CO - One killed in Arapahoe High School shooting, Littleton, 13 Dec 2013

[fran]

Colorado teen who shot up school before killing self identified

A Colorado teen bent on confronting his speech-team coach stormed his high school and shot and wounded a female student before killing himself — just eight miles from Columbine and on the eve of the Newtown massacre’s first anniversary.

The shotgun-toting teen stalked into Arapahoe HS in Centennial at around 12:30 p.m. local time — hunting for a staffer he angrily called out by name, said Arapahoe County Sheriff Grayson Robinson.

more at link ............. http://nypost.com/2013/12/13/shooter-reported-in-colorado-school/

 

[matou]

He wanted to kill the debate team coach because he was kicked off the debate team? wow. JMO

 

[prima.facie]

More info about this shooter...who he was. a lot of insight into his mind.....

Arapahoe High gunman held strong political beliefs, classmates said
http://www.denverpost.com/news/ci_2...nman-held-strong-political-beliefs-classmates

 

[Mrs G Norris]

When I saw this story splashed all over the news today I wondered if that fact alone is enough to inspire some of these shooters .. perhaps media should treat these stories like other suicides and not report, or only report what they have to for community awareness.

 

[LambChop]

When I saw this story splashed all over the news today I wondered if that fact alone is enough to inspire some of these shooters .. perhaps media should treat these stories like other suicides and not report, or only report what they have to for community awareness.

Well, this shooter did not accomplish what he set out to do thanks to the training and preparedness of their local police department.

 

[daisy.faithfull]

Question was: "When will this stop?" And Chelly answered "When we outlaw firearms" which I personally feel is a flawed theory/concept. And here's why.
Guns aren't something new that has entrenched our society in the USA. They've been around for a couple of hundred years. They were a staple of many a young man out West during farming, gold-mining, and cattle rearing ranchers. Gun safes, locks, and laws weren't better or stricter way back then. We've sent many a young man soldier off to war with a gun in his hand.

But what has changed to our society during the last decade or so that would be a causative factor?
We have TV, internet, video games, social media outlets, and a higher divorce rate. We have extended families now. We also have a decline in religion (and I'm not extolling the virtues of religion; just facts), and we have in the USA a greater disparity between the wealthy and the poor. Additionally, we've had various modes of childrearing become popular every few decades as well, some strict and then some lassaiz faire. We tend to overvaccinate our kids and our food is loaded with preservatives and genetically modified artifacts.

We have many new possible influencers to this sudden rise in young men shooting guns in public places but access to guns seems to be the least of those factors, imo.

There's much more going on than just simply "guns"......

Excellent post. During the reporting of this incident Dr. Drew was discussing systemic mental health issues in Colorado. He was wondering if there is a lack of psychological resources in Colorado and if that may have an effect on the apparent high incidences of these kind of shootings in the state.

I can understand both sides of the gun debate. I don't think that wiping out all firearms is a possibly at this point. The are times I wish we could but it is not possible and necessary. Do we need restrictions and better screening? IMO, yes.

But a focus on guns detracts from the larger issues that you mentioned and those that Dr. Drew mentioned. Those issues must be addressed and they if they are it will decrese incidents like this.

 

[daisy.faithfull]

When I saw this story splashed all over the news today I wondered if that fact alone is enough to inspire some of these shooters .. perhaps media should treat these stories like other suicides and not report, or only report what they have to for community awareness.

Possibly, good point. I do see how they can inspire other shootings. I do hope that the reporting of this event will make society look at the larger issue.

Knowledge and awareness can precipitate change.

 

[BetteDavisEyes]

Revenge probed as motive in Colo. school shooting

DAN ELLIOTT, AP
1 hour ago

CENTENNIAL, Colo. (AP) — Investigators were looking Saturday at whether revenge motivated a teenage gunman to enter his suburban Denver high school armed with a shotgun looking for a specific teacher.

Quick-thinking students at Arapahoe High School on Friday alerted the targeted educator, who quickly left the building. The 18-year-old shooter — identified by authorities as Karl Pierson — critically wounded a 15-year-old student, but the strategic response by police on the eve of the Newtown massacre anniversary appears to have averted more bloodshed.

