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Across the Fence:  Moscow, ID Shooting  |
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Alee
True Blue Farmgirl
22937 Posts
Alee
Worland
Wy
USA
22937 Posts |
 Posted - May 21 2007 : 08:15:11 AM
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Hi Ladies- Here is an update so far. It looks like there will be more news breaking later and we will try and keep you up to speed as we learn more. Thank you all for the love and support!
Alee
Idaho town reeling after sniper kills 2, then himself
By Amy Cannata
The Spokesman-Review
MOSCOW, Idaho -- The Moscow community has been stunned by the killings of three people, including a police officer and a church caretaker, in an ambush that is being called the worst shooting in the city's history.
The gunman, who also wounded a deputy and a resident who had rushed to the aid of the fatally wounded officer, apparently killed himself in a nearby church sanctuary. In all, the sniper fired off more than 70 bullets late Saturday night in this quiet college town.
Investigators believe the gunman fired into the emergency dispatch center inside the Latah County Courthouse to lure people into the line of fire.
Police do not know of a motive and do not believe the shooter had a specific target in mind, said Assistant Police Chief David Duke.
"He was just shooting at anybody he could," Duke said.
The shooting, which started in the parking lot across from the courthouse, happened so quickly that officers never returned fire, police said. The courthouse is home to many county offices, including the sheriff's department.
The shooter had not been identified Sunday, and Duke would describe him only as in his 20s or 30s.
Moscow police Officer Lee Newbill, the first officer at the scene, died from gunshot wounds suffered in the attack that began about 11:30 p.m. It was the first time since Moscow became a city in 1899 that one of its police officers was killed in the line of duty.
The resident was shot around 11:45 p.m. while trying to help Newbill. The man, whose name was not released, was hospitalized and listed in fair condition Sunday evening.
Sheriff's Deputy Brannon Jordon, a 17-year veteran, was shot a few minutes later as he took cover behind a tree after pulling Newbill out of the line of fire, said Duke. Jordon was in serious condition with multiple gunshot wounds, Duke said.
The gunman at some point retreated into the First Presbyterian Church. When police entered the church after 6 a.m., they found the body of Paul Bauer, the caretaker, who had been shot to death in the church office. The gunman's body was found with a gunshot wound to the head. An assault rifle, ammunition and spent cartridges were found next to the body, Duke said.
Sorrow grips community
"It's a terrifically sad day for our community," said Moscow Mayor Nancy Chaney. "Our hearts go out to the friends, family and colleagues of the victims."
Within hours of the killings, a memorial was taking shape at the barricades near the church, with flowers and notes mourning the deaths of the officer and church caretaker.
"Moscow prays for its fallen and their loved ones," read one note propped in front of a vase of freshly cut lilacs.
"RIP Officer Newbill. Moscow can never repay your service," said another.
After the rampage started, streets in the area were barricaded and residents were told to stay inside as officers rushed to the scene.
Many residents said they heard the gunfire, and some said they witnessed the shooting of the officers.
Neighbor Steve Bonnar heard the shots from his home about a block away. From his third-story window he watched officers descend on the scene in an urgent attempt to stop the bloodshed.
When Bonnar called in to report the gunshots, dispatchers asked if he could see the gunman, but he never did.
It was a frightening experience, he said. "We locked the doors and stayed inside. Nervous-system overload is the best way to describe the feeling."
Laura Garrett, who knew Newbill, was near tears as she described the long night.
Garrett also mourned the shooting's impact on the city. "It's a place where you don't lock your doors," she said.
Moscow, with a population of about 20,000 people, is home to the University of Idaho. It's about 10 miles from Pullman and Washington State University.
After the courthouse shootings, police were outside the church when they heard the last gunshot shortly after 1 a.m. Officers surrounded the brick structure, which is nestled in a heavily residential neighborhood near downtown and Moscow High School.
They had hoped to persuade the gunman to come outside but were never able to make contact with him.
No calls were made from the church, said Duke.
After talking with church staff members about the building's layout, police moved in shortly before 6 a.m.
Duke became emotional as he described Officer Newbill.
"Lee Newbill was an open person who was friends with everyone," Duke said.
Passion for history
Newbill, who grew up in Virginia, was a passionate student of 18th-century American history, said his friend Jim Baillargeon, of Moscow, a member of the Hog Heaven Muzzleloaders group in Moscow that studies and re-creates the travels of Pacific Northwest fur traders. Newbill was the group's secretary and treasurer, and also wrote for its Web site.
