Jonesboro School Shooting
Here is Jenny Price's wrapup story followed by a series of new leads that ran on the AP wire. Kelly Kissel comments on the developing story.
By JENNY PRICE Associated Press Writer With AP Photos
JONESBORO, Ark. (AP)—Two boys in camouflage lay in wait in the woods behind a school, then opened fire with rifles on students and teachers when they came out during a false fire alarm Tuesday. Four girls were killed and 11 other people were wounded, including two teachers.
The boys—ages 11 and 13—were caught trying to run away shortly after the midday ambush at the Westside Middle School, police said. Police were looking for a third boy who allegedly pulled the fire alarm.
Broadcast reports said more than a dozen shots were fired. Students said they thought they were firecrackers at first, but when they saw that people had been hit, they started screaming and running back inside the school. Youngsters cried as they waited for emergency workers.
"We had children lying everywhere. They had all been shot," said paramedic Charles Jones. Sheriff Dale Haas cried as recounted the shootings.
The school has about 250 students in sixth and seventh grades. Jonesboro is a city of 46,000 about 130 miles northeast of Little Rock.
The two boys, wearing camouflage shirts, pants and hats, were caught near the school. Officer Terry McNatt said they offered no resistance and said little. Two rifles and other weapons were recovered. The boys were being held at the county jail.
Authorities wouldn't say whether they were students at the school.
Karen Pate, a parent volunteer, was in the school gym when the fire alarm went off just after sixth-graders had finished lunch and returned to their classrooms. She fled outside and "saw girls falling to the ground."
"I helped one teacher who had been shot in the abdomen get out of there where she could lay down and we could start medical attention," Mrs. Pate said. "Another student had got shot in the leg. As soon as she got hit, she couldn't walk and she fell into the doorway."
Mrs. Pate and her sixth-grade daughter were not hurt.
President Clinton, on a visit to Kampala, Uganda, said in a statement that he and the first lady were "deeply shocked and heartbroken."
"We don't know now and we may never fully understand what could have driven two youths to deliberately shoot into a crowd," he said. "Our thoughts and prayers are with the victims, their families and the entire Jonesboro community."
It was at least the third fatal shooting rampage in a school in the past five months.
On Dec. 1, a boy opened fire on a student prayer circle at a high school in West Paducah, Ky., killing three students and wounding five. A 14-year-old student, described as small and emotionally immature, was arrested.
Two months earlier, a 16-year-old outcast in Pearl. Miss., was accused of killing his mother, then going to school and shooting nine students. Two of them died, including the boy's ex-girlfriend. Authorities later charged six friends with conspiracy, saying the suspects were part of a group that dabbled in satanism.
On Dec. 15, a sniper in the woods wounded two students outside a school in the southwestern Arkansas town of Stamps. A 14-year-old boy was arrested after a manhunt.
Added Detail
As AP reporters on the scene called Kissel, he put the new material into Writethrus. Here are excerpts from some of them, with Kissel's comments:
1st Ld—Writethru Authorities said as many as 27 shots were fired. Youngsters ran screaming back inside the school as their classmates fell bleeding, then cried as they waited for emergency workers. Previously, we had "more than a dozen shots." Keep pressing for more exact information. Now we have a specific number, 27. Said paramedic Charles Jones: "We had children lying everywhere. They had all been shot." Sheriff Dale Haas cried as he recounted the shootings. Two of the dead girls were 12 and another was 11, state police spokesman Bill Sadler said. He did not know the age of the fourth victim. An important image—Haas crying—of how horrible this was to the community. Most sheriffs think they have seen it all. The two boys, wearing camouflage shirts, pants and hats, were caught near the school with handguns and rifles. Officer Terry McNatt said they offered no resistance and said little. The boys, both students at the school, were being held at the county jail. Investigators said the boys were running in the direction of a white van found about a half-mile away from the school with more guns and ammunition in it. It wasn't immediately certain if the vehicle was related to the shootings. The result of more pressing inquiry: The boys were students at the school, and we find out they were running toward a van with more ammunition. President Clinton, on a visit to Kampala, Uganda, said in a statement that he and the first lady were "deeply shocked and heartbroken." . . . Gov. Mike Huckabee said he was angry, as a parent, that such a tragedy could happen at a public school. . . Arkansas law does not prohibit minors from possessing shotguns or rifles, but it does bar people younger than 21 from possessing handguns. Other laws prohibit anyone from possessing a gun on public property or with criminal intent. It was at least the third fatal shooting rampage in a school in the past five months... The reporter on the scene can't do all the legwork. Here, the AP White House staff, the Arkansas capitol correspondent and other writers in the bureau gather important information. 