Denver Catholic

LOCAL NEWS I 3 DENVER CATHOLIC REGISTER I DECEMBER 18, 2013 Gunman targets teacher; police search suspect's home Denver archbishop asks to 'keep youth in our prayers' BY NISSA LAPOINT Arapahoe High School students tearfully reunited with parents the afternoon of Friday, Dec. 13 after a lone gunman with an apparent grudge fired shots and critically injured one at the school before killing himself. Claire Davis, 17, remained in critical condition Dec. 16, stable but in a coma; one was released from the hospital and three students were treated for anxiety as crisis counselors arrived on scene after the tragedy, according to officials. The shooter, identified as Karl Halverson Pierson, 18, was a student at the Centennial school. Denver Archbishop Samuel Aquila responded to the school shooting Friday saying, "the battle between good and evil continues." "Unfortunately for all of us … we are once again confronted with the effects of a culture that has little respect for life and is desperately in need of God's merciful healing," he said in a statement. "As we prepare our hearts for the celebration of the birth of Christ, let's keep our youth in our prayers." ARCHBISHOP'S STATEMENT To read the archbishop's statement, visit www.denver catholicregister.org. Sophomore student Tori Gilliard hugged each of her parents after being released by school authorities outside Shepherd of the Hills Church in Centennial. A few hours earlier she texted her parents "I love you" once she realized the school was under attack, Gilliard said. "I just wanted to get that last word in in case something happened," Gilliard said. Students first thought the loud noises from the hallway was a book dropping, but quickly locked the classroom doors and huddled after realizing it was a series of gunshots. "I was just shocked at first," Gilliard said. Dietrich and Caroline Whiteside were worried about their sons, 12th-grader Will and ninth-grader Derek when they learned of the shooting. Will said his classroom's projector and computer started shaking after loud sounds came from the hallway. "I didn't know what that was," he said about the noises. Will said he and his classmates were unharmed. The joy of Giving A mother with developmentally disabled children was flooded out of her mobile home in northern Colorado during the September floods. Thousands of dollars were raised from a variety of sources to purchase a used mobile home that could be retrofitted with ramps and rails for her family's needs. But it wasn't enough money. So, Catholic Charities recently granted her $10,000 for that purpose. And because you, dear reader, support Catholic Aquila From Page 2 announcement. In "Evangelii Gaudium" the pope also speaks about how choosing to follow Christ has consequences. He explains that once we experience God's loving goodness we trust him Charities, you helped that family find a new home. In an earlier Call to Charity column, I said I would report back on what your support has accomplished. To date, financial assistance, food and supplies totaling nearly $400,000 have been distributed in the flood zone. The grant for a mobile home may be one of the most dramatic stories we've encountered among the hundreds of people we've helped in the disaster aftermath. But it's just one and decide to follow him. This should change how we live our personal lives, how we desire in our hearts to live the virtues and avoid sin, how we treat the less fortunate and how we use our skills and talents for the common good. In short, our faith in Jesus Christ and his personal love for me can change the world as we have seen by the lives of the saints. Others amidst the reunions came to pray and offer support for students and families. "(We want them) to know that even in this, God was here," said Jason Austin with his wife, Cassandra, of Elizabeth. Nearby, All Souls School in Englewood was locked down and parents were asked to pick up students inside. Other area schools, St. Thomas More, St. Therese, St. Pius, St. Mary's in Littleton, Our Lady of Loreto, St. Louis in Englewood, and Bishop Machebeuf High School also followed lockdown procedures. "Our kids in the school did not know there was a shooting," said Father Bob Fisher, pastor of All Souls Church. Some 25 alumni of All Souls now attend Arapahoe High, according to principal William Moore. These students were not harmed by the shooting. Several teachers from All Souls and St. Thomas More schools were released early to pick-up their children who attend Arapahoe High. Reports of the school shooting began after noon Friday when emergency officials received a call about the gunfire. Police say the suspect—who was a senior at the school— was armed with a shotgun and a machete and walked into the west entrance. He immediately asked students about the PRAYER SERVICE What: All students and family impacted by the Arapahoe High School shooting and the community When: 7 p.m. Dec. 18 Where: St. Thomas More Church, 8035 S. Quebec St., Centennial Details: Call 303-770-1155 MASS AND PRAYER SERVICE When: 8:15 a.m. Dec. 21 Mass, 9 a.m. Prayer Service Where: St. Mary Church, 6853 S. Prince St., Littleton Presider: Father Juan Espino, D.C.J.M. Details: Call 303-798-8506 location of debate coach Tracy Murphy. "That teacher was the purpose of the suspect coming to the school," Arapahoe County Sheriff Grayson Robinson said. "There was no warning of the threat." Murphy heard the suspect was searching for him and fled in an attempt to draw the shooter away from the school, he said. Davis was shot in the head at Nissa LaPoint: 303-715-3138; point-blank range, at the entry of the school. The suspect then nissa.lapoint@archden.org; www. set off a device police identified twitter.com/DCRegisterNissa story of many among the tens of thousands of people served by Catholic Charities through our ministries in shelter services, women's services, and family and child care services. The needs sometimes seem to exceed our capacity to meet them. Yet, our work each day is held to this standard: to the degree we see Christ in all of those we serve is the degree to which we succeed. We are also called to be careful stewards of the funds entrusted to us. Your donations of time, talent and treasure mean the world to us, because—through Catholic Charities—you are sharing your gifts with others. As we enter the final week of Advent and begin to celebrate the birth of Our Lord, I pray that you may find the joy of giving: to your family, to your friends, to all those you meet and to There is much more to the pope's exhortation than can be considered here, so I encourage every person in the archdiocese to read "Evangelii Gaudium." The Gospel is not about fame; it is about humbly receiving the love of the God who has loved us first and proclaiming that love to the world. My Christmas prayer for you is that as we approach the annual celebration of the in-breaking of God into human history, the revelation of the Father's love for humanity, I urge each of one you to walk with Mary and Joseph to Bethlehem, to receive Jesus in your hearts in a new and more intimate way, to take a step toward the Father's loving embrace so that you can bring CALL TO CHARITY LARRY SMITH as a Molotov cocktail, creating "a significant amount of smoke in the immediate area," he said. The suspect then shot himself. His body was found in the library, Robinson said. Pierson apparently harbored a grudge against Murphy after being disciplined by him in September. Police searched the suspect's Highlands Ranch home late Dec. 13. Authorities said an investigation is ongoing. Classes are expected to resume in January. The shooting took place on the eve of the Sandy Hook Elementary School massacre anniversary and a few miles from Columbine High School, where two students killed 13 classmates and themselves in 1999. Last July was the oneyear anniversary of the Century Movie Theater shooting in Aurora that left 12 dead. Archbishop Aquila said he is saddened by the tragedy and that his "heart goes out to the victims and their families." "Let us pray that as a culture we find the path to peace and to goodness that begins with accepting God's mercy and forgiveness, and his eternal love for each and every human being," he said. A NEED TO GIVE, A NEED TO RECEIVE Through state tax credits, you may be able to make a $1,000 donation to Catholic Charities for less than half that amount. See more at www.ccdenver. org/about-tax-credits. the neediest among us, Christ in disguise. Larry Smith is the president and CEO of Catholic Charities of the Denver Archdiocese. Visit online at www.ccdenver.org or call 303-742-0828 to learn more, volunteer or make a donation. the witness of his love and mercy to a world that is desperate for it. May each one of us cry out with the angels and proclaim to the world: "Do not be afraid; for behold, I proclaim to you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. Today in the city of David a savior has been born for you who is Messiah and Lord."

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