Jeff WeiseJeff Weise as a sophomore in a 2005 class photo.Jeffrey James Weise (August 8, 1988 – March 21, 2005) was a high school student of Red Lake, Minnesota responsible for the shooting deaths of his grandfather and his grandfather's partner and the Red Lake High School massacre, a school shooting in which he killed seven people and injured more than a dozen others before committing suicide. He left many postings across the World Wide Web on websites such as nazi.org, offering an unusual level of public insight into his thoughts and the hardships in his life that led to his depression and fascination with dark imagery in the months and years prior to the shootings. BackgroundWeise was a Ojibwa (Chippewa) Native American who lived on the Red Lake reservation in north-central Minnesota with his 58-year old grandfather, Red Lake Police Department officer Daryl "Dash" Lussier, Sr. Weise's father, Daryl "Baby Dash" Lussier, Jr., had committed suicide in July 1997 after a day-long police standoff. The senior Lussier had attempted to intervene in that event, but was unable to bring the standoff to a peaceful end. Joanne Weise, Jeff's mother, alleged to be a heavy drinker, suffered brain damage in a 1999 alcohol-related car accident. As a result, she was forced to live in a nursing home in Minneapolis as of 2005. Jeff had been living in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area with his mother and two aunts, but was forced to move back to the reservation after the accident happened. Weise expressed frustration with being forced back to the Red Lake region and was considered an outsider by many there. Troublesome behaviour eventually led the school to put him in a home schooling program in 2004. He was apparently taking medication for depression and was seeing a therapist. He also apparently inflicted injuries upon himself and, according to a schoolmate, attempted suicide in early 2005. March 21, 2005Jeff Weise's 5th grade yearbook picture at a public school in Chanhassen, Minnesota.On March 21, 2005 Weise killed a total of ten people. First he killed his grandfather and grandfather's wife, 32-year old Michelle Sigana, who was his grandfather's police force partner. Later he shot and killed seven people at Red Lake High School, including a teacher and a security guard. As many as 15 others were wounded in the school shooting. After briefly exchanging fire with police officers following the murders, Weise committed suicide. Two handguns and a shotgun that belonged to his grandfather were believed to be used in the shootings. The incident apparently began at home in the afternoon when Weise allegedly killed his grandfather and Sigana. Weise then drove a patrol vehicle (a truck or SUV believed to be his grandfather's) to the high school, propelling it into the building at around 3:00 p.m. CST. Wearing a reservation-police-issued bulletproof vest, likely taken from the stolen reservation police patrol vehicle, he shot the third victim (the security guard) immediately upon arriving at the school. When the police first arrived, Weise briefly opened fire on them before proceeding into the building. Once in there, he was said to be "waving and smiling" as he shot students at random. An attempt to break into an English classroom was thwarted by a quick-thinking teacher who had taken the precaution to lock the door. This execution of one of the safety procedures established by the school (most likely as a result of the Columbine massacre of 1999) meant that many lives were saved. Weise and the InternetWeise allegedly had a history of trouble at the school, including fist-fights. Although no clear motive has been attributed to Weise's actions yet, he was described as a loner, who was bullied – possibly due to his appearance. He was known to wear a dark trench coat to school all year round; he was also known to have a notebook into which he drew what has been described as "evil and dark... stuff." [1]. Weise also had a fascination with the swastika, a symbol both Native Americans and Nazis have used. Weise posted frequently on Internet boards dealing with the subject of zombies, under the pseudonym "Blades11". In a short story he published in late 2003/early 2004, titled "Surviving the Dead", he includes a detailed description of a school massacre from a victim's perspective, combining it with the subject of zombies. The story is bloody and crude in content and spelling, but the language style is articulate beyond his age at the time. (Note: Grover's Mill, the town in Weise's story, was the town in a series of movies called Critters about small furry monsters that devoured humans.) Another website he frequented was The Official Mars Website, the online headquarters for the San Francisco, Bay Area Horrorcore rapper Mars, where the users are encouraged to post about music, murder, and suicide on its forums. Weise was described by friends and family as an obsessed fan of Horrorcore music, and Mars, whose upcoming international release is entitled "Some Girls