About a half hour after wounding the girl, Pierson was found dead in the school, apparently of a self-inflicted gunshot wound.

"I believe the shooter took his life because he knew he had been found," Arapahoe County Sheriff Grayson Robinson said...

http://xfinity.comcast.net/articles/news-general/20131214/US--Colorado.School.Shooting/

 

[Footwarrior]

Teen shot at Arapahoe High School identified

The 17-year-old girl shot by a gunman at Arapahoe High School has been identified as Claire Esther Davis.

Davis was allegedly shot at point blank range by 18-year-old Karl Halverson Piersen on Friday. She is a senior at Arapahoe High School and is in critical condition with severe head trauma at Littleton Adventist Hospital.

 

[Blondie in Spokane]

"Gunman in Colo. high school shooting shot self when confronted by officer"

http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/201...ing-shot-self-when-confronted-by-officer?lite

 

[BetteDavisEyes]

CO gunman liked debate, but acted "weird"

Classmates say Karl Pierson ranted about communism

Author: By Michael Martinez and Stan Wilson CNN

Published On: Dec 14 2013 05:18:30 PM EST Updated On: Dec 14 2013 06:19:31 PM EST

CENTENNIAL, Colorado (CNN) -
To many neighbors, Colorado school gunman Karl Pierson was the wholesome boy next door who liked achievement and ran on the cross country team. He even worked on an Eagle Scout project two years ago.

To schoolmates, Pierson was known for his outspoken intelligence that served him well on the debate team. But at times, he acted "weird" and alienated peers with rants about communism and his aggressiveness to win every argument, they said.

One neighbor also described him as intellectually bright but a social misfit whose peers ridiculed him. His mother transferred him out of another high school because of the mockery and altercations, the neighbor said...

http://www.clickondetroit.com/news/...eird/-/1719418/23489324/-/tc7e98/-/index.html

 

[BetteDavisEyes]

Why did Colorado school shooter do it?

Gunman asked about specific man in school, janitor says

Author: By CNN's Tom Watkins Ana Cabrera and Chelsea Carter

Published On: Dec 14 2013 02:57:29 AM EST Updated On: Dec 14 2013 07:28:39 PM EST

CENTENNIAL, Colorado (CNN) -
The victim in Friday's school shooting in Centennial, Colorado, "probably was simply in the wrong place at the wrong time," Arapahoe County Sheriff Grayson Robinson told reporters Saturday.

Robinson said that to his knowledge the shooter and the victim, identified as 17-year-old Claire Esther Davis, did not know each other.

"His intent was evil, and his evil intent was to harm multiple individuals," Robinson said about Karl Pierson, whose entrance into Arapahoe High School just before 12:33 p.m. was documented on security cameras, as was the bulk of the one minute, 20 seconds that ensued prior to his suicide...

http://www.clickondetroit.com/news/...o-it/-/1719418/23485124/-/a1ma5g/-/index.html

 

[BetteDavisEyes]

Sheriff: Colo. gunman planned to hurt more people

DAN ELLIOTT, AP
1 hour ago

CENTENNIAL, Colo. (AP) — Authorities say an 18-year-old who wounded a fellow student before killing himself at a suburban Denver school entered the building with a shotgun, a machete and three incendiary devices in his backpack, and had ammunition strapped to body...

http://xfinity.comcast.net/articles/news-general/20131214/US--Colorado.School.Shooting/

 

[CHERIE.T]

When I saw this story splashed all over the news today I wondered if that fact alone is enough to inspire some of these shooters .. perhaps media should treat these stories like other suicides and not report, or only report what they have to for community awareness.

I absolutely agree Mrs G Norris.

 

[writer7]

...[Karl's] coach and mentor was school librarian Tracy Murphy.

"He went to nationals with Mr. Murphy and I know that they did not get along on this trip to nationals," Redmond [his good friend] said.

"He felt powerless," Redmond said. "Karl had threatened to kill Mr. Murphy, kind of half jokingly. Mr. Murphy brought that to the administration and Karl got suspended for that."

Redmond says his friend was never the same after that suspension in September.