2nd Ld—Writethru All the victims were female. Bad information from the school and the police. The hospital got it right for us for the next version of the story. (A boy had been treated and released.) Arkansas law does not prohibit minors from possessing shotguns or rifles, but it does bar people younger than 21 from possessing handguns. Other laws prohibit anyone from possessing a gun on public property or with criminal intent. An interesting bit of information. 4th Ld—Writethru Authorities identified the dead girls as Natalie Brooks, Paige Ann Herring, Stephanie Johnson, all 12, and Brittheny R. Vamer, who was 11. A change in the story to include the names of the victims. 5th Ld—Writethru Police did not offer a motive, but a classmate said one of the suspects had recently broken up with his girlfriend. "He told me after seventh period (Monday) that he was never going to see me again and I wouldn't be able to see him again because he was going to run away," said Jennifer Nightingale. She did not say if any of the victims was the former girlfriend. As the city calmed down, witnesses agreed to talk, often with scores of microphones around. As police remained mum about motives, this student was among the first to step forward. (These became the third and fourth paragraphs of the story.) Ten of the wounded were female, including the two teachers, who required surgery and were listed in critical condition. They were identified as Sara Thetford, who teaches social studies, and Shannon Wright, a language teacher. Adding the names of the teachers. By this point, we had learned that Mrs. Wright was not expected to make it. We staked out the hospital with one writer (Price), while a second writer (Harris) stayed at the police command post for official information from the clearinghouse. (Mrs. Wright died, and this was reported in the 6th Lead, which moved on the wire five minutes later.) 7th Ld—Writethru The wounded students were between 11 to 13 years old. State police said a 12th person was wounded, but was not treated at the hospital. They did not have any more details. Police started saying that a 12th person had been wounded, but eventually this was found to be the result of a "double" body count. Police later determined that it must have been one of the teachers who was counted on the ground at the school and again at the hospital. This shows why it's important to get the names of the dead and wounded—so there's no duplication. 8th Ld—Writethru English teacher Shannon Wright, 32, died Tuesday night after surgery for wounds to her chest and abdomen, Craighead County coroner Toby Emerson said. "She loved kids," her husband, Mitchell, said after her death. Jenny bumped into Mr. Wright at the hospital shortly after he had been told of his wife's death. It's not much, but what can one really expect? He did an interview later with Jenny. 9th Ld—Writethru The two boys, wearing camouflage shirts, pants and hats, were caught near the school with handguns and rifles. Officer Terry McNatt said they offered no resistance and said little. The boys, who were not identified and were students at the school, were being held at the county jail. They were scheduled for court appearances at the jail Wednesday morning. No one was officially identifying the suspects yet. The court later opened the proceedings, citing the notoriety of the case. 10th Ld—Writethru The pair—cousins aged 11 and 13—were caught trying to run away shortly after the midday ambush at the Westside Middle School, police said. One of the boys was seen near the fire alarm, a witness said. Police pull back from the theory that a third boy had to be involved after witnesses said they saw one of the suspects in the school shortly before the shooting. (This became the second paragraph of the Writethru. The students had filed out of the school after the fire alarm was sounded, providing targets for the two boys.) Amber Vanoven, 11, said she saw Mrs. Wright step in front of sixth-grader Emma Pittman. "This guy was aiming at her (Pittman)," Amber told the Jonesboro Sun newspaper. "He was fixing to shoot her, and Mrs. Wright moved out in front of her. She got shot... She did. I sat and watched her." "I saw my best friend, Natalie Brooks, get killed—shot in the head twice," she said. Amber also said she saw the 11-year-old suspect standing near a fire alarm and then watched him run out of the building as an electric buzzer hummed. Great cooperation from the local newspaper, also backing up the belief that the younger boy set off the alarm.
Authorities said as many as 27 shots were fired. Youngsters ran screaming back inside the school as their classmates fell bleeding, then cried as they waited for emergency workers.
Said paramedic Charles Jones: "We had children lying everywhere. They had all been shot."
Sheriff Dale Haas cried as he recounted the shootings.
Two of the dead girls were 12 and another was 11, state police spokesman Bill Sadler said. He did not know the age of the fourth victim.
