Shooting at a one-room school in the Amish community
Posted on October 2, 2006. The weather was typical of fall. Birds were chirping in the distance, and the only other sounds were the clip-clop of a horse’s hooves and the rattling of a buggy on a backroad. Amish country in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, is normally quiet and peaceful.
However, that peace was shattered when gunshots were heard inside an Amish school. Upon entering the one-room Amish schoolhouse, local police discovered that Charles Carl Roberts IV, who then committed suicide, had shot 10 Amish girls ages 6-13.
This country is plagued by far too many school shootings. This case clearly displayed a clash of cultures – the modern, more “advanced” American society and the withdrawn Amish community, which deliberately distances itself from worldly influences. There is too much violence in one society to infiltrate a non-violent, peaceful community like “the gentle people”.
West Nickel Mines Amish School is located about 12 miles southeast of Lancaster City, where the shooting occurred. Nickel Mines is just a crossroads within Bart Township, a local municipality with approximately 3,000 Amish and “English” (the Amish term for non-Amish).
Besides the typical Amish one-room school with a school bell on the roof, two outhouses, a baseball diamond, and an enclosed schoolyard, the school had two outhouses and a ball field. A schoolyard was enclosed behind it. A teddy bear was drawn on the blackboard. On the sign it read, “Visitors Bring Bubbles to our Days.” Twenty-six children aged six to thirteen attended this school from three different Amish church districts.
Several of the victims’ families owned farms, and Charlie Roberts drove a milk truck for them. His first child was born nine years ago, a girl, to his wife Amy. After twenty minutes, the child passed away. He was obviously deeply affected by the death of his daughter. In the end, he planned to get revenge on God for her death.
Roberts drove to the West Nickel Mines Amish School on the morning of October 2nd after saying goodbye to two of his own children at the school bus stop. Some of the children recognized him as he walked in the door. We had four adult visitors that day – the teacher’s mom, her sister, and two in-laws. A pregnant woman was among them. Seeing the teacher’s guns, she and her mother fled to a nearby house for help, leaving the adults with their children. They called 911.
Response of the Community to this Amish tragedy
Amish communities quickly heard about the shooting. Media outlets across the country covered the shooting, which was first reported by local television stations. This story was reported around the world by reporters, photographers, and video teams. Even though the Amish community tries to stay out of publicity, this tragic event brought them into the spotlight.
In response to this incident, the Amish grieved collectively for the children and their families. It was a shock that transcended the Amish community. The tragedy affected the entire Lancaster County community. A local church held a prayer service for 1,600 people after the shooting, and hundreds more gathered at other churches to pray. It was a tragedy that affected all of Lancaster County.
With forgiveness, the Amish respond
The reporters gathered to tell about the horror of this school shooting. Following the shooting, another story emerged that captured the world’s attention – the story of Amish grace and forgiveness.
Despite their grief over this shocking loss, the Amish community did not … (continued in Part Two)