The West Nickel Mines School Tragedy

A Quiet Morning Shattered

On the morning of October 2, 2006, the peaceful community of Nickel Mines, nestled in Bart Township, Pennsylvania, witnessed an unimaginable tragedy. The West Nickel Mines School, a one-room schoolhouse serving the Amish community, became the scene of a horrific mass shooting. At approximately 10:25 a.m., Charles Carl Roberts IV, a 32-year-old milk tanker truck driver, backed his pickup truck to the front of the school. As the children, aged six to thirteen, settled back into their seats after recess, Roberts entered the school under the pretense of searching for a missing clevis pin.

Clad in ordinary clothing, and armed with a Springfield Armory XD 9mm handgun, Roberts spoke indistinctly, avoiding direct eye contact. The teacher, Emma Mae Zook, along with the students, denied seeing the pin. Roberts then retreated to his truck, only to return moments later with a grim resolve. The boys were commanded to help him carry items into the classroom, a task that included lumber, a shotgun, a stun gun, chains, and a wooden board equipped with metal eyehooks. The bag he carried contained a change of clothes, toilet paper, candles, and flexible ties. Sensing an opportunity, Zook and her mother escaped to seek help, prompting Roberts to threaten violence if they got away.

Hostage Situation and Police Response

Once the women reached nearby Amos Smoker's farm, they asked him to call 911, a call that was logged at 10:36 a.m. Meanwhile, inside the school, Roberts ordered the female students to line up against the chalkboard, releasing a pregnant woman, three parents with infants, and all the boys. Nine-year-old Emma Fisher managed to escape, leaving her older sister behind in the clutches of Roberts.

As the first Pennsylvania State Police trooper arrived at approximately 10:42 a.m., Roberts fortified the school's entrance. An Amish man attempted to assist but was forced to retreat as police arrived. Officers tried to communicate with Roberts through the PA system, urging him to surrender. Roberts, however, demanded their departure, escalating the tension.

The Shooting Unfolds

By 11:00 a.m., a crowd had gathered outside the barricaded schoolhouse, including police officers, emergency medical personnel, and concerned residents. Inside, the girls, acutely aware of their peril, whispered amongst themselves. Sisters Marian and Barbara Fisher, in a courageous act, offered to be shot first in a bid to save the others. Tragically, Marian was killed, and Barbara was wounded.

At 11:07 a.m., the sound of gunfire erupted as Roberts began shooting the girls. State troopers raced towards the building, but the gunfire ceased as abruptly as it began—Roberts had turned the gun on himself, firing one final round into his head.

The Perpetrator: Charles Carl Roberts IV

Charles Carl Roberts IV, born on December 7, 1973, was a man known to the community, his milk truck often seen on the very farms that would suffer from his actions. He left behind a wife and three children, as well as four suicide notes, one for each family member. In the months leading up to the shooting, Roberts' demeanor had shifted, noted by coworkers and neighbors as unusually jovial in the days preceding the attack. This facade of normalcy masked his inner turmoil and calculated plans.

Roberts' wife last saw him at 8:45 a.m. on the day of the shooting, walking their children to the bus stop. She returned home to find the suicide notes and soon received a chilling call from Roberts, confessing to molesting young relatives 20 years prior and harboring dark fantasies of repeating such acts. His notes revealed the emotional scar left by the death of their newborn daughter, a tragedy that he claimed filled him with hate towards himself and God. However, the relatives he mentioned later denied any abuse ever occurred.

911 Calls and Timeline

Multiple 911 calls were made that fateful day, the first by Amos Smoker at 10:35 a.m. The police arrived swiftly, but Roberts maintained his threats, demanding they leave. By 10:55 a.m., Roberts had the girls lined against the chalkboard, making two crucial phone calls—one to his wife and another to the police, threatening the children's lives if the state troopers did not retreat.

Aftermath of the Tragedy

Following the grisly events, all the injured girls were rushed to hospitals. Two were pronounced dead on arrival at Lancaster General Hospital, and two others succumbed to their injuries early the next morning. The surviving victims were transferred to specialized pediatric trauma centers for treatment. The haunting scene inside the schoolhouse, described by Deputy Coroner Janice Ballenger, was one of devastation, with blood and glass splattered across every surface.

A Community's Response

In the face of such horror, the Amish community's response was one of profound forgiveness. A grandfather of one victim implored his family not to harbor hatred, reflecting the community's deep-seated values. In a remarkable gesture, Amish neighbors not only forgave Roberts but also reached out to comfort his grieving family. The Amish set up a charitable fund for Roberts' widow and children, and many attended his funeral.

Marie Roberts, the widow of the perpetrator, expressed her gratitude in a heartfelt letter to the Amish community, acknowledging their compassion and the healing it brought her family. The Amish, though typically eschewing charity, accepted donations to aid both the victims' families and the Roberts family, underscoring the extraordinary nature of this tragedy.

Sources

For more detailed information, visit the original article on Wikipedia.