Carlsbad’s Laguna Riviera Park as children were being released.
In the hours since suspected gunman Brendan L. O’Rourke, 41, walked onto the campus of Carlsbad’s Kelly School a little after 12 PM October 8, 2010 and began firing a handgun more information has come out regarding day’s events. Below are links to some of the most recent coverage.
Some completely unedited video from this afternoon at Kelly School. Waiting parents were desperate to get any news at all regarding the welfare of their children who were locked in the school while police cleared the area.
At 12:12 PM today (Friday, October 8, 2010) a man in his early 40s, described by witnesses as “white with short gray hair” drove to Kelly Elementary School (at the corner of Park and Kelly Drive) got out of his car, and began shooting a handgun at children on the playground. He was apprehended minutes later. Two second grade students were injured with non-threatening wounds in their upper extremities and were transported by helicopter to Rady Childrens’ Hospital.
According to a story on NBC San Diego. Local Carlsbadistan big wave surfer and stand up paddler Scott Chandler jumped in with two construction workers to take down the suspect.
He said that he and a couple of construction workers tackled the man. “I believe he ran out of bullets, then ran to a fence, chased by a couple guys,” Chandler said, whose two children both graduated from the school. . . The gunman had a box of bullets in his pants that police recovered and had brought a 5-gallon gas can with him as well. Law enforcement located a propane tank after the shooting and began to use a robot to examine the tank at about 1 p.m. The tank is leaning on a silver four-door American-made sedan — possibly a Crown Victoria — that was blocked off by a black pickup truck and a police patrol car.
Parents began arriving at Laguna Riviera Park around 1 PM not sure what to expect and knowing only what they heard from friends. Many were on the edge of tears. It wasn’t until 1:15 PM that an officer explained to the gathered group that “an armed suspect on the campus has been taken into custody” and that the children we currently locked down. “I’m going to need everybody to by on my side and be as patient and calm as you can,” he said. “And trust us that we are trying to make everything safe so that we can get everyone to you as quickly as we can.
As we mentioned before it wasn’t until 2:35 PM that the first students began exiting the school.
[Update: 2:35 PM, October 8, 2010] Most parents standing here in the shade at Carlsbad’s Laguna Riviera Park have been here less than two hours but to someone waiting to be reunited with their children after a tragic event like today’s, it must seem much longer.
The first children (a Kindergarten classes) were greeted with cheers as they walked out to meet their parents at 2:35 PM.
As the children exit the school the sidewalks are filling with parents who have rarely been happier to walk their children home.
The first Kindergarden students released walk hand-in-hand to meet their parents after being on lockdown for nearly three hours.
[Update: 1 PM, October 8, 2010] According to a Carlsbad Police officer speaking to parents on a basketball court in Laguna Rivera Park an “armed suspect on campus has been taken into custody” at Kelly Elementary School in Carlsbad.
The students are currently on lockdown until the school is cleared. Both Park and Kelly are closed on both sides of the school.
There are reports of people having heard shots fired earlier at the scene.
According to parents two children were shot in the arms and had minor injuries. They have been life-flighted to Rady Childrens’ Hospital. The parents of the injured students have been contacted.
Local big wave surfer Scott Chandler is being credited with helping two other men take the shooter down.
1:51 PM Parents are lined up, by grade, awaiting the release of their children. Parents are mostly relieved but anxious.
Police officers with dogs and automatic weapons continue to patrol the school.
A semi-truck that failed to negotiate the southbound Agua Hedionda Lagoon chicane on Interstate 5 rolled over Friday October 8, 2010 just before 3 AM spilling “small generators and other metal parts across the highway,” according to a story on Sign On San Diego.
Carlsbad Fire and CHP responded to the scene and closed three southbound lanes causing traffic jams South on Historic 101, in both directions on Tamarack, and Garfield.
Last week (September 29, 2010) Carlsbadistan’sDon O’Connor, a 47-year-old grocery store manager, won the 2010 Golf Channel Amateur Championship on the Stadium Course at TPC Sawgrass. Yes, what many believe to be the toughest course on tour.
Although the 47-year-old Carlsbad, Calif., resident came up short in his par quest, his closing 73 at soggy Sawgrass was enough to lift O’Connor to the Championship Flight [handicap 0-3.9] crown. He finished at 7-over 295, one stroke clear of overnight leader Chad Bailey who closed with a 76. Terry Rice finished alone in third place, four strokes back after a closing 77. . . “I try to play to my strengths,” said O’Connor, who didn’t finish outside the top 10 in the nine Golf Channel Am Tour events he played in 2010. “I would be considered a grinder, for sure.”
Maybe that Crossing at Carlsbad course is good for something afterall. Congrats, Don. Thanks for bringing home the title.
Nearly 2,000 Carlsbad residences and business had no power this morning thanks to a broken San Deigo Gas & Electric switch, according to a story on Sign On San Diego.
About 1,800 customers were in the dark from the ocean east to Interstate 5 and from La Costa Avenue north to Avenida Encinas. . . Repair crews got the power back on for about 400 customers as of 11:30 a.m. and expect to restore electricity for the rest by noon, Zaragosa said.
Oddly, we’ve had power all morning. Maybe we don’t work where we thought we worked.
The Village of Carlsbadistan already has Oceana Massage, but it looks like the City has another new massage location in the form of Massage Heights thanks to businessman Deon Goldschmidt and his business partner Mike Aron, according to a story in the North County Times.
“Looking at the other massage-type franchises operating at the moment, they’re operating at profitable levels, even in this economy,” Goldschmidt said. “This is because many people … are looking for places where they can find a spa but at prices they can afford.”
Goldschmidt, who is originally from South Africa, says they plan to open 18 locations in San Diego County. Stressful times apparently require stress relief. Massage Heights is located at 6965 El Camino Real #101.
Our favorite Carlsbadistan based life sciences company Life Technologies Corporation just purchased a Connecticut based DNA sequencing company for $375 million in cash and stock.
Ion Torrent has revolutionized DNA sequencing by enabling a direct connection between chemical and digital information through the use of proven semiconductor technology. The result is a sequencing system that is simpler, faster, less expensive and more scalable than other sequencing technologies. As previously announced, the first product using this technology will be the Personal Genome Machine (PGM) sequencer, which will launch in the fourth quarter of 2010.
The reports that the purchase will be two cents dilutive to the Life Tech stock in 2010, neutral in 2011, and will start brining in the cash in 2012. Guess we have to play a bit of a longer game on this one. Follow the jump for all the details. [click to continue…]
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