Northwest Missouri State University - Tower Yearbook (Maryville, MO)

Page 27 text:

Hcllcopcen and ambulcncet wail m i nw lot near I oiurjHion Abbey rcjily to irin%pt rt (hiwrinjurrdiiMhc UHHHingJuiK 1 Mclui p«cr hovered overheiti vejrt-htntt the rouiu) e»tr ■Bv lj M| ? t- 1 4C ri Th« R«v. Chucii TobinoAVtam i frnrr mtitcc hrU m St .nvrv ' t t jthxk t Jmnhjunc H M.irr dun Slipn5ilc|w«hrinll »thr«h « lnnrjHicTlh l CONCEPTION :23

Page 26 text:

BY MeussaGaijtz ID, ivots in the floor provided a constant reminder of the day bullets showered the peaceful halls of Conception Abbey. At 8:40 a.m. on June 10, Lloyd Jeffress, of Kearney, Mo., opened fire on the monks of Conception Abbey, in Conception, Mo. Before the gunman turned the gun on himself, the Rev. Kenneth Reichert and the Rev. Norbert Schappler were injured. Brother Damian Larson and the Rev. Philip Schuster were killed. I was in my office when 1 heard the first shot go, Abbot Gregory Polan said. I honestly thought that a window had fallen out and crashed. Unknown to Abbot Gregory, the quiet abbey was transformed by a national news event. According to Conception Abbey Director of Communications Dan Madden, the following events unfurled that day: Jeffress walked into Conception Abbey carrying two boxes containing a .22- caliber Ruger and a MAK-90 rifle. The first shots pierced the hallways of the monastery when Jeffress walked to the end of the glass hallway and found the first of his victims. Brother Damian was the first of four shot and the first of two slain. Leaving Brother Damian behind, Jeffress continued down the hallway. After hearing shots, curiosity led Father Kenneth, who was posting information in the coffee room, and Father Norbert, who wa.s cleaning in the annex after breakfast, directly to the gunman. Another three shots echoed throughout the halls of the abbey. The first bullet struck Father Norbert ' s sciatic nerve to the left of his groin. Over the next hour, he would lose a liter of blood. The next two bullets struck Father Kenneth in his side and shin, meanwhile shattering his finger. Part of my insides were falling out, Father Kenneth said. 1 never looked, but 1 kept my hand down there. Leaving a trail of blood. Father Norbert drug himself 30 feet to a phone. After attempting to reach the business office and infirmary on campus to warn others, he dialed 911 for rescue. The Rev. Patrick Caveglia was the first to encounter the body of Brother Damian. After pausing to make the sign of the cross over him, Father Patrick proceeded through the abbey and found other injured monks. Jeffress had continued his rampage, attempting to gain access to an office with two monks inside. After finding the door locked, he continued walking down the hallway where he shot and killed Father Philip with two more bullets. The shooting spree came to an end in the Basilica of Conception Abbey where Jeffress shot and killed himself, leaving his body slumped over in a back pew. Within the first hour of the shtxitings, more than 80 policeman responded to the scene. Reporters, photographers and videographers descended upon the area; news of the shootings would receive national coverage. Press conferences were held throughout the day while officers assessed the morning events. • Continued page 24 221 Ffaturfs Pa t of MY NSDES WERE 1 FALirNG 1 OUT. NEVER 1 LOOKED, 1 BUT PU 1 MY HAND ' DOWN -!:RF. 55 :THE Rev. Kenneth Reichert ■ - •

Page 28 text:

LENCIEt lEWED • Continued from page 22 There is a lot of blood; there are victims lying out on the main floor, Missouri State Highway Patrol Sgt. Sheldon Lyon said at a press conference. 1 have never seen anything like it before. It is shocking to see not only a person, but someone who is a priest- very disturbing. Helicopters waited on a grass lot near the abbey while others hovered overhead; some primed for medical transport, others sought possible gunmen. Fear for the safety of the community spread, as questions were left unanswered. Unsure if Jeffress, dead in the Basilica, was the alleged shooter, authorities advised the community to be careful. Stay in homes, don ' t be out walkin ' around, Lyon said. We don ' t know if we got this guy or not. A suspicious package was found in Jeffress ' vehicle. A bomb squad was called in to investigate and found nothing dangerous. I keep asking myself these questions: Why? How did this happen? It ' s just such a shock, Abbot Gregory said. It is still very unreal for me. These kind of things don ' t happen in Benedictine monasteries. St. Gregory ' s Catholic Church school and offices in Maryville were on precautionary lock-down throughout the ordeal. The community of Conception and the monks of Conception Abbey were closely interwoven. Many of the people who work for us are part of this community, Abbot Gregory said. And it ' s very clear by their outpouring of concern that they are going to walk this difficult path with us. On the evening of the shooting, the Rev. Chuck Tobin officiated a prayer service at St. Gregory ' s Catholic Church. The families of Father Philip and Brother Damian were among 350 attendees. According to Tobin, the service was intended to center the community during confusion, grief, searching and wondering. After weeks of investigation, authorities were unable to ease the minds of the community. Investigations closed in August with no answers as to why Jeffress opened fire on the abbey. Four months after the shootings. Northwest officials planted a tree near the Peace Pavilion at Colden Pond out of respect for the monks. Through community assistance and faith the monks of Conception Abbey found ways to persevere. For 1 500 years Benedictines have been welcoming people in that spirit, and that won ' t change, Abbot Gregory said. Monasteries are places of peace, and we will work to restore the spirit of peace that ' s here. Monks recess nut ot C ' oiKcptioii Ablx ' v iliinng tlio luiif 14 (untTiil. ' T hf rite ofC ' liristi.in biiruil ms pcrtoniH ' ii in tlu- li.isilic.i ot the InHii.K iil.itlon C loiiccption, C AHKvptioii Ahln-y tor tiu ' Kcv. I ' hillip Si ' huslcr -ind Hrothcr D.inii.iii. t ' liowhy . l,li .i . ' .i if.- Mourners bear tin- t.iskct ot j monk shot l y l.loyil | ■t(■r ■ s. Jinic- III, I Ik- liodu ' s of Itrotlu-r 1 ).iini.in L.(r «ni .ukI the Kc . IMiiIlip Schuster were c.irrii ' il to the tcint-tcry .ut4iss the street troni t!oiueption Ahhey. ; Jiw.. -j ' . t.7i ,.i t. ' .i pr- 2k FEATURES