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| Version 2 | Version 3 |
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| Fatal shooting at US Amish school | Fatal shooting at US Amish school |
| (20 minutes later) | |
| Six people are reported killed and three injured in a shooting at an Amish school in Pennsylvania, US. | |
| The attack happened in a one-room schoolhouse in the village of Paradise near Nickel Mines in Lancaster County. | |
| According to initial reports a gunman entered the school and ordered some pupils to leave before opening fire on those remaining, then shooting himself. | |
| TV footage has shown emergency workers carrying victims on stretchers, watched by anxious Amish community members. | |
| It is not yet known whether the gunman came from the tight-knit Amish community or was an outsider. | |
| The Amish are Anabaptist Christians who live away from the modern world, with restrictions on the use of modern devices such as cars and telephones. | The Amish are Anabaptist Christians who live away from the modern world, with restrictions on the use of modern devices such as cars and telephones. |
| "So far six confirmed dead and the helicopters are pulling into (Lancaster General Hospital) like crazy," Lancaster County Coroner G Gary Kirchner said. | |
| The gunman is reported to be among the dead, along with a teacher and four children. | |
| John Lines, a spokesman from Lancaster Hospital, said the three injured people were girls aged between six and 11, all of whom had been shot in the head. | |
| The school has pupils up to the age of 14 and is believed to have been used by about 20-30 children. | The school has pupils up to the age of 14 and is believed to have been used by about 20-30 children. |
| Police have sealed off the area around the small rural town, about 60 miles (100km) north of the city of Baltimore. | Police have sealed off the area around the small rural town, about 60 miles (100km) north of the city of Baltimore. |
| Week of violence | Week of violence |
| John Eby from WDAC radio based in Lancaster County told the BBC that the Amish community would be deeply shocked by the attack. | John Eby from WDAC radio based in Lancaster County told the BBC that the Amish community would be deeply shocked by the attack. |
| "This school is a one room school, it's surrounded by farms and small businesses, many of them owned and operated by the Amish who are a very close, tight-knit community and for something like this to invade their community is just unbelievable," he said. | "This school is a one room school, it's surrounded by farms and small businesses, many of them owned and operated by the Amish who are a very close, tight-knit community and for something like this to invade their community is just unbelievable," he said. |
| FACTS ABOUT THE AMISH Anabaptist Christian denominationCommunities in the US and CanadaMany communities reject links to outside worldMost Amish shun modern technology including electricity and carsPlain clothing - no buttons allowed in some communitiesSpeak English and a German dialect called Pennsylvania Dutch In pictures: School attack In a separate incident, two Las Vegas schools, one high school and one elementary school, have been locked down while police hunt for a teenager spotted carrying a gun on the high school campus. | FACTS ABOUT THE AMISH Anabaptist Christian denominationCommunities in the US and CanadaMany communities reject links to outside worldMost Amish shun modern technology including electricity and carsPlain clothing - no buttons allowed in some communitiesSpeak English and a German dialect called Pennsylvania Dutch In pictures: School attack In a separate incident, two Las Vegas schools, one high school and one elementary school, have been locked down while police hunt for a teenager spotted carrying a gun on the high school campus. |
| Swat teams have surrounded the schools - Mojave High and Elizonda Elementary. Dog units combing the area have reportedly found a weapon, but police fear the suspect may still be armed. | Swat teams have surrounded the schools - Mojave High and Elizonda Elementary. Dog units combing the area have reportedly found a weapon, but police fear the suspect may still be armed. |
| These latest incidents follow a week of gun-related violence in US schools | These latest incidents follow a week of gun-related violence in US schools |
| Last Wednesday a 16-year-old girl died when an armed man took six students hostage at a Colorado high school. | Last Wednesday a 16-year-old girl died when an armed man took six students hostage at a Colorado high school. |
| Emily Keyes was shot when officers stormed the school in Bailey after more than three hours. The gunman also killed himself. | Emily Keyes was shot when officers stormed the school in Bailey after more than three hours. The gunman also killed himself. |
| And on Friday, John Klang, the head teacher at a high school in Cazenovia, Wisconsin, was killed when he confronted an armed 15-year-old student as he entered the school. | And on Friday, John Klang, the head teacher at a high school in Cazenovia, Wisconsin, was killed when he confronted an armed 15-year-old student as he entered the school. |
| The teenager, Eric Hainstock, was arrested and has been charged with murder. | The teenager, Eric Hainstock, was arrested and has been charged with murder. |
Are you in the area close to this incident? Use the form below to send any information. | Are you in the area close to this incident? Use the form below to send any information. |