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| Funerals for Amish school victims | Funerals for Amish school victims |
| (about 9 hours later) | |
| Funerals for four of the five Amish girls killed in a schoolroom massacre on Monday have taken place in the US state of Pennsylvania. | Funerals for four of the five Amish girls killed in a schoolroom massacre on Monday have taken place in the US state of Pennsylvania. |
| Hundreds of mourners gathered as the four, aged seven to 12, were laid to rest in the small town of Nickel Mines. | Hundreds of mourners gathered as the four, aged seven to 12, were laid to rest in the small town of Nickel Mines. |
| Each girl was buried in a plain pine coffin. The fifth victim will be laid to rest on Friday. | |
| The girls were gunned down by a local man, Charles Roberts, who then killed himself. Five more girls were injured. | The girls were gunned down by a local man, Charles Roberts, who then killed himself. Five more girls were injured. |
| Doctors treating the survivors have reportedly taken one girl off a life-support machine and allowed her to be taken home to die. | Doctors treating the survivors have reportedly taken one girl off a life-support machine and allowed her to be taken home to die. |
| Roads into the village were closed off to maintain privacy during Thursday's funerals. | Roads into the village were closed off to maintain privacy during Thursday's funerals. |
| The first girl to be buried was Naomi Rose Ebersole, seven, who was carried to Nickel Mines' hill top cemetery at the head of 32 horse-drawn coaches. | The first girl to be buried was Naomi Rose Ebersole, seven, who was carried to Nickel Mines' hill top cemetery at the head of 32 horse-drawn coaches. |
| FACTS ABOUT THE AMISH Anabaptist Christian denominationCommunities in the US and CanadaMany communities reject links to outside worldMost Amish shun modern technology including electricity and carsPlain clothing - no buttons allowed in some communitiesSpeak English and a German dialect called Pennsylvania Dutch Who are the Amish? | FACTS ABOUT THE AMISH Anabaptist Christian denominationCommunities in the US and CanadaMany communities reject links to outside worldMost Amish shun modern technology including electricity and carsPlain clothing - no buttons allowed in some communitiesSpeak English and a German dialect called Pennsylvania Dutch Who are the Amish? |
| Similar processions were later held for Marian Fisher, 13, and the Miller sisters, Lena, seven, and Mary Liz, eight. | Similar processions were later held for Marian Fisher, 13, and the Miller sisters, Lena, seven, and Mary Liz, eight. |
| The funeral of Anna Mae Stoltzfus, 12, is scheduled to take place on Friday. | The funeral of Anna Mae Stoltzfus, 12, is scheduled to take place on Friday. |
| The Anabaptist denomination eschews technology and preaches isolation from the modern world to varying degrees. | The Anabaptist denomination eschews technology and preaches isolation from the modern world to varying degrees. |
| Amish burial customs call for simple wooden caskets - and a girl is typically laid to rest in a white dress, cape and white prayer-covering on her head, the victims' funeral director said. | Amish burial customs call for simple wooden caskets - and a girl is typically laid to rest in a white dress, cape and white prayer-covering on her head, the victims' funeral director said. |
| Forgiveness | Forgiveness |
| Donations have been coming in from around the world to help with medical expenses - Amish do not carry health insurance. | Donations have been coming in from around the world to help with medical expenses - Amish do not carry health insurance. |
| One insurance company has pledged $500,000 (£265,000). | One insurance company has pledged $500,000 (£265,000). |
| HAVE YOUR SAY Stricter gun-control laws would not have prevented this gruesome act David ZimlinFlorida, USA Send us your comments Mothers' concerns | HAVE YOUR SAY Stricter gun-control laws would not have prevented this gruesome act David ZimlinFlorida, USA Send us your comments Mothers' concerns |
| But the Amish have also reached out to the family of Roberts, the 32-year-old milk-tanker driver who killed himself at the end of the shooting spree. | But the Amish have also reached out to the family of Roberts, the 32-year-old milk-tanker driver who killed himself at the end of the shooting spree. |
| Amish leaders have helped set up a fund for the family at a local bank. | Amish leaders have helped set up a fund for the family at a local bank. |
| A Roberts family spokesman said an Amish neighbour had also comforted the family hours after the shooting - and extended forgiveness to them. | A Roberts family spokesman said an Amish neighbour had also comforted the family hours after the shooting - and extended forgiveness to them. |
| "I hope they stay around here and they'll have a lot of friends and a lot of support," said Daniel Esh, an Amish artist whose grand-nephews were inside the school at the start of the attack. | "I hope they stay around here and they'll have a lot of friends and a lot of support," said Daniel Esh, an Amish artist whose grand-nephews were inside the school at the start of the attack. |
| In a final phone call, Roberts told his wife he had molested two young members of his own family 20 years ago. | In a final phone call, Roberts told his wife he had molested two young members of his own family 20 years ago. |
| In suicide notes he also made references to another incident 20 years ago, and said he had been haunted by dreams of repeating his actions. | In suicide notes he also made references to another incident 20 years ago, and said he had been haunted by dreams of repeating his actions. |
| Roberts had entered the one-room school in the village of Paradise, armed with guns, knives and 600 rounds of ammunition. | Roberts had entered the one-room school in the village of Paradise, armed with guns, knives and 600 rounds of ammunition. |
| He ordered the women and boys to leave, tied up the girls, barricaded the doors and shot his captives in the head. | He ordered the women and boys to leave, tied up the girls, barricaded the doors and shot his captives in the head. |
| Roberts' wife Marie and other family members have said he was a good and loving husband and father, and that prior to Monday's attack there had been no hint of what he was planning. | Roberts' wife Marie and other family members have said he was a good and loving husband and father, and that prior to Monday's attack there had been no hint of what he was planning. |