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School tries to move on from shooting

The Minnesota community tries to cope with the school shooting, while trying to find the reasons it happened.

RED LAKE, Minn. - Teachers met Wednesday to work out ways of helping young survivors of the nation's worst school shooting in six years, as outsiders streamed in to help the tight-knit community cope with the tragedy.

"Kids, if you're out there listening, please, we'll be there for you. Come back to school and we'll get through this together," Red Lake High School principal Chris Dunshee told KSTP-TV in Minneapolis-St. Paul. "Please, let us help you."

The school remained closed Wednesday, as Dunshee and others assessed what kind of counseling the students in this tight-knit community would need.

Reporters weren't able to approach the school, which is set back from the main road, because the Red Lake Band of Chippewa restricted their access, warning that venturing off the main road through town would be trespassing and threatening arrests.

Tribal chairman Floyd Jourdain Jr. told WCCO-AM of Minneapolis that officials were working to help families and victims.

"We're just coordinating our efforts with our community professionals and spiritual elders and then also we have people who are coming here to assist the community today," Jourdain said.

Authorities were still trying to determine why 16-year-old Jeff Weise went on the shooting rampage that began at his grandfather's house and ended at Red Lake High School. Nine people were killed and seven were wounded before the gunman shot himself.

It was the nation's deadliest school shooting since the Columbine High School rampage in Colorado in April 1999, which ended in the deaths of 12 students, a teacher and the two teen gunmen.

The Red Lake killings began at the home of Weise's grandfather, Daryl Lussier, 58, a tribal police officer, said the FBI's Michael Tabman. Also killed was Lussier's companion, Michelle Sigana, 32.

Weise drove his grandfather's police car to the school, where he shot security guard Derrick Brun, 28, at the door and spent about 10 minutes inside, authorities said.

[Last modified March 24, 2005, 01:21:06]