Deserve To Die". Weise also created violent Flash animations and posted them on the Internet (including Newgrounds) using the alias "Regret". One animation entitled Target Practice[2] depicts an individual who shoots three people with an assault rifle, blows up a police car with a grenade, then shoots a Ku Klux Klan member. It ends when the character uses a handgun to shoot himself in the head. The animation is accompanied by the sounds of gunfire. [3] It is also noteworthy that an early reviewer of the animation on newgrounds remarked that Weise 'needed help badly'. To which he replied that there was a difference between fantasy and reality, and that the cartoon meant nothing. Weise's Newgrounds profile also noted that one of his favorite movies was "Elephant", a film based on the events of the Columbine High School Massacre. Weise is also believed to have posted messages on the Neo-Nazi Internet forum of the Libertarian National Socialist Green Party under the aliases NativeNazi and Todesengel (German for "angel of death"). The posts revealed an admiration for the ideas of Adolf Hitler, and interests in persuading other Native Americans as to the merits of those ideas. On one occasion, he fought with a pupil whom he referred to as a "Communist". He also alleged that the school was warned that someone was going to "shoot up" the school on April 20, the birthday of Adolf Hitler and the anniversary of the Columbine High School massacre, and that the school authorities "pinned" the threat on him. In one post, dated July 13, 2004, he claimed:
Another post read: "I try not to be aggressive in most situations, I'll use force if I have to, but I'm not about to go out and pick a fight. I'm mostly defensive, I'll defend myself if someone tries something but other than that I'm a peaceful person." The posts were dated 10 months prior to the shooting, and as such it is not yet known if they are entirely relevant in understanding Weise's state of mind. A LiveJournal account apparently created by Weise contained just three entries from December 2004 through January 2005. He chose three icons for the account: one of the band Nirvana prominently featuring Kurt Cobain, one with the logo for the band Rammstein, and another of himself. The weblog was customized to be rendered in black and white, and Weise expressed dark feelings in his few writings. He described himself on his user info page as "nothin' but your average Native American stoner" and mentioned that he used marijuana. Many Neo-Nazis reject Weise and his claims. While it is possible for a Native American to admire National Socialism ideology and philosophy, the vast majority of Neo-Nazi groups only support white nationalism. AftermathMarch 25, 2005: Armed security guards and metal detectors were stationed at all entrances of the school. The Red Lake Tribe was outraged that President Bush had failed to send timely condolences; the tribe did not receieve official condolences until three days after the massacre. March 29, 2005: Sixteen-year-old Louis Jourdain, son of Floyd "Buck" Jourdain Jr., was accused of assisting in the planning of the shooting, and was subsequently arrested on the suspicion of conspiracy to murder. At least a dozen other students were believed to have heard of the attack prior to its occurrence. The school itself was temporarily shut down and computers therein were seized. During this time, a makeshift memorial was set up in front of the school, made up of flowers, dolls, cards and candles. April 9, 2005: Red Lake High School was searched after police received information that guns still remained in the school, ostensibly placed there by Jeff Weise. References
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April 9, 2005: Red Lake High School was searched after police received information that guns still remained in the school, ostensibly placed there by Jeff Weise. In recent years the government of Aruba has shown an increased interest in acknowledging the cultural and historical importance of its native language. During this time, a makeshift memorial was set up in front of the school, made up of flowers, dolls, cards and candles. Islanders often speak Papiamento, English, Dutch and Spanish. The school itself was temporarily shut down and computers therein were seized. However, islanders are known to speak many languages. At least a dozen other students were believed to have heard of the attack prior to its occurrence. The cultural mixture has given way to a linguistic mixture known as "Papiamento". March 29, 2005: Sixteen-year-old Louis Jourdain, son of Floyd "Buck" Jourdain Jr., was accused of assisting in the planning of the shooting, and was subsequently arrested on the suspicion of conspiracy to murder. Language can be seen as an important part of island culture in Aruba. The Red Lake Tribe was outraged that President Bush had failed to send timely condolences; the tribe did not receieve official condolences until three days after the massacre. See also: Music of Aruba and the Netherlands