The two boys, wearing camouflage shirts, pants and hats, were caught near the school with handguns and rifles. Officer Terry McNatt said they offered no resistance and said little. The boys, both students at the school, were being held at the county jail.
Investigators said the boys were running in the direction of a white van found about a half-mile away from the school with more guns and ammunition in it. It wasn't immediately certain if the vehicle was related to the shootings.
President Clinton, on a visit to Kampala, Uganda, said in a statement that he and the first lady were "deeply shocked and heartbroken." . . .
Gov. Mike Huckabee said he was angry, as a parent, that such a tragedy could happen at a public school. . .
Arkansas law does not prohibit minors from possessing shotguns or rifles, but it does bar people younger than 21 from possessing handguns. Other laws prohibit anyone from possessing a gun on public property or with criminal intent.
It was at least the third fatal shooting rampage in a school in the past five months...
All the victims were female.
Authorities identified the dead girls as Natalie Brooks, Paige Ann Herring, Stephanie Johnson, all 12, and Brittheny R. Vamer, who was 11.
Police did not offer a motive, but a classmate said one of the suspects had recently broken up with his girlfriend.
"He told me after seventh period (Monday) that he was never going to see me again and I wouldn't be able to see him again because he was going to run away," said Jennifer Nightingale. She did not say if any of the victims was the former girlfriend.
Ten of the wounded were female, including the two teachers, who required surgery and were listed in critical condition. They were identified as Sara Thetford, who teaches social studies, and Shannon Wright, a language teacher.
The wounded students were between 11 to 13 years old. State police said a 12th person was wounded, but was not treated at the hospital. They did not have any more details.
English teacher Shannon Wright, 32, died Tuesday night after surgery for wounds to her chest and abdomen, Craighead County coroner Toby Emerson said. "She loved kids," her husband, Mitchell, said after her death.
The two boys, wearing camouflage shirts, pants and hats, were caught near the school with handguns and rifles. Officer Terry McNatt said they offered no resistance and said little. The boys, who were not identified and were students at the school, were being held at the county jail. They were scheduled for court appearances at the jail Wednesday morning.
The pair—cousins aged 11 and 13—were caught trying to run away shortly after the midday ambush at the Westside Middle School, police said. One of the boys was seen near the fire alarm, a witness said.
Amber Vanoven, 11, said she saw Mrs. Wright step in front of sixth-grader Emma Pittman.
"This guy was aiming at her (Pittman)," Amber told the Jonesboro Sun newspaper. "He was fixing to shoot her, and Mrs. Wright moved out in front of her. She got shot... She did. I sat and watched her."
"I saw my best friend, Natalie Brooks, get killed—shot in the head twice," she said.
Amber also said she saw the 11-year-old suspect standing near a fire alarm and then watched him run out of the building as an electric buzzer hummed.
Here is how the 10th lead appeared as it moved on the wires at 11:22 p.m., a bit less than 12 hours after Kissel's News Alert that morning:
By JENNY PRICE Associated Press Writer?
JONESBORO, Ark. (AP)—Two boys in camouflage lay in wait in the woods behind their school, then opened fire with rifles on classmates and teachers when they came out during a false fire alarm Tuesday. Four girls and a teacher were killed and 11 people were wounded.
Compare the 10th lead with the NewsAlert:
11:41 AM
BC-APNewsAlert, 0021<
Shooting at Jonesboro, Ark., middle school;
school office reports one dead, at least 13 hurt.
Questions, Answers
Why all the leads and Writethrus? Why the drive to get names, details, quotations, to verify every detail, to find the specific number of shots fired? Well, this is the way journalists work. In this case, the story is being covered by a wire service, which has clients all over the world at newspapers and broadcast stations with different deadlines. Each wants to go on the air or into print with the latest information, the latest accurate and complete information. Readers, viewers, listeners want to know.
A newspaper in Virginia may have a first edition that closes at 6 p.m., whereas the first edition of a California newspaper closes three hours later. The Virginia newspaper has to use the early Writethru, but the California newspaper can wait. The same decisions affect broadcast stations. On a breaking news story like this horrendous shooting, the AP must keep a stream of information moving, packaged in a complete story ready for use.
So much for the mechanics of the Associated Press. What about the reporting: Was a third boy involved? . . . How many shots were fired? . . . What were the names of the dead and injured? . . . Can we locate any eyewitnesses? The reason the reporters searched for accurate details, specifics and drama takes us to the heart of journalism.