BATON ROUGE, La., Feb. 8, 2008

Two Days Of Deadly Gun Violence Nationwide

Apparent Murder-Suicide At La. College Is Latest Of Four Incidents, Leaving 15 Dead

  • Play CBS Video Video 6 Dead In Council Rampage

    A lone gunman opened fire on a city council meeting near St. Louis Mo. When the rampage was over, six were dead, including the gunman. Cynthia Bowers reports.

  • Video Gunman Had A Grudge

    The gunman who killed 5 people in Kirkwood, Mo. City Hall before being killed by a cop had been involved in a dispute with the city council. Jennifer Miller reports.

  • Video Six Dead In Council Shooting

    "CBS News RAW": Six people, including two police officers, died after a lone gunman opened fire on a city council meeting in Kirkwood, Mo. Charles Lee Thornton was then shot and killed by police.

    • Jean Gutchewsky places flowers outside Kirkwood City Hall , Feb. 8, 2008.

      Jean Gutchewsky places flowers outside Kirkwood City Hall , Feb. 8, 2008.  (AP Photo/Jeff Roberson)

    • Undated photo of Michael Layne, who charged into his estranged wife Christi Layne's fifth-grade classroom Feb. 7, 2008.

      Undated photo of Michael Layne, who charged into his estranged wife Christi Layne's fifth-grade classroom Feb. 7, 2008.  (AP Photo/Portsmouth Police Dept)

    • Scene of siege that ended in the deaths of a SWAT officer and four members of a family on Feb. 7, 2008.

      Scene of siege that ended in the deaths of a SWAT officer and four members of a family on Feb. 7, 2008.  (CBS)

    • Elizabeth Reilman, left, hugs Louisiana Technical College staff member Buffy Brinkley after Brinkley left the campus Friday, Feb. 8, 2008 in Baton Rouge, La. A 23-year-old woman killed two fellow students then killed herself Friday morning police said.

      Elizabeth Reilman, left, hugs Louisiana Technical College staff member Buffy Brinkley after Brinkley left the campus Friday, Feb. 8, 2008 in Baton Rouge, La. A 23-year-old woman killed two fellow students then killed herself Friday morning police said.  (AP Photo/Tim Mueller)

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  • Interactive School Shootings

    A look at major incidents at U.S. schools in the last decade.

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    State-by-state gun laws and death rates, maps of recent school and workplace shootings and facts on who's at risk.

(CBS/AP)  Four separate shooting sprees across the U.S. since Thursday have left 15 people dead, including three city officials, three police officers and two college students.

In the latest incident on Friday, a young woman killed two female students in a college classroom at a Louisiana vocational college, then killed herself, police said.

The students apparently were shot in their seats in the second-floor classroom at Louisiana Technical College, Sgt. Don Kelly said.

The incident came on the heels of three other deadly attacks nationwide. In a St. Louis suburb, six people were killed when a gunman stormed a city council meeting. In Ohio, a man fired a gun and stabbed his wife in a school classroom, before killing himself. And in Los Angeles, a gunman killed four people before police shot him to death.

In Friday's Louisiana shooting, officers ran into the building within four minutes of the first 911 call, which came at 8:36 a.m., Kelly said.

"There was mass pandemonium, people running," he said. "One officer - the first into the classroom - told me he could still smell gunpowder."

One of the victims, 27-year-old Taneisha Butler, was a mother of three. Her husband, who arrived on the scene, told Anna Adair of CBS affiliate WAFB that his wife was a nursing student. The couple's three children are 4, 9, and 12 years old.

The school offers classes in a dozen subjects including early childhood education, practical nursing, drafting and welding.

Students had to stay in their classrooms for about two hours before being released for the day, said Louis Davis. He said he was taking a test for an automobile technology class when a teacher "said to stay in the classroom because there's been an incident."

He said they were allowed to leave after a police officer asked them brief questions.

School administrators and campus police did not return calls or e-mails.

Meanwhile, in Greenville, S.C., a student was shot in the leg at Greenville Technical College, but told police it was a self-inflicted accident, a campus official said. The wound was not life-threatening, said Brad Majors, the college marketing director. Majors said campus police and city police would continue to investigate.

Details on the other deadly attacks nationwide:

  • In the St. Louis suburb of Kirkwood, Mo., a man who had lost a free-speech lawsuit against the government stormed a council meeting and killed three city officials and two police officers, critically wounding the mayor.

