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CNN Live Today
University of Arizona Mourns
Aired October 29, 2002 - 11:01 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: The University of Arizona is in mourning today over the deaths of three nursing school professors. Police say they were shot and killed by a struggling student, who then turned the gun on himself.
Reporter Deanne Donnelly of CNN affiliate KGUN joins us from Tucson with more on the deadly shooting spree. That one started about 24 hours ago.
Deanne -- hello.
DEANNE DONNELLY, CNN AFFILIATE KGUN REPORTER: This is the College of Nursing here behind me at the University of Arizona in Tucson. It's a place where a triple-murder/suicide happened just over 24 hours ago.
You can see that there are U. of A. police officers here behind me, trying to find answers to their questions about the shooting that happened just so recently.
Tucson police say 41-year-old Robert Flores walked into the school, killed one person on the second floor. Then he moved on, to a classroom where students were taking an exam on the fourth floor. Investigators say Flores shot the two professors at the front of the classroom, asked the students to leave, then proceeded to turn the gun on himself.
Police Chief Richard Mirada here in Tucson says he believes Flores initially intended to kill more people, but had a change of heart.
University of Arizona Police Chief Anthony Daykin says when they searched Flores's body, they found five guns and 200 to 250 rounds of ammunition.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CHIEF ANTHONY DAYKIN, UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA POLICE: Mr. Flores on April the 19th, 2001 conveyed to staff that he was depressed, that he was thinking of ending it all, and that he may take some actions against the College of Medicine. Nothing explicit and nothing that triggered them to do anything other than make sure they notified us to document the fact, and that they would then work with him and monitor him and report any further concerns to us.
(END VIDEO CLIP) DONNELLY: University police say that they do believe security is sufficient here around campus. They believe it was an isolated incident that involved a gunman with the intent to kill his professors.
Now, just up here on the steps, their friends and students have been dropping off flowers all morning for a memorial. There are also classes that will resume today here in the buildings around the College of Nursing; however, the nursing students won't be going back to school just yet.
KAGAN: Deanne, are you able to tell us anymore about the women who lost their lives in the shooting?
DONNELLY: The three women who lost their lives yesterday were professors here at the College of Nursing. And what we're told from Tucson police is that those professors were at one time Flores's teachers, and he apparently was a disgruntled student.
KAGAN: Deanne Donnelly, with KGUN in Tucson -- thank you so much.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com.
Aired October 29, 2002 - 11:01 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: The University of Arizona is in mourning today over the deaths of three nursing school professors. Police say they were shot and killed by a struggling student, who then turned the gun on himself.
Reporter Deanne Donnelly of CNN affiliate KGUN joins us from Tucson with more on the deadly shooting spree. That one started about 24 hours ago.
Deanne -- hello.
DEANNE DONNELLY, CNN AFFILIATE KGUN REPORTER: This is the College of Nursing here behind me at the University of Arizona in Tucson. It's a place where a triple-murder/suicide happened just over 24 hours ago.
You can see that there are U. of A. police officers here behind me, trying to find answers to their questions about the shooting that happened just so recently.
Tucson police say 41-year-old Robert Flores walked into the school, killed one person on the second floor. Then he moved on, to a classroom where students were taking an exam on the fourth floor. Investigators say Flores shot the two professors at the front of the classroom, asked the students to leave, then proceeded to turn the gun on himself.
Police Chief Richard Mirada here in Tucson says he believes Flores initially intended to kill more people, but had a change of heart.
University of Arizona Police Chief Anthony Daykin says when they searched Flores's body, they found five guns and 200 to 250 rounds of ammunition.
(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
CHIEF ANTHONY DAYKIN, UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA POLICE: Mr. Flores on April the 19th, 2001 conveyed to staff that he was depressed, that he was thinking of ending it all, and that he may take some actions against the College of Medicine. Nothing explicit and nothing that triggered them to do anything other than make sure they notified us to document the fact, and that they would then work with him and monitor him and report any further concerns to us.
(END VIDEO CLIP) DONNELLY: University police say that they do believe security is sufficient here around campus. They believe it was an isolated incident that involved a gunman with the intent to kill his professors.
Now, just up here on the steps, their friends and students have been dropping off flowers all morning for a memorial. There are also classes that will resume today here in the buildings around the College of Nursing; however, the nursing students won't be going back to school just yet.
KAGAN: Deanne, are you able to tell us anymore about the women who lost their lives in the shooting?
DONNELLY: The three women who lost their lives yesterday were professors here at the College of Nursing. And what we're told from Tucson police is that those professors were at one time Flores's teachers, and he apparently was a disgruntled student.
KAGAN: Deanne Donnelly, with KGUN in Tucson -- thank you so much.
TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com.
