By Jeanne Ruczhak-Eckman
BART TOWNSHIP

"He was prepared for a lengthy siege," said Col. Miller.

According to Col. Miller, Roberts got off work at 3 am. He was a milk truck driver for North West, based in East Earl. At 8:30, he put his children on the school bus. Sometime around 10 a.m. he arrived at Nickel Mine Amish School where he showed the children his pistol. He let go a pregnant women, three women there with infants and the 15 male students. The teacher escaped at this time. She ran to a neighbor and called 911 at 10:36 a.m. Roberts then, said Miller, told the girls to line up in front of the blackboard and tied the feet together of the remaining girls, aged six to 12 years old. He barricaded himself in the building with lumber he had brought with him, barring the police from easy access.

At some point during this time, according to Col. Miller, Roberts called his wife to say he was not coming home. He had said "he was getting revenge for something that happened 20 years ago."

The school is located in the middle of an open field and allows easy visibility around it. Roberts saw the troopers arriving and called 911 threatening to shoot if the officers did not back away. A State Police negotiator called the shooter. At that time the troopers heard several shots fired in quick succession.

The three girls were shot execution style in the head. Roberts then turned the gun on himself. Seven students were taken out by helicopter or ambulance with serious injuries. Three went to Hershey. One went to Christiana, Delaware. The remaining three went to Children's Hospital in Philadelphia. Two are the girls were not yet identified positively at the 6 p.m. press conference.

"One girl died in the arms of one of our troopers," said Col. Miller.

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