"When Karl came back, he was pretty angry. He felt like the suspension had ruined his chances of getting into college and ruined his future," Redmond said....

http://www.9news.com/news/article/3...e-gunman-spoke-of-desire-to-shoot-everyone-up

 

[Peachy]

Claire Davis - victim in Arapahoe High School shooting, not doing well, dad tells 7NEWS

"Our beautiful daughter Claire Davis has severe head trauma as a result of a gunshot. She needs your continued prayers," the family said in a statement released during a 3:15 p.m. news conference on Saturday.

"We would like to thank our family, friends, the community and the equestrian community for their outpouring of love and support, as well as the school for their continued support of the students and teachers. We would also like to express our gratitude to the first-responders and the trauma team at Littleton Adventist Hospital for saving our daughter's life and quickly getting her into surgery. Claire is still in critical condition and your prayers are appreciated. At this time we ask that you respect our wishes for privacy, for us and the hospital. Thank you for your continued support, love and prayers -- the Davis family."
http://www.thedenverchannel.com/new...chool-shooting-not-doing-well-dad-tells-7news

rayer:

 

[BetteDavisEyes]

Colorado's school shooting -- over in 80 seconds

By CNN's Tom Watkins and Ana Cabrera

updated 11:39 AM EST, Sun December 15, 2013

Centennial, Colorado (CNN) -- It started just before 12:33 p.m. on Friday, moments after the high school senior and debate club member parked his car in the student lot at Arapahoe High School in suburban Denver, then -- wearing a bandolier containing shotgun shells and carrying a pump-action shotgun, a machete and a backpack holding three Molotov cocktails -- walked through a door adjacent to the library.

"He took no effort to conceal the fact that he was armed," said Arapahoe County Sheriff Grayson Robinson.

In less than 80 seconds, Karl Pierson "fired one random shot down a hallway," then entered an area where 17-year-old Claire Esther Davis was seated with a friend, "and shot the female victim point-blank" in the head. "There was no time for the victim to run from the shooter," Robinson told reporters on Saturday...

http://www.cnn.com/2013/12/14/us/colorado-school-shooting/index.html?hpt=hp_c2

 

[ATasteOfHoney]

http://www.9news.com/news/article/3...e-gunman-spoke-of-desire-to-shoot-everyone-up

Awwwhhhh....so Karl felt angry about getting a suspension after making threats to his teacher's life. Yep kid, that is how it goes. For instance, if one makes a bomb threat at an airport, one's records will be permanently marred as well and you'll forever be on the TSA's "hit list" which means you'll be pulled out of line, wanded and frisked. Not fair---well, get over it.

Hey parents, how about teaching your kids the rules of "law and effect" or "for every action there's an equal an opposite reaction"? How about teaching them of consequences and STOP coddling your kids. STOP it for society's sake.

You can keep changing their addresses (i.e. high schools) but you need to address the changes that need to be met.

Be a parent and not a friend. Have a spine. Be a role model. Your greatest achievement is creating a productive, independent individual that can contribute to society as a whole. Tough job.....yes but it is possible. It's really that simple.

If you can't do it by all means reach out to resources that can help. And be honest about your limitations and truthful about what your teen is doing. Don't be in denial.

Enough is enough.


Rant over.

 

[BeginnersLuck]

What is going on?

Throughout time,society has grown up with weapons, used for hunting, safety and sport and these things didn't happen. A gun was a necessity in the old days, before gun safes were ever invented.

What are some of the things these killers have in common?

They are male (this is a fact in nearly 100% of these crimes. Why?)

There seems to be some event or something going on in their lives prior to committing these acts. The event is nothing major, but a part of life in which life has it's ups, downs and disappointments.

They seem to be consumed with anger or hatred and blame others. Not that uncommon to have these thoughts, but these take it to a level of committing murder.

I seem to be seeing a lot that have unusual political beleifs or are into conspiracy type thinking. Paranoia??

If it's mental illness, then what has caused a rise in mental illness in our society and to the point of murdering others like this?

What is different in society now, than it was in prior years, that could be causing an increase in this type of behavior?

 

[margarita25]

As a teacher in the area, I am too disturbed and upset to post here about all this right now. jmo

Hope Claire pulls through.