Althouse: "Jacob coolly followed school protocol, blocking the library entrance with a file cabinet before steering the youngsters into the supply closet."

December 16, 2012

"Jacob coolly followed school protocol, blocking the library entrance with a file cabinet before steering the youngsters into the supply closet."

"The kids, following her directions, walked inside in short order. They remained in the closet for about an hour, even as an eerie postshooting silence descended on the building before police arrived."

12 comments:

vet66 said...: By Victoria's actions, she represents the finest attributes that make this country exceptional. She is a teacher to us all through her selfless devotion to her students, her love of teaching and her sacrifice for others. I am humbled by her heroism. GOD bless her and her family.; 12/16/12, 6:58 AM
kentuckyliz said...: They're training people in ALICE.; 12/16/12, 7:38 AM
Moose said...: Waited for an HOUR? What the hell?; 12/16/12, 7:55 AM
Oso Negro said...: Moose, it's not like the librarian was packing a Remington 870 and sporting an armored vest. Waiting until for an "all clear" seems uncommonly prudent under the circumstances.; 12/16/12, 8:17 AM
Moose said...: @Oso - dunno about that. More time for the shooter to kill people? Could have been the shooter in that closet. I would think it'd be more prudent to sweep the premises *quickly* and get all the kids out...; 12/16/12, 8:50 AM
Unknown said...: There is a lot of conflicting advice out there. Lockdown procedures change almost everytime there is a shooting. We used to be told to cover the windows, then they said not to do that because first responders need to see inside. They have all kinds of communication codes, then they don't. They say lights off, then change to it doesn't matter.
In the end the adults do what seems sensible at the time, and people who weren't there second guess it.; 12/16/12, 9:43 AM
Known Unknown said...: We used to be told to cover the windows, then they said not to do that because first responders need to see inside.

I never understood why you wouldn't want to get people out, instead of keeping them inside as targets.; 12/16/12, 10:20 AM
edutcher said...: And if the nut had somehow gotten into the library...

Sounds like how they killed all the people in Lidice - jammed them in behind the altar in the church and opened up.; 12/16/12, 10:39 AM
Karen said...: She was truly a hero. What has gotten buried in all these stories is the fact that the police didn't arrive for an hour. What? The first call went to 911 and an hour later, the police arrived. Doesn't anyone find that the least bit odd? I've read it in several articles, with no comment anywhere to be seen by the writer.; 12/16/12, 10:44 AM
Karen said...: She was truly a hero. What has gotten buried in all these stories is the fact that the police didn't arrive for an hour. What? The first call went to 911 and an hour later, the police arrived. Doesn't anyone find that the least bit odd? I've read it in several articles, with no comment anywhere to be seen by the writer.; 12/16/12, 10:44 AM
Big Mike said...: The police didn't beat on the library doors until an hour had elapsed, but they were in the school before then.

Still, the it does seem to have taken the police a long time to arrive, particularly considering that we're talking about a school. The timeline published by USA Today has the school doors being locked at 9:30 and the report of a shooter in the school reaches the police at 9:40. Apparently Lanza shot his way into the school before then, but we don't know how much before then.

The same timeline shows the first police presence entering the school at 10:23. That's 33 minutes after the alarm goes out. The timeline goes on to say that by 10:45 there is "heavily armed police presence in front of the school and stretchers are set up." [emphasis mine] That's an hour and five minutes after the alarm.

Maybe if a policeman explained things to me I'd understand why it took so long -- it's easy and unfair to second guess things two days later. But right now I'd have to say that a 33 minuts is at least 23 minutes too long.; 12/16/12, 12:25 PM
Paul said...: Pity Jacob didn't have a .45 and shoot that nutjob DEAD. How many lives would been have saved if just ONE TEACHER had a gun and KNEW how to shoot.

It's a sad commentary of the effectiveness of school 'gun free' zones. Do note there were LOTS of guns there, after the tragedy. No one screens about them being there, right? And not a one of the did any killing, right?

Now it turns out the mother of the nutjob BOUGHT THE GUNS he used to kill her and the others. And she also took him to the gun range! He had known mental illnesses and she did that.

He was rejected when he tried to buy his own guns. So how is 'gun control' gonna stop that?

We need nut control, not gun control.; 12/16/12, 12:59 PM