Red Lake High School massacre

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Aerial photograph taken during the aftermath of the school massacre.

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Ten dead on Minnesota Indian reservation after school shooting

The Red Lake High School massacre was a school massacre that took place on March 21, 2005 in which Jeffrey Weise, a student at Red Lake High School in Red Lake, Minnesota, killed at least ten people, including his grandfather, his grandfather’s partner, a teacher and a security guard. 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, and there is some expectation of further arrests.

1 Overview
2 Victims
- 2.1 Killed
- 2.2 Injured
3 Perpetrator
4 See also
5 External links
6 References

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Overview

The incident is believed to have begun during the afternoon of March 21, when Weise allegedly shot and killed his grandfather, Daryl “Dash” Lussier, and his partner Michelle Sigana, at Lussier’s residence. Weise then drove his grandfather’s squad car to school, arriving at around 3:00 p.m. Central Standard Time. 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 in 1999, one witness said that he asked one victim if she believed in God before he shot her. [1] Weise is said to have used two handguns and a shotgun to commit the shootings. 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." The article said that as Weiss entered the classroom where the two students were hiding, Chase's friend's and the gunman's eyes met. Weiss fired his gun towards Chase's direction. The friend ducked and then, as the article states "felt something warm and wet coating her jeans." It was Lussier's blood.

FBI special agent Paul McCabe stated that at some point, Weise had exchanged fire with Red Lake police in a corridor, before retreating to a classroom where he was believed to have shot himself.[2] A sheriff’s deputy’s email 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. [3]

The Chairman of the Red Lake Band of Chippewa Indians, Floyd "Buck" Jourdain Jr., stated that the shootings were “one of the darkest and most painful occurrences in the history of our tribe.” [4]

This was the deadliest school shooting in the United States since the Columbine High School massacre on April 20, 1999, when twelve students and a teacher were fatally shot and 24 others were wounded.

Red Lake High School had installed metal detectors and had hired a security guard in 1995.

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. Law enforcement officials believe he helped plot out Weise’s actions. For instance, while events were unfolding, he identified the shooter as “Jeff” before actually seeing who it was. Other students may also be charged in the future. The FBI seized a number of personal computers in the Red Lake area and has been examining the online communications of students.

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