun safety law in decades. It marked the most significant gun legislation since the assault weapons ban of 1994, which expired after 10 years.

Red flag laws allow courts to seize firearms from people that the courts believe to be a danger to themselves or others. Funding for school safety and state intervention programs are provided by the Bipartisan Safer Communities Act.

Lori Alhadeff, Alyssa’s Mom, was Born a Soccer Player and a Great Kid: Always Loved and Remembered

Lori Alhadeff, Alyssa’s mother, told HLN she dropped her daughter off at school Wednesday and said, “I love you.” When the mother heard about the shooting, she rushed to the school. It was too late.

yssa was a soccer player that was smart, successful and amazing. You will be greatly missed. We love you so much. You’ll always, always be in our hearts.”

“On behalf of the entire Coleman community, we offer heartfelt condolences and prayers for comfort to Alyssa’s family and friends,” the camp posted on Facebook after her death. “May Alyssa’s memory forever be for a blessing.”

Mr. Beigel will be my hero for the rest of my life. I will never forget the actions that he took for me and for fellow students in the classroom,” she told CNN. I am alive because of him.

“He was a very funny kid, outgoing, and sometimes really quiet. He was sweet and caring and loved by all his family. Most of all he was my baby brother,” Miguel wrote on a GoFundMe page created after the shooting to help pay for funeral expenses.

Source: https://www.cnn.com/2023/02/14/us/parkland-school-shooting-5-year-anniversary/index.html

Nick Manuel, an Indianapolis student killed by a police officer, and his daughter, Janice Dalu, in the St. Patrick’s Day parade

His mother said the note he taped next to his bed summed up his desire to become a Swedish Olympian. I will give everything I have to achieve the goals I have set.

After the shooting, Robert L. Manuel, then-president of the University of Indianapolis, said Nick’s death was “a reminder that we are connected to the larger world, and when tragedy hits in places around the world, it oftentimes affects us at home.”

The football program spokesman said that the assistant football coach died after throwing himself in front of students to protect them from bullets.

He made sure his needs were met first. He was a person who worked hard. He helped as many people as possible while he worked after school on the weekends.

Fred Guttenberg wrote on his Facebook page that his heart was broken. We lost our baby girl to a violent shooting at her school. Jesse Guttenberg lost his sister.

“I am broken as I write this trying to figure out how my family gets through this,” the father continued. We apologize for not reacting to every single person and we appreciate the calls and messages. Hugs to all and hold your children tight.”

In South Carolina, it was Eddie and Janice that got the news from TV reports, according to WYFF.

We didn’t hear anything about the man on the day. We hoped they would find him wandering around in shock.

I didn’t like that by the 7 o’clock. This is not good for her, according to her husband. At 1 a.m., the police called to let us know that the students had been killed.

The deadly rampage seemed inexplicable. He was a good kid. He never got in trouble. “He was the last of my daughter’s children who still lived at home.”

Isabel Dalu, a close friend of Cara’s family, testified last year during the gunman’s trial about all the things the 14-year-old was looking forward to before she was gunned down:

Cara had also recently started Irish dancing again, and she was excited to dance in the St. Patrick’s Day parade. The family was going to travel to Ireland for a visit in the summer.

She had dreams of her first kiss and falling in love. Isabel said Cara dreamed of graduating top of her class and having her loved ones watch.

Source: https://www.cnn.com/2023/02/14/us/parkland-school-shooting-5-year-anniversary/index.html

The Death of Guac Lovito During the Winter School Shooting 5 Years of Herael’s Life: An Impact on the Winter Guard International

The death of her made an impact on Winter Guard International. “No student should ever go to school afraid,” the group said.

He was known as Guac among his friends at Douglas High and had a nickname that appeared on his account. His interests: football, basketball, the Venezuelan national soccer team, urban graffiti and hip-hop,” the paper said.

The Sun-Sentinel reported that the teen died of an overdose less than two months after his last social media post.

“While we will not have the opportunity to watch her grow up and become the amazing woman we know she would become, we are keeping an eternal perspective,” her family said.

“Meadow was a lovely young woman, who was full of energy. She was supposed to join our community in the fall.

“Please say a prayer for the family of an amazing girl I got to call my best friend growing up Meadow Pollack … her life was taken way too soon and I have no words to describe how this feels,” Lovito wrote on facebook.

