U.S. Attorney Tom Heffelfinger said staff and teachers at the Red Lake High School reacted admirably during the March 21, 2005, fatal shootings on the Red Lake Reservation in Minnesota.

Heffelfinger said security guard Derrick Brun, a tribal member who was killed in the attack, confronted shooter Jeff Weise, 16, as he entered the school. This caused "the noise" that prompted others to take action, he said.

One of those who responded quickly was teacher Cynthia Rowell. As she heard the gunshots, she herded students into a room, Heffelfinger said. She helped them escape when Weise came after them, shooting bullets above their heads.

Heffelfinger is overseeing the investigation into the shootings as well as the prosecution of Louis Jourdain, the only person charged in connection with the attacks. Jourdain, 16, is charged in federal court and could be tried as an adult. He is the son of Red Lake Nation Chairman Floyd Jourdain Jr.

Get the Story:
Red Lake reactions were 'by the book' (The Minneapolis Star Tribune 8/24)
pwlat

Relevant Links:
Red Lake Net News - http://www.rlnn.com
Red Lake Nation - http://www.redlakenation.org
Red Lake High School - http://www.paulbunyan.net/rlschools/hs.htm

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