More info here: http://www.cnn.com/2002/US/Southwest/10/28/university.shooting/index.html
Everyone out there doing okay?
One of the other nurses called my mom to tell her about it. What she told my mom was that he had failed his midterm and was asking to re-take it, and was denied.
In that article, in the photo, you can see a white building behind the red one. That is the hospital I was born in, and where my son was born. And where I was locked up for a suicide attempt, but that’s another issue. When I was pregnant, I used to walk to that hopsital for my OB appointments. I could practically see it from my house.
My cousin is a producer for the morning news at channel 4 (I think) and was busy with the story today. My mom should know more soon (she knows a number of the people who work at the nursing school)
My mom got this in the mail:
From: United Staff Committee [mailto:USC@listserv.arizona.edu]On Behalf Of Lisa M. Wakefield
Sent: Monday, October 28, 2002 4:48 PM
To: USC@listserv.arizona.edu
Subject: latest on the shooting
Four people are dead in the wake of a shooting early this morning at the University of Arizona College of Nursing. Tucson Police and University of Arizona Police say a gunman apparently killed three people in the college before turning the weapon on himself.
UA President Peter Likins called it an "intensely painful family tragedy,"and said students, staff and faculty will have access to counseling to help deal with the trauma, including those who witnessed the shootings.
“The entire campus community is traumatized,” Likins said. “We grieve for those whom we have lost in this tragedy and for their loved ones. Some people have witnessed murders. For them and for the family and friends of the victims the days ahead will be unspeakably difficult. Our prayers are with them.”
Those shot include three associate clinical professors in the College of Nursing: Robin E. Rogers, Barbara S. Monroe and Cheryl M. McGaffic. The suspect is identified as Robert S. Flores, a student in the college. When asked about a possible motive, Tucson Police Chief Richard Miranda said there were “many issues in Mr. Flores’ life,” that led police to conclude that the killings were premeditated. Those issues likely centered around problems with his school work at the UA and with marital difficulties.
The killings prompted police to evacuate most of the sprawling UA medical campus and cancel classes, and has temporarily closed University Medical Center to visitors and new patients, as well as a half-mile stretch of Campbell Avenue, a major traffic corridor in Tucson.
While most of the medical center will reopen Tuesday, police said the College of Nursing would remain closed at least until Wednesday while investigators comb the building for clues.
UAPD was first on the scene after a call to 9-11 at 8:37 a.m. (MST). Tucson Police responded shortly thereafter. TPD Chief Miranda said 33 officers with expertise in such incidents happened to be training at nearby Himmel Park
A S.W.A.T. team evacuated the College of Nursing, the College of Pharmacy, Life Sciences North and Basic Sciences buildings in the Arizona Health Sciences Center complex northwest of Campbell Avenue and Speedway Boulevard. Tactical personnel also are sweeping the building for any explosive devices. TPD spokeman Sgt. Marco Barboa said specially trained bomb dogs cued police that the alleged gunman may possibly have carried explosives. Police used search warrants to search the suspect’s car and home for clues, and also used an explosive device on Flores’ car in a parking lot near the college.
All classes for the nearly 1,500 students in the medical, pharmacy, nursing and public health colleges were cancelled for the day following the evacuation. University Medical Center also is in lockdown with trauma cases and new patients currently being diverted to other hospitals, according to AHSC spokeswoman Katie Riley. UMC staff and physicians may enter and leave the complex, but people cannot visit patients or go to appointments until police have cleared the area.
Campbell Avenue, a major north-south thoroughfare in Tucson, has been sealed off for approximately a half mile north from Speedway to Elm Street and people are asked to avoid the area.
Police said the day likely unfolded as Flores entered the College of Nursing on the ground level, sought out Robin Rogers and shot her in her office. He then went to the fourth floor lecture hall where students were taking an exam. Flores apparently entered the hall, walked up to Barbara Monroe and spoke to her before shooting. He then went to the rear of the classroom and shot Cheryl McGaffic before telling students to leave the hall, presumably before taking his own life.
A memorial service is pending for the victims. Tucson Police have an information hotline for reporters who need access to information or TPD personnel for interviews at 520-520-791-4153.
Jeff Harrison
Editor
UA News Services
I have to say I really like the way the University is handling their reaction to this. In this era of knee-jerk reactions, I was heartened to see that the University president realized that this was a tragic incident and not indicative of a larger problem that would require outrageous new security measures. Last year at my school a graduate student was murdered at an off-campus location. It was later found out that the murderer was hiding in an off-campus (but University owned) apartment with a friend. So now they have mandatory overnight guest registration (I don’t think if your friends are the type to shoot people that you are going to register guests) and put up a security gate at the traffic entrance to the complex. Oh, but they only man this gate from 8 pm to 4 am. Oh, and only one person in the car needs an ID to swipe at the gate. Oh, it only really keeps out cars, since anyone can just walk up to an apartment or take the campus bus there.
My condolences to those involved.