Helena, we’re so sorry that you’re gone. You didn’t deserve this. We love you very much and will miss you a lot.

She loved her friends and acquaintances even more than she loved herself. She was not that reserved, but her warm demeanor and relentless motivation towards her studies made her a better person to be around. I am not quite sure if she is actually gone because she was so brilliant and witty.

Source: https://www.cnn.com/2023/02/14/us/parkland-school-shooting-5-year-anniversary/index.html

A Stoneman Douglas marching Eagles scholarship to honor Alex Zwerner, the student killed in the early April 11 shooting, according to a spokeswoman

“In an effort to continue his memory, this scholarship is being created to help other students experience the joys of music as well as fund increased security at schools. Please help keep Alex’s spirit alive,” the page said. “The money raised will be sent to the Stoneman Douglas Marching Eagles.”

“Unfortunately, the letter arrived in the mail the day after she passed, so she never knew that,” Stoneman Douglas student Ariana Ortega told Florida lawmakers after the shooting.

His close friend, Kelsey Friend, and other classmates said Peter was shot while holding a door open to let fellow students get to safety. After the shooting, thousands of people signed a White House petition asking for the JROTC member to be buried with military honors.

When she discovered of her friend’s death, she screamed and cried because she saw images on the internet of people who had died.

She said it was hard to not have him in the hallways since they used to laugh together. He used to make me happy. And now he is gone.

The teacher, who is in a Virginia classroom, said in an NBC interview that she thought she had died after the student pointed the gun at her.

The shooter, who the police identified as Audrey E. Hale, had entered the building by firing through a side door, armed with two assault-style weapons and a handgun, according to John Drake, the chief of the Metropolitan Nashville Police Department, and went to the second floor, firing shots before being killed by the police. Chief Drake said the attacker was a student at the school.

Zwerner knew, she said, she had been shot – the bullet went through her left hand before getting lodged in her chest, where fragments of it remain – but her first thought was of the safety of her other students.

“I was terrified,” she said. My initial reaction was to say that your children need to leave. ‘This is not a safe classroom anymore.’ I just wanted to get my babies out of there.

Indeed, Zwerner – who NBC reported could not get into details about what occurred prior to the shooting due to the potential litigation – is dealing not only with physical injuries, but emotional ones, too.

The boy who allegedly shot Zwerner will not be criminally charged, Newport News Commonwealth’s Attorney Howard Gwynn told CNN affiliate WTKR earlier this month.

The boy has an “acute disability” and was under a care plan that required a parent to attend school with him, though he was unaccompanied on the day of the shooting, his family has said in a statement. “We will regret our absence on this day for the rest of our lives,” the statement read.

The shooting of George P. Toscano in Newport News, Calif., killed in 2001 by a student who was armed with a gun

“Some days are not-so-good days where I can’t get up out of bed,” she told NBC. Some days are better than others in that I can get out of bed and come to my appointments. But from going through what I’ve gone through, I try to stay positive.”

The outpouring of support from her family and complete strangers is “hard to comprehend sometimes,” she said, but is deeply appreciated and “truly inspiring.”

Zwerner’s attorney says teachers warned administrators three times that a student was threatening people with a gun before he was shot to death. Toscano alleged the administrators “failed to act” despite having “knowledge of imminent danger.”

The school board voted to oust George Parker III after parents criticized his conduct in the wake of the incident. The assistant principal and principal of Richneck Elementary resigned and were transferred to another school, but the district did not say where.

Branch said that those who were aware of the student having a gun on the premises did not report it to Mrs.Newton.

I am following the prosecutor in Newport News to see if they charge anyone in this case.

The job of Toscano is to hold those accountable, that is what I intend to do. She will have to deal with this every day, both physically and emotionally.

She said she didn’t know when the shock would ever go away, and that her vivid memories of that day wouldn’t go away. I think about it all the time. Sometimes I have nightmares.”

The Nashville-area shooting of the September 8 th grader at the Covenant Presbyterian Church, a memorial to Bethe-Salpeter

The man from Nashville killed four people at the school on Monday, leaving behind a detailed map of the school and writings.

Police have referred to Hale as the “female shooter” and at an evening press conference added that Hale was transgender. When asked for clarification, a spokesperson told CNN Hale used “male pronouns” on a social media profile.