When Newbill attended his first Muzzleloaders' meeting in the late 1970s, he was dressed in Civil War regalia. But "this is Lewis and Clark country," Baillargeon said, "and [Newbill] shifted his studies and interest a few decades back."
Newbill helped stage educational re-creations of Lewis and Clark's travels about four years ago in Tacoma and bravely volunteered to run the Salmon River in a dugout canoe for the Public Broadcasting Service documentary "River of No Return." Newbill's canoe "crashed and burned" among the river's voracious rapids, lending credence to Lewis and Clark's assessment that the river was unrunnable, Baillargeon said.
Moscow Muzzleloaders President Vernon Illi said Newbill was married to Rebecca Newbill of Potlatch, was the father of two daughters and a son, and the grandfather of two, with one on the way. Illi said Newbill rode horses, hunted deer and elk, and sometimes rode his motorcycle 40 miles to enjoy a drive and a cup of coffee with friends.
Newbill, who joined the ROTC at the University of Idaho, was a retired Army captain, Illi said. He worked as a security officer at the university in the late 1990s before joining the Moscow police.
Members of the First Presbyterian Church remembered Newbill and Bauer, and prayed for the injured -- and the gunman -- as they took their service Sunday to the University of Idaho's Lionel Hampton School of Music.
"I am tired. I am weak. I am worn. Through the storm, through the night, lead me on to the light," they sang.
Choir Director Ranger Moore discarded his previously planned music lineup to find hymns to sustain the congregation in its grief -- on the darkest day in the church's 127-year history.
First Presbyterian Pastor Norman Fowler found himself asking God for divine inspiration to shore up his flock
"We don't always know what to do with our grief, with what shouldn't have happened," Fowler preached.
The congregation recalled Bauer's generous spirit.
"I can't remember Paul without a smile on his face," said Dan Crimmins, who said Bauer, who had an apartment in the church, rarely spoke about himself but recently described his great joy working for the congregation.
Carol Crimmins was at the church Saturday, helping with a wedding. She returned later in the evening to find Bauer fixing a drip line to water the grounds.
"One of the last things he did was something for us as a church," she said.
Church members said it's too soon to even contemplate returning to the church's 65-year-old building.
"It's going to be hard to get through, especially with two people dying in the church," said church deacon Sharon Scott.
But after 20 years with the congregation, Scott is resolved to return: "I'd have been in today if they'd let us."
The Associated Press contributed to this report; Times staff reporter Susan Kelleher contributed from Seattle.
Copyright © 2007 The Seattle Times Company
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Libbie
Farmgirl Connection Cultivator
3579 Posts
Anne E.
Elsinore
Utah
USA
3579 Posts |
Posted - May 21 2007 : 08:56:53 AM
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I am so sorry to hear about this - I will be keeping you all in my thoughts and prayers - I just cannot understand how things like this can continue to happen. It is just tragic - Alee and Tess - how are you doing?
XOXO, Libbie
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KYgurlsrbest
True Blue Farmgirl
4853 Posts
Jonni
Elsmere
Kentucky
USA
4853 Posts |
Posted - May 21 2007 : 09:03:40 AM
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I was so shocked to hear this on this am's news...When I heard Moscow, ID, I ran in still brushing my teeth! I told dh "that's where Maryjane's Farm is!"
I'm so sorry for everyone involved...none of us are exempt, really, are we? Small towns, large cities. Unrest is everywhere.
The folks in Moscow are in my prayers, along with so many other people and places.
"In the spring, at the end of the day, you should smell like dirt." Margaret Atwood
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Past Blessings
True Blue Farmgirl
1083 Posts
Brenda
Orchard Prairie
WA
USA
1083 Posts |
Posted - May 21 2007 : 09:18:43 AM
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I was shocked when I heard that . . . when we had gone to get the books from MaryJane's Farm last week for her book signing at our antique show, we had a nice visit with an antiques dealer who told us she "loved Moscow because there isn't any crime." So sad to see something like this happen in a sweet little community like Moscow. As we waved MaryJane off from our antique show yesterday and told her to drive safely, it never entered my head that she was driving home to such a danger. What really amazes me is how he was so blatant with the church . . . it used to be that even in the midst of wars, churches were always revered and that was the safe place to be . . . and that even the hardened would still not desecrate a church. If you see old war photos of places completely distroyed by war, it is amazing to see lone churchs still standing. It just shows that these days nothing is sacred. My heart goes out to those people and their families and the loss of feeling safe that comes with such an event. My love and prayers are with you all.