Antilles. March 25, 2005: Armed security guards and metal detectors were stationed at all entrances of the school. Carnival is usually held from the beginning of January until the end of February, with a large parade on the final Sunday of the festivities. While it is possible for a Native American to admire National Socialism ideology and philosophy, the vast majority of Neo-Nazi groups only support white nationalism. The holiday of Carnival is an important one in Aruba, as it is in many Caribbean and Latin American countries. Many Neo-Nazis reject Weise and his claims. It also connects Aruba with Europe through the Schiphol Airport in the Netherlands. He described himself on his user info page as "nothin' but your average Native American stoner" and mentioned that he used marijuana. This airport has access to various cities across the eastern U.S., from Miami, Orlando, Houston, Atlanta to New York. The weblog was customized to be rendered in black and white, and Weise expressed dark feelings in his few writings. Queen Beatrix International Airport, located near Oranjestad, Aruba, currently serves the whole island of Aruba. He chose three icons for the account: one of the band Nirvana prominently featuring Kurt Cobain, one with the logo for the band Rammstein, and another of himself. Tourism from the United States has recently also increased the visibility of American culture on the island. A LiveJournal account apparently created by Weise contained just three entries from December 2004 through January 2005. Dutch influence can still be seen, even though not much of the population is of Dutch origin. I'm mostly defensive, I'll defend myself if someone tries something but other than that I'm a peaceful person." The posts were dated 10 months prior to the shooting, and as such it is not yet known if they are entirely relevant in understanding Weise's state of mind. The origins of the population and location of the island give Aruba a mixed culture. Another post read: "I try not to be aggressive in most situations, I'll use force if I have to, but I'm not about to go out and pick a fight. Main article: Culture of Aruba. [4]. Languages: Dutch (official), Papiamento (national language), Spanish, English. Where I live less than 1% of all the people on the Reservation can speak their own language, and among the youth wanting to be black has run rampant...Under a National Socialist government, things for us would improve vastly… and that is why I am pro-Nazi. Religions: Roman Catholic 82%, Protestant 8%, Hindu, Muslim, Confucian, Jewish. As a result of cultural dominance and interracial mixing there is [sic] barely any full blooded Natives left. Nationality: On one occasion, he fought with a pupil whom he referred to as a "Communist". Infant mortality rate:. The posts revealed an admiration for the ideas of Adolf Hitler, and interests in persuading other Native Americans as to the merits of those ideas. Sex ratio: To which he replied that there was a difference between fantasy and reality, and that the cartoon meant nothing. Birth rate: 11.86 births/1,000 population (2003 est.). [3] It is also noteworthy that an early reviewer of the animation on newgrounds remarked that Weise 'needed help badly'. Population growth rate: 0.55% (2003 est.). The animation is accompanied by the sounds of gunfire. Median age:. It ends when the character uses a handgun to shoot himself in the head. Age structure:. One animation entitled Target Practice[2] depicts an individual who shoots three people with an assault rifle, blows up a police car with a grenade, then shoots a Ku Klux Klan member. Population: 103,000( April 2004 est.). Weise also created violent Flash animations and posted them on the Internet (including Newgrounds) using the alias "Regret". Islanders can often speak four or more languages and are mostly Roman Catholic. Weise was described by friends and family as an obsessed fan of Horrorcore music, and Mars, whose upcoming international release is entitled "Some Girls Deserve To Die". Spanish and English are also spoken. Another website he frequented was The Official Mars Website, the online headquarters for the San Francisco, Bay Area Horrorcore rapper Mars, where the users are encouraged to post about music, murder, and suicide on its forums. This creole language is formed primarily from 16th century Portuguese, and several other languages. (Note: Grover's Mill, the town in Weise's story, was the town in a series of movies called Critters about small furry monsters that devoured humans.). The two official languages are the Dutch language and the predominant, national language Papiamento, which is classified as a Creole language. The story is bloody and crude in content and spelling, but the language style is articulate beyond his age at the time. Recently there has been substantial immigration to the island from neighboring Latin American and Caribbean nations, attracted by the lure of well-paying jobs. In a short story he published in late 2003/early 2004, titled "Surviving the Dead", he includes a detailed description of a school massacre from a victim's perspective, combining it with the subject of zombies. The majority of the population is descended from Arawak, Dutch and Spanish ancestors. Weise posted frequently on Internet boards dealing with the subject of zombies, under the pseudonym "Blades11". No full-blooded Indians remain, but the features of the islanders clearly indicate their genetic heritage. Weise also had a fascination with the swastika, a symbol both Native Americans and Nazis have used. The Arawak heritage is stronger on Aruba than on most Caribbean islands. stuff." [1]. The Dutch, who took control a century later, left the Arawaks to graze livestock, using the island as a source of meat for other Dutch possessions in the Caribbean. He was known to wear a dark trench coat to school all year round; he was also known to have a notebook into which he drew what has been described as "evil and dark.. In 1515, the Spanish transported the entire population to Hispaniola to work in the copper mines; most were allowed to return when the mines were tapped out. Although no clear motive has been attributed to Weise's actions yet, he was described as a loner, who was bullied – possibly due to his appearance. Having poor soil and aridity, Aruba was saved from plantation economics and the slave trade. Weise allegedly had a history of trouble at the school, including fist-fights. The Aruban guilder has a fixed exchange rate with the United States dollar of 1.79:1. This execution of one of the safety procedures established by the school (most likely as a result of the Columbine massacre of 1999) meant that many lives were saved. Aruba receives some development aid from the Dutch government each year. An attempt to break into an English classroom was thwarted by a quick-thinking teacher who had taken the precaution to lock the door. Deficit spending has been a staple in Aruba's history, and modestly high inflation has been present as well, although recent efforts at tightening monetary policy may correct this. Once in there, he was said to be "waving and smiling" as he shot students at random. The size of the agriculture and manufacturing industries remains minimal. When the police first arrived, Weise briefly opened fire on them before proceeding into the building. Oil processing is the dominant industry in Aruba, despite expansion of the tourism sector. Wearing a reservation-police-issued bulletproof vest, likely taken from the stolen reservation police patrol vehicle, he shot the third victim (the security guard) immediately upon arriving at the school. Most of the tourists are from Canada, the European Union and other places notably the United States, which is the country's largest trading partner. CST. About half of the Aruban Gross National Product is earned with tourism or related activities. Weise then drove a patrol vehicle (a truck or SUV believed to be his grandfather's) to the high school, propelling it into the building at around 3:00 p.m. Aruba enjoys one of the highest standards of living in the Caribbean region, with low poverty and unemployment rates. The incident apparently began at home in the afternoon when Weise allegedly killed his grandfather and Sigana. Main article: Economy of Aruba. Two handguns and a shotgun that belonged to his grandfather were believed to be used in the shootings. Yearly precipitation barely reaches 500 mm (20 in), most of it falling in late autumn. After briefly exchanging fire with police officers following the murders, Weise committed suicide. Temperatures are almost constant at about 28 °C (82 °F), moderated by constant trade winds from the Atlantic Ocean. As many as 15 others were wounded in the school shooting. Little seasonal temperature variation exists, which helps Aruba to attract tourists all year round. Later he shot and killed seven people at Red Lake High School, including a teacher and a security guard. The local climate is a pleasant tropical marine climate. First he killed his grandfather and grandfather's wife, 32-year old Michelle Sigana, who was his grandfather's police force partner. On the east are Curaçao and Bonaire,two island territories which form the southwest part of the Netherlands Antilles; Aruba and these two Netherlands Antilles islands are also known as the ABC islands. On March 21, 2005 Weise killed a total of ten people. As a separate member state of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, the island/state has no administrative subdivisions. He also apparently inflicted injuries upon himself and, according to a schoolmate, attempted suicide in early 2005. Oranjestad, the capital, is located at 12°19′N 70°1′W. He was apparently taking medication for depression and was seeing a therapist. The interior of the island features some rolling hills, the better two of which are called Hooiberg at 165 metres (541 ft) and Mount Jamanota, which is the highest on the island, at 188 metres (617 ft) above sea level. Troublesome behaviour