As police work to piece together what led up to the violence, officials said they had determined where the shooter lived in the Nashville area and have interviewed Hale’s father. The scene of the terror at the elementary school was being processed Tuesday morning and investigators were expected to get more information about what happened.

The police chief said he was moved to tears when he saw the children being ushered out of the building.

The police in Nashville identified the six victims as Evelyn Dieckhaus, Hallie Scruggs and William Kinney, all 9, and the adults as Cynthia Peak, 61, a substitute teacher; Mike Hill, 61, a custodian; and Katherine Koonce, 60. Dr. Koonce was the head of school, according to the school website. Hallie Scruggs was the daughter of Chad Scruggs, the pastor of Covenant Presbyterian Church, according to a biography published online by his former church in Dallas. Covenant Presbyterian is connected to the elementary school.

She said she was brought back to that moment of loss when her other son was put on lock down at a nearby school.

The Shooting of a Black Hole Instructor at the Covenant School in Green Hills, Tenn., When the Shooter allegedly opened fire

The police chief said that the shooter was prepared to do more harm than was done because they had multiple rounds of bullets.

Three weapons – an AR-style rifle, an AR-style pistol and a handgun – were found and police believe Hale obtained at least two of the weapons legally, Drake said. A search warrant executed at Hale’s home also resulted in the seizure of a sawed-off shotgun, a second shotgun and other evidence, according to police.

The Covenant School in the Green Hills neighborhood had just begun their last week of classes before Easter break when a person opened fire.

Police said in the news release that they confronted the shooter, who had fired through a window at police cars. Two officers then opened fire, killing the shooter at 10:27 a.m., police spokesperson Don Aaron said.

I was hoping it would not happen in the city. But we will never wait to make entry and to go in and to stop a threat especially when it deals with our children,” Drake said in a Monday news conference.

The school was prepared for this with active shooter training. We don’t like to think that this is ever going to happen to us. Nashville Metropolitan Councilwoman Russ Pulley told CNN that the experience has taught them to be prepared in this day and age.

“I know you’re sorry, but I know you didn’t tell me,” said Bethe Hill, the custodian of the Covenant Presbyterian Church

She attended Vanderbilt University and Trevecca Nazarene University in Nashville and got her master’s degree from Georgia State University, the school said.

Mike Hill was identified in the staff section of the Covenant Presbyterian Church’s website, which is now offline. He was listed as a kitchen staff. A friend of Mike Hill confirmed his picture to CNN. Hill, 61, was a custodian at the school, per police.

While we are aware of the interest surrounding the case, we will still focus on the well-being of our community. The first responders were quick to protect our students and faculty, and we are grateful for their help. We ask for privacy as our community grapples with this terrible tragedy – for our students, parents, faculty and staff,” the statement continued.

The school and church sit atop a hill in the wealthy enclave of Green Hills, less than a mile south of downtown Nashville, and in a residential neighborhood filled with stately homes and lush landscaping. Founded in 2001 as a ministry of the Covenant Presbyterian Church, the Covenant School bills itself as “intentionally small” with about 200 students, according to its website, and a teacher-to-student ratio of 8 to 1. Tuition costs around $16,000 per year.

“We would like to thank the Nashville community for all the continued thoughts and prayers. We continue to ask for support as we grieve and attempt to understand why this happened, the statement said.

The Revival of a Sexually Abusing Assailant in a Church Office and Down the Revealed Fire Alarm Flash

A recent study published in the journal JAMA Pediatrics in December backs that point, finding that homicide is a leading cause of death for children in the United States and the overall rate has increased an average of 4.3% each year for nearly a decade.

Biden said that Congress needs to pass an assault weapons ban. The Congress has a slim Democratic majority in the Senate, which is not likely to lead to a bipartisan solution.

Wearing camouflage pants, a black vest and a backward red baseball cap, the assailant walks through rooms and hallways with a weapon drawn. At one point, the shooter can be seen walking in and out of the church office and down a hallway past the children’s ministry, as the lights of what appear to be a fire alarm flash.

There was confusion about the gender identity of the assailant in the immediate aftermath of the attack. Chief Drake said the shooter identified as transgender. The shooter was referred to as she and her by officials despite a social media post that appeared to show him as a male.

Chief Drake confirmed that the attack was targeted but said it was too early to discuss a possible motive. The authorities were reviewing writings, and had made contact with the shooter’s father, Chief Drake said.

