About Red Lake

As I write, the death toll from a student's shooting rampage at Red Lake, Minnesota, is up to ten: eight of those at the high school, the other two the grandparents of the suspect, found dead at their home. Somewhere around a dozen others are said to be wounded, some seriously. The suspect is among the dead.

The stories are still jumbled, as details come in. But www.kstp.com has some very good reporting, especially their reports on video. They've sent several reporters around the state (wounded were taken to Fargo, N.D. and Bemidji, Minn., plus reporters are on scene in Red Lake), and so far they've been intelligent and humane in their questioning. I can't provide a link to the video, and I expect it will be updated. If past experience with KSTP is any guide, they'll probably provide solid and professional coverage on this overall.

The title link is to an AP background article on Red Lake, which is on an Indian reservation and has some unusual law enforcement/jurisdiction set-ups.

UPDATE: March 26, 2005. It was not precisely correct to say that the boy killed his grandparents. He killed his grandfather and his grandfather's girlfriend, in addition to several other people, including himself. The death toll, last time I checked, had stayed at ten. Thank goodness the toll hasn't gone any higher, but not all of the victims are out of danger yet.

Hats off to the teacher who thought to barricade the door to one classroom. Without that action, matters almost surely would have been worse.

And hats off to student Jeff May, who went to the rescue of two girls by attacking the shooter with a pencil. See http://www.kstp.com/article/stories/S7216.html?cat=1. May was shot in the cheek and neck, and at last report still could not move his left side, but was well enough to write notes to his family. His condition was upgraded from critical to serious on Thursday.

For a general update, see "Support pours into Red Lake", at http://www.kstp.com/article/stories/S7222.html?cat=1

A memorial fund has been set up. Donations can be made at any Wells Fargo bank. The Twin Cities Boys and Girls Club is collecting games, toys, books, sporting equipment and cash, to be given to the Red Lake Boys and Girls Club. For contact information, see http://www.kstp.com/article/stories/S7178.html?cat=1.