With love & blessings,
Brenda
Past Blessings . . . Celebrating Life as it used to be . . . when people loved God, loved their families and loved their country. |
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Alee
True Blue Farmgirl
22937 Posts
Alee
Worland
Wy
USA
22937 Posts |
Posted - May 21 2007 : 10:49:54 AM
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There is a playground between the church and the courthouse that MaryJane built the playground equipment for. It scares me to think that the gunman was shooting at anything that moved. I remember going to the park late a night sometimes as I got older. I am so thankful that more people did not get hurt. With as many bullets as he fired, it is really a miracle that more people were not injured. My heart goes out to the church congregation. They have been having a really hard time with this because it is my understanding that the caretaker actually lived at the church.
Libbie- I am doing okay. I am just so thankful that my family is whole and safe, and I am so thankful to the emergency response system in Moscow for keeping us safe. I am trying to think of something I could do/organize to help the community with this tragedy.
Alee
Alee |
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Beemoosie
True Blue Farmgirl
2077 Posts
Bonnie
New York
USA
2077 Posts |
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CutiePatootieFarmgirl
True Blue Farmgirl
75 Posts
Tess
Vancouver
WA
USA
75 Posts |
Posted - May 21 2007 : 11:35:10 AM
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Thanks for your thoughts Libbie. I'm fine. I think i'm just another community member shook up from all of this. I'm watching the news release right now and it looks like there were 4 lives lost: officer Lee Newbill (one of the first responders to the scene), the 1st Presbyterian Church sexton Paul Bauer, the shooter's wife Christine Hamilton (who worked for Latah County), and the shooter Jason Hamilton.
I'll write more later.
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Alee
True Blue Farmgirl
22937 Posts
Alee
Worland
Wy
USA
22937 Posts |
Posted - May 21 2007 : 12:04:35 PM
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I just heard that they identified the shooter as a local 36 year old man (Jason Hamilton)with a history of violent behavior and like Tess said- he killed his wife before starting his rampage. Also another officer, Brandon Jordan was also wounded as was a University of Idaho student who lives in the area.
You can view the news conference at krem.com |
Edited by - Alee on May 21 2007 12:07:04 PM |
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newheart
True Blue Farmgirl
471 Posts
Margie
Owings Mills
Maryland
USA
471 Posts |
Posted - May 22 2007 : 05:30:24 AM
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Alee and all in Moscow, My prayers and thoughts are with you all ..
Margie |
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jpbluesky
True Blue Farmgirl
6066 Posts
Jeannie
Florida
USA
6066 Posts |
Posted - May 22 2007 : 06:02:28 AM
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My heart aches for all of you impacted by this tragedy. Praying for you all - we love you!
Psalm 51: 10-13 |
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akcowgirl
True Blue Farmgirl
296 Posts
Valerie
Homer
Alaska
USA
296 Posts |
Posted - May 22 2007 : 2:27:52 PM
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My Prayers are with all of you and your Community. Such a tragedy is hard on everyone. If there is anything your friends here online can do to help everyone heal please let us know. Cyber (((HUGS))) to everyone affected.
Valerie
Yes, I live in my own little world. But that's ok they know me here.
Deja Moo: The feeling that you've heard this bull before.
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westernhorse51
True Blue Farmgirl
1681 Posts
michele
farmingdale
n.j.
USA
1681 Posts |
Posted - May 23 2007 : 06:16:35 AM
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my prayers are w/ all.
she selects wool and flax and works with eager hands Prov.31:13 |
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mom2knk
True Blue Farmgirl
321 Posts
Blanche
So Cal
321 Posts |
Posted - May 23 2007 : 10:32:43 AM
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| Sending prayers! |
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Peg Graham
True Blue Farmgirl
281 Posts
Peg
Chesapeake
Virginia
USA
281 Posts |
Posted - May 25 2007 : 4:40:31 PM
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So sorry to hear this awful news. May peace come back to your town.
Prayers and hugs
miles of smiles~
Peg |
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Across the Fence: Moscow, ID Shooting |
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Moscow, ID Shooting