He said that they had drawn a map out of how this was going to take place. “There’s right now a theory that we may be able to talk about later but it’s not confirmed, so we’ll put that out as soon as we can.”

A witness in Covenant, Tennessee, during the news conference after the Las Vegas shooting ejected by a teen-aged girl and her mother

After hearing about the shooting, sirens and the sound of a helicopter made people in the area evacuate their homes, while others waited to hear if their children had been released from the school that was locked down. A few women gathered around a livestream of the news conference, gasping and shaking their heads.

WhenLisa DeBusk is in Green Hills, she sees parents running up the hill. She called Covenant the sweetest place she had ever seen, and said she had considered sending her daughter there.

More than 100 people were taken to a nearby church after the shooting at the school, according to a Nashville Fire Department spokeswoman.

As they walked from the buses and into the church, the students in the red and black polo shirts, plaid skirts and khaki shorts and pants held hands. Parents in the building waited to find out if their children were okay.

Rachael Anne Elrod, the Metro Nashville School Board chair, said she was inside “the worst waiting room you can imagine” as officials set about reuniting children with their parents. Some, she said, were debating how to manage the rest of the day after such a traumatic morning.

They are figuring out how they will talk to their children about this. “What is the next best step? What should they do next? Are they going to get ice cream? Take them to the playground? We could ask them what they saw. Do we not ask them what they saw? Do we bring them to school tomorrow? Is there school tomorrow?”

Rachel Dibble, whose children attend a different private school in Nashville, had also visited with Covenant families, some of whom she knew through youth sports.

An Observationary Analysis of K-12 School Shootings at Elementary Schools: Ms. Trevathan’s Memories of Dr. Koonce

She said she was never sure she would lose a loved one over someone trying to solve a temporary problem with a permanent solution. She apologized for the deaths of the children.

Speaking of the students, she added: “They started this morning, they had their cute little uniforms on, they probably had some Froot Loops. Their lives were different today.

Shootings at elementary schools are also relatively uncommon, making up less than 20 percent of all incidents of gun violence on school grounds, according to the K-12 School Shooting Database. The majority of gun violence on school campuses happen at high schools.

After spending time in Woodmont Baptist, Melissa Trevathan, the owner of a counseling ministry, grieved the loss of Dr. Koonce, whom she said she had gotten to know through her work with children. Ms. Trevathan recalled that Dr. Koonce was very magnetic and strong and that she had a love for adventure.

The reporter was from Nashville. Jamie McGee contributed reporting from Nashville. Sarah Mervosh, Emily Schmall, Daniel Victor, Ruth Graham, and Victoria Kim contributed to the report. Some people contributed research.

Victims of a Covenant School Shooting Nyashville, South Carolina: A Condolence from Evelyn, a 9-year-old

Evelyn was 9, police said. While her family appreciates all the support they have received, they are asking for a break as they grieve according to a family statement obtained by CNN.

The staff member liked to cook and spend time with his family, according to a statement obtained by CNN. He had a lot of children.

They said the educator had a good sense of humor. Koonce exhibited humility and made each person she interacted with feel important, Kim Lee said.

He said that she could be talking to a preschool student instead of meeting with an angry parent and then turning around to meet the teacher that was having a bad day.

There will be a time to talk about the budget proposals we brought forward this year. And clearly, there’s more work to do,” he said Tuesday night.

Source: https://www.cnn.com/2023/03/28/us/victims-covenant-school-shooting-nashville/index.html

Sorely for the Graceful and Comfortable in the Times of Great Tragicity. A Prayer for the Redeemer in the Crossing of a Broken Families

“There is hope in the midst of great tragedy because God is a redeemer. What is meant for evil can be turned for good. We grieve in the days ahead, but not without hope. May we also use wisdom and grace in doing so. Lee said in a video that he may love those who have lost.

“She and my sister were the closest of friends growing up and it seems like Cindy was around for all of my childhood,” he said Tuesday in a Facebook post. Her family lived across the street from us for a period of time, as she and Mae Ann had birthdays one day apart. Cindy and Mae were always together.”

Mark Davis, the Texas pastor of the congregation, said the congregation mourned over their daughter Hallie’s death. We trust in the power of Christ to bring comfort and hope to us.