  • In Portsmouth, Ohio, a teacher's estranged husband charged into her classroom Thursday morning, firing a gun, then stabbing her. He later killed himself; the teacher survived.

  • In Los Angeles, a gunman killed three apparent relatives and a veteran SWAT officer before police shot him to death.



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    Add a Comment See all 441 Comments
    by erasmus6 February 11, 2008 7:24 PM EST
    "You are both brilliant. I commend you on your sound reasoning and awesome perception. Thank you for opening my eyes to the truths of your points of view." posted by drbonkers

    Why thank you and you are most certainly welcome!:):):)
    Reply to this comment
    by erasmus6 February 11, 2008 7:18 PM EST
    "now this is not a lie.... while visiting your wonderful Canada I found the people to be rude, borish and unfriendly." posted by jdubs63

    Hmmm, gee, that''s weird because anyone that I have ever spoken to has always found Canadians to be very friendly and nice. Maybe they were just reacting to YOU.:)
    Reply to this comment
    by drbonkers February 11, 2008 6:59 PM EST
    "What''''''''s up with you that did not notice that before making a false accusation? Are you that desperate?" posted by schoollord
    ''Hell, yes. I actually find it quite funny sometimes when a person, out of desperation to get back at you, will say whatever, even if it doesn''''t make sense.''posted by erasmus6
    -----------------------------------------
    I truly am not worthy to post in the same blog as you two. You are both brilliant. I commend you on your sound reasoning and awesome perception. Thank you for opening my eyes to the truths of your points of view.
    Never, never would I think to laugh at either of you.
    (cough.) I admit that asking a question is the same as making an accusation. (cough.) Your wisdom shall be remembered through the ages. (cough, cough.)
    Farewell, 72-hour mavens - your words ring loud through the Hall of Sages. No, really. They do. Now don''t be modest, you scalliwags !
    Reply to this comment
    by gunownerdan February 11, 2008 6:07 PM EST
    schoollord,
    I don''t know if anyone has told you this yet, but in America the law of the land is called the CONSTITUTION.
    Reply to this comment
    by gunownerdan February 11, 2008 4:56 PM EST
    "The strongest reason for the people to retain the right to keep and bear arms is, as a last resort, to protect themselves against tyranny in Government."
    -- Thomas Jefferson

    "The beauty of the second amendment is that it will not be needed until they try to take it."
    -- Thomas Jefferson

    a-human-right.com
    Reply to this comment
    by gunownerdan February 11, 2008 4:04 PM EST
    "Laws that forbid the carrying of arms . . . disarm only those who are neither inclined nor determined to commit crimes . . . Such laws make things worse for the assaulted and better for the assailants; they serve rather to encourage than to prevent homicides, for an unarmed man may be attacked with greater confidence than an armed man."
    -- Thomas Jefferson, quoting criminologist Cesare Beccaria

    a-human-right.com
    Reply to this comment
    by jdubs63 February 11, 2008 3:45 PM EST
    erasmus6.... now this is not a lie.... while visiting your wonderful Canada I found the people to be rude, borish and unfriendly.You need to chill out on your opinions and your vulgar language. You must live in a bubble ..leave us alone this is still the most wonderful place to live and know what you would not last in my neighborhood with your unkindness
    Reply to this comment
    by erasmus6 February 11, 2008 3:42 PM EST
    "What''''s up with you that did not notice that before making a false accusation? Are you that desperate?" posted by schoollord

    Hell, yes. I actually find it quite funny sometimes when a person, out of desperation to get back at you, will say whatever, even if it doesn''t make sense.

    Reply to this comment
    by erasmus6 February 11, 2008 2:08 AM EST
    drbonkers

    One of the reasons why the terrorists hate the U.S. is because they interfere with their countries and push their immoral ways on them. Canada on the other hand tries to mind it''s own business.
    Reply to this comment
    by erasmus6 February 11, 2008 1:59 AM EST
    "Are you fearful that our prez will bring the wrath of the middle east into your homeland? News report: they hate you as much as they hate us." posted by drbonkers

    I have no doubt that what happens to you will effect us but you are wrong about them hating us as much as you.

    When you travel to other countries it is a well known fact that Canada is well liked and the U.S isn''t. We are always told to make sure we wear a Canadian pin or something so people know we aren''t Americans.

    There is one thing that I have learned from reading the articles and comments on this website and that is Canada and the U.S. are totally different in the way they think and do things.
    Reply to this comment
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