eventually led the school to put him in a home schooling program in 2004. The northern and eastern coasts, lacking this protection, are considerably more battered by the sea and have been left largely untouched by humans. Weise expressed frustration with being forced back to the Red Lake region and was considered an outsider by many there. Most of these are located on the western and southern coasts of the island, which are relatively sheltered from fierce ocean currents. Paul area with his mother and two aunts, but was forced to move back to the reservation after the accident happened. Main article: Geography of Aruba Aruba is a generally flat, riverless island renowned for its white sand beaches. Jeff had been living in the Minneapolis-St. Members are elected by direct, popular vote to serve four-year terms. As a result, she was forced to live in a nursing home in Minneapolis as of 2005. They are elected by the parliament, the unicameral Legislature or Staten, which holds 21 seats. Joanne Weise, Jeff's mother, alleged to be a heavy drinker, suffered brain damage in a 1999 alcohol-related car accident. The head of government is the Prime Minister, who forms, together with the Council of Ministers, the executive branch of the government. The senior Lussier had attempted to intervene in that event, but was unable to bring the standoff to a peaceful end. The Aruban head of state is the ruling monarch of the Netherlands, who is represented in Aruba by a governor, appointed for a six-year term. Weise's father, Daryl "Baby Dash" Lussier, Jr., had committed suicide in July 1997 after a day-long police standoff. Aruba has its own laws, constitution, government, and currency. Weise was a Ojibwa (Chippewa) Native American who lived on the Red Lake reservation in north-central Minnesota with his 58-year old grandfather, Red Lake Police Department officer Daryl "Dash" Lussier, Sr. Aruba is a part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, but maintains full control over its own affairs except for issues dealing with national defence, citizenship, foreign affairs, and extradition. . Main article: Politics of Aruba. He left many postings across the World Wide Web on websites such as nazi.org, offering an unusual level of public insight into his thoughts and the hardships in his life that led to his depression and fascination with dark imagery in the months and years prior to the shootings. Movement toward full independence by 1996 was halted at Aruba's request in 1990. Jeffrey James Weise (August 8, 1988 – March 21, 2005) was a high school student of Red Lake, Minnesota responsible for the shooting deaths of his grandfather and his grandfather's partner and the Red Lake High School massacre, a school shooting in which he killed seven people and injured more than a dozen others before committing suicide. Aruba seceded from the Netherlands Antilles on January 1, 1986, and became a separate, self-governing member of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. Saint Paul Pioneer Press. The last decades of the 20th century saw a boom in the tourism industry. Troubling Internet postings clash with family's view of a happy Weise. A 19th-century gold rush was followed by prosperity brought on by the opening in 1924 of an oil refinery. David Hanners and Beth Silva (March 24, 2005). The island's economy has been dominated by three main industries. Star Tribune. Discovered and claimed for Spain in 1499, Aruba was acquired by the Dutch in 1636. Jeff Weise: A mystery in a life full of hardship. Main article: History of Aruba. Chuck Haga, Howie Padilla, and Richard Meryhew (March 23, 2005). . Story written by Weise, about a school massacre. This climate has helped tourism, however, as visitors to the island can reliably expect warm, sunny weather. Smoking Gun: School Killer's Animated Terror. Unlike much of the Caribbean region, it has a dry climate and an arid, cactus-strewn landscape. Seattle Times: 15-year-old shooter "seemed lost in life". Aruba is an island in the Caribbean Sea, just a short distance north of the Venezuelan Paraguaná Peninsula, and it forms a part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. Jeff Weise's 30 second mass murder cartoon from 2004 (in Flash format). Military of Aruba. Transportation in Aruba. Foreign relations of Aruba. Communications in Aruba. Natalee Holloway [2]. Palm and Eagle Beaches. Natural Pool. Natural Bridge (Collapsed on September 2, 2005 [1]). Lourdes Grotto. Hooiberg. Frenchman's Pass. California Lighthouse. Ayo and Casibari Rock Formations. Arikok National Park. Alto Vista Chapel. female: 82.34 years (2003 est.). male: 75.48 years. total population: 78.83 years. male: 6.99 deaths/1,000 live births. female: 5.25 deaths/1,000 live births (2003 est.). total: 6.14 deaths/1,000 live births. female: 38.5 years (2002). male: 35.3 years. total: 37.1 years. 65 years and over: 11% (male 3,215; female 4,586) (2003 est.). 15-64 years: 68.3% (male 23,427; female 24,955). 0-14 years: 20.7% (male 7,540; female 7,121). |