Tragedy makes news worldwide

By Lauie Swenson

Pioneer Staff Writer

Monday’s shooting rampage in Red Lake quickly became news not only around the country, but around the world as well.

According to reports at the scene, 17-year-old Red Lake High School student Jeff Weise burst into the high school Monday afternoon, killing a security guard, a teacher and several students, shortly after shooting his grandparents to death in their Red Lake home.

After the shooting, telephone calls began coming in to the Pioneer by the dozens, from newspapers, radio stations and television stations, including the New York Times, Los Angeles Times, CNN, the Today Show, Canadian Broadcasting Company, British Broadcasting Company, Australia and others.

Pioneer Editor Molly Miron, who arrived at the scene about an hour after the shooting, was interviewed by media representatives from London, Winnipeg; London; Washington, D.C.; Phoenix; Melbourne; Australia; and Los Angeles.

“They have no idea where Bemidji is, or Red Lake,” Miron said, adding that reporters wanted her to describe the countryside as well as the communities.

Reporters were also looking for speculation on the psychological elements of the shooting, she said, but Miron had no answers to give them.

“I really feel the grief that the Red Lake community is suffering,” Miron said. “I know many of the people up there. We’re neighbors.”

Reporters and photographers assembled near Red Lake High School as well as North Country Regional Hospital in Bemidji, where some of the shooting victims were transported.

Beltrami County Dispatch received calls from as far away as Australia, Sweden and Russia.

“You would not believe it,” said Beryl Wernberg, communications supervisor and emergency management director for the Beltrami County Sheriff’s Office. “It’s just amazing how it went around the world.”

Wernberg had no idea how many calls her office has received, but, she said, “I’m sure it pales in comparison with those dispatchers in Red Lake. Our hearts go out to them and to all the people, especially the law enforcement and the families of the victims.”

The Internet search engine Google returned 319 separate news articles on the shooting at 7 p.m. At 9:30, there were 691 hits. By 10:40 p.m., that number was up to 829. At 11 p.m., it had reached 860.

The sites ranged widely, from Minneapolis to Melbourne, from St. Paul to Sydney. Articles were from such countries as China, the Philippines, Turkey, Canada and the United Kingdom, in addition to dozens of American news organizations.