Asheville, NC. -- A gunmen wearing a nazi storm trooper uniform opened fire on students at Jefferson Davis High School as they were boarding buses to go home. Police were attacked as they arrived on the scene. Sixteen students and two police officers were killed. Dozens of students and faculty were wounded, several critically. The gunman, Chad Higgenbotham, surrendered after attempting to flee the scene.
Witnesses reported that the shooter was positioned in the woods about 200 feet from the school's loading zone. He waited until the students began boarding and then opened fire on them. "It was very sudden. The shots were almost like an explosion. They were so fast, " said Wendy Cunningham, a teacher. "The shooting...never stopped. People were screaming and running everywhere. I just fell down in the glass and prayed. God was looking out for me," said Scotty Shoop, 16, a student.
"When the police arrived, he started blasting away at them. It gave us a chance to get back into the building where he couldn't shoot us anymore," said Michael Hunt, a freshman.
State Police said that the first officers arrived within seconds of one another, but had no idea of the gunman's location. They drove directly in front of his location. Trooper Jason Frazier said that "he hit their cars with hundreds of bullets. Both men died instantly."
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Sheriff's deputies and paramedics help one of the casualities. |
As more police and SWAT units arrived, Higgenbotham, apparently out of ammunition, attempted to flee the scene in his car, but he lost control and hit a mail box about 2 blocks from the school. He was taken into custody after a brief struggle.
What makes this crime so deadly was the gun used in the shooting. State Police reported that he was armed with a World War II era MG42 heavy machine gun used by the Nazi army. That weapon is said to be capable of spraying over a thousand bullets per minute. It is the worst rampage in North Carolina history and one of the worst in the US.
A search of the Higgenbotham's residence, his parents' house, turned up several rifles, an automatic pistol, crates of ammunition, and boxes of nazi paraphernalia, including swastika and confederate flags, helmets, uniforms and dozens of CD's glorifying Hitler. His parents could not be reached for comment.
Higgenbotham, 19, was described by acquaintances as a thoughtful and polite man, a good Christian, with an intense interest in history. He was an active Civil War and WWII Reenactor. Neighbor and fellow reenactor, Preston Lambert, 29, of Cartersville, was stunned. He defended his friend's interest in Nazi paraphernalia as "historical in nature" and in no way "racist or skinhead." "This was totally out of character for Chad. No way. This can't be him."
However, those close to him described his demeanor as "changed" since an incident last year with a pistol led to his expulsion from Jefferson Davis High School. The motive for the rampage is still unclear, but Sheriff Hatfield told a reporter for the News Herald that Higgenbotham had been indicted on Wednesday for possessing child pornography, using stolen credit cards and animal cruelty. He was free on bond when the shooting occurred.
Putnam County Commissioner Fred Phelps and State Senator Elijah Mills have called for an immediate investigation into "reenacting" groups. The men issued a joint statement, "Just how this young man became involved in such a group and how he came into possession of this weapon will be determined as quickly as possible. We don't care how you call it, groups of men engaging in paramilitary training, armed with machine guns and wearing nazi uniforms is not something the American people should be asked to tolerate. We're sure the victims' families of today's tragedy would heartily agree."
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