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| Funerals for Amish school victims | Funerals for Amish school victims |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| Hundreds of Amish mourners have gathered in Pennsylvania for funerals of four of the girls killed in a schoolroom massacre. | Hundreds of Amish mourners have gathered in Pennsylvania for funerals of four of the girls killed in a schoolroom massacre. |
| Private prayers were to be held at the girls' homes in the town of Nickel Mines ahead of their burial at a hilltop cemetery. | Private prayers were to be held at the girls' homes in the town of Nickel Mines ahead of their burial at a hilltop cemetery. |
| Roads into the village were closed off to maintain privacy as horse-drawn funeral coaches headed to the village. | Roads into the village were closed off to maintain privacy as horse-drawn funeral coaches headed to the village. |
| Charles Roberts killed five girls and himself. Five more were injured. | Charles Roberts killed five girls and himself. Five more were injured. |
| Doctors treating the survivors have reportedly taken one girl off a life-support machine and allowed her to be taken home to die. | Doctors treating the survivors have reportedly taken one girl off a life-support machine and allowed her to be taken home to die. |
| 'Friends and support' | 'Friends and support' |
| Naomi Rose Ebersole, who was seven, was buried first, carried to the graveyard at the head of 32 horse-drawn coaches. | |
| Marian Fisher, 13, Mary Liz Miller, eight, and her seven-year-old sister, Lena, were to be buried later. | Marian Fisher, 13, Mary Liz Miller, eight, and her seven-year-old sister, Lena, were to be buried later. |
| 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 Who are the Amish? | 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 Who are the Amish? |
| Twelve-year-old Anna Mae Stoltzfus's funeral is scheduled to take place on Friday. | Twelve-year-old Anna Mae Stoltzfus's funeral is scheduled to take place on Friday. |
| About 300 to 500 people were expected at each service. | About 300 to 500 people were expected at each service. |
| The Anabaptist denomination eschews technology and preaches isolation from the modern world to varying degrees. | The Anabaptist denomination eschews technology and preaches isolation from the modern world to varying degrees. |
| Amish burial customs call for simple wooden caskets - and a girl is typically laid to rest in a white dress, cape and white prayer-covering on her head, the victims' funeral director said. | Amish burial customs call for simple wooden caskets - and a girl is typically laid to rest in a white dress, cape and white prayer-covering on her head, the victims' funeral director said. |
| Amish compassionate | Amish compassionate |
| The Amish have reached out to the family of Roberts, the 32-year-old milk-tanker driver who killed himself at the end of Monday's shooting spree. | The Amish have reached out to the family of Roberts, the 32-year-old milk-tanker driver who killed himself at the end of Monday's shooting spree. |
| A Roberts family spokesman said an Amish neighbour had comforted the family hours after the shooting - and extended forgiveness to them. | A Roberts family spokesman said an Amish neighbour had comforted the family hours after the shooting - and extended forgiveness to them. |
| HAVE YOUR SAY Stricter gun-control laws would not have prevented this gruesome act David ZimlinFlorida, USA Send us your comments Mothers' concerns "I hope they stay around here and they'll have a lot of friends and a lot of support," said Daniel Esh, an Amish artist whose grand-nephews were inside the school at the start of the attack. | HAVE YOUR SAY Stricter gun-control laws would not have prevented this gruesome act David ZimlinFlorida, USA Send us your comments Mothers' concerns "I hope they stay around here and they'll have a lot of friends and a lot of support," said Daniel Esh, an Amish artist whose grand-nephews were inside the school at the start of the attack. |
| Police have said it was possible his attack on the girls was sexually motivated. | Police have said it was possible his attack on the girls was sexually motivated. |
| In a final phone call, Roberts told his wife he had molested two young members of his own family 20 years ago. | In a final phone call, Roberts told his wife he had molested two young members of his own family 20 years ago. |
| In suicide notes he also made references to another incident 20 years ago, and said he had been haunted by dreams of repeating his actions. | In suicide notes he also made references to another incident 20 years ago, and said he had been haunted by dreams of repeating his actions. |
| Gun-violence conference | Gun-violence conference |
| The local man had entered the one-room school in the village of Paradise, armed with guns, knives and 600 rounds of ammunition. | The local man had entered the one-room school in the village of Paradise, armed with guns, knives and 600 rounds of ammunition. |
| Roads into the village of Nickel Mines were sealed offHe ordered the women and boys to leave, tied up the girls, barricaded the doors and shot his captives in the head. | Roads into the village of Nickel Mines were sealed offHe ordered the women and boys to leave, tied up the girls, barricaded the doors and shot his captives in the head. |
| Police investigating the motives for the attack said there was no evidence that any of the girls had been sexually abused. | Police investigating the motives for the attack said there was no evidence that any of the girls had been sexually abused. |
| However, they said Roberts had been equipped with a "restraint kit" and two tubes of lubricant gel, which he could have been planning to use in a sexual assault. | However, they said Roberts had been equipped with a "restraint kit" and two tubes of lubricant gel, which he could have been planning to use in a sexual assault. |
| Roberts' wife Marie and other family members have said he was a good and loving husband and father, and that prior to Monday's attack there had been no hint of what he was planning. | Roberts' wife Marie and other family members have said he was a good and loving husband and father, and that prior to Monday's attack there had been no hint of what he was planning. |
| The attack came at the end of a week of gun-related violence in US schools. | The attack came at the end of a week of gun-related violence in US schools. |
| Last Wednesday, a 16-year-old girl died in a hostage-taking at a Colorado high school. A Wisconsin high school principal was killed when he confronted an armed 15-year-old student last Friday. | Last Wednesday, a 16-year-old girl died in a hostage-taking at a Colorado high school. A Wisconsin high school principal was killed when he confronted an armed 15-year-old student last Friday. |
| The White House has said it plans to host a conference on gun-related violence in schools on Tuesday following the bloodshed. | The White House has said it plans to host a conference on gun-related violence in schools on Tuesday following the bloodshed. |