Sympathy With the Victims and Families
May 1, 2002
Germany is struggling to understand why a 19 year-old shot dead 16 people at his former school before killing himself. The Erfurt high school shooting was the country's worst murder spree in post-war history.
Since DW-WORLD reported on the Erfurt school killings, numerous e-mails expressing sympathy for the victims and their families have poured in.
Here are excerpts from some of these e-mails.
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I first came to Erfurt in 1990 as part of a group of American teachers visiting German schools. Reunification posed many difficulties for schools, but the enthusiasm of the young teachers made us all feel that a brighter day was about to dawn. Those young teachers and their students did not deserve to come to so violent and purposeless end. My heart grieves for Erfurt.
Tom Armstrong
I am studying theology here in America, and am a youth worker in Texas. I am shocked by what happened. I am both German and American and was in a school only 10 miles away from the Columbine shooting in 1999 in Colorado. I hope and pray we as a nation can learn from this tragedy and restructure our views on TV, film and game violence. This is the leading cause of teen violence here in America, now it seems that this is the leading cause of violence around the world for teens. What the youth are exposed to, what is made to be "Cool", will out of nature dictate the behavior of our people. We have seen the effects of media and thought exposure 60 plus years ago. We as a nation are headed down that same old road if we do not monitor and control what we allow shown and exposed to our youth and our nation.
Justin Morff Von Morloff, Dallas Texas (Friedrichshafen, Deutschland)
The incidence is really tragic and shocking. Though it has not happened for the first time, when it happens it moves the entire civilized world. It causes every sensible person to think, what are the human values? In the name of freedom, should the license to posses arms and other contraband be allowed? Please accept my heartfelt feelings for the bereaved families and for the morning German nation.
Shailesh Kudtarkar
Please know that as a teacher and a parent, I grieve with you. We can see the problems that bring on these horrific acts of violence. But to prevent them is truly difficult. We here in America still hold our breath that someone might run amok over something and bring death and sorrow to yet another place. May we the teachers and parents and society at large work together to get at the root causes of such rage and violence that we may not have repeats.
Richard A. Breuninger, Teacher - Oneonta Middle School and High School, Oneonta, NY
It is time we have a good look at this gun business. We spend $1,000,000,000,000 per year globally on weapons and armies and wonder why so many people get killed, whether in civil wars, undeclared wars, or by civilians. Stop producing the stuff.
Wilhelm Waldstein, Vancouver Island, Canada
In my country, Philippines, this is already a normal thing, but this gruesome event to happen in Germany, I couldn't believe it. I had known Germany to be one of the safest countries where crime rate is low. I would like to express my deepest sympathy to all of the families of the bereaved and to call the attention of the authorities, spiritual leaders and most of all the parents to work on this together, to guide the youth morally and spiritually.
Mia Ventura, Doha, Qatar
My thoughts and prayers are with the families of the school community, the police officer's family and the people of Erfurt and Thuringia. I hope that the service in your magnificent cathedral has helped to begin the grieving process. I think also of the mother of the assailant in her grief and torment.
Avril Keely, Sydney, Australia
I was really grieved by the news and I couldn't believe that such type of thing has happened in Germany. My sympathies are with the families of the victims and I pray that the suffering families will bear the irreparable loss.
Abdul Jabbar Habibani, Badin Sindh, Pakistan
To the teacher who confronted the gunman and likely saved many lives, I thank you for your great courage. To the survivors and their families, I wish you the best recovery possible. To all of Germany, I hope your collective wisdom and fortitude will allow you to immediately stop the metastasis of this American cancer to you land.
Dr. P.C. Koch, Texas, USA
I wish to express my sincere sorrow and condolences to all Germany for the tragic school shooting in Erfurt. Just as the events of 9/11/01 shocked and saddened Americans I am sure all Germans are equally devastated. Just as Germans were kind enough to commiserate with America's sorrow then, all Americans now share Germany's sadness. I only hope the event will lead to unified efforts to prevent such tragic events in the future. May we both learn to recognize and treat mental illness in teenagers.
Nelson Vaughan, USA
Even so far away in Australia we feel deeply your sorrow at these tragic losses, please accept our deepest sympathy
L. Brunckhorst, Australia
I'm saddened at the news of your tragedy. At this time when so many of us ask God "why," we should also ask Him bring peace and rest to our hearts and souls, and to soften the hearts of those who harbor evil intentions.
Tom Krause, Yarmouth, Maine, USA
I would like to extend my deepest condolences to the loved ones of the people lost during the high school shootout on Friday. We in America can, of course, sympathize with such senseless violence. I pray that something like this never happens again.
Michael John
As a teacher and one of German descent, I wish to send my heartfelt sympathies to the families of the victims and the nation. It is a horrible, tragic thing, and no amount of asking why will get us answers... let alone healing. I pray that your nation and your people will in time find peace.
Kimberly Vahl
Our family as well as the people in the State of Michigan, U.S.A., offer our deepest sympathy to the families of the victims of this senseless massacre.
Having visited my cousins in Germany twice in recent years, I became aware of the importance of the "Abitur" (final high school exams) to German young people and their families. Failure to pass the Abitur can ruin a student's chances for a successful career throughout his lifetime. Could it be possible that too much emphasis is put on this one particular exam? All students should be given the opportunity to repeat these tests as often as they need in order to gain admission to the university.
Although this young man was very wrong in doing what he did, perhaps he just snapped under the pressure put upon him by the school, his family and the community.
This horrible tragedy brings to the minds of the American people the Columbine massacre that took place in our own country nearly three years ago.
Surely the value of a human life is worth more than academic success!
Justine Frankfurth, Michigan, USA
Would it be possible to find out whether the perpetrator of this crime was on prescription antidepressants? We have had a great deal of trouble with particularly boys, on drugs such as Prozac, Ritalin, etc. going on killing sprees in the United States. For example, the boy in Littleboro, Ark. a couple of years ago was supposed to have been on Prozac. The US FDA seems quite OK with the ability of the companies to sell these drugs, even with the side effects having been known for some time.
William Shadrick, USA
I just got in the office and read about that horrible shooting in Germany. Unbelievable. What a terrible situation.
Jay LeMaster, Bethesda/MD, USA
I felt compelled to try to contact anyone there about the shooting. I live near Denver, Colorado, USA. It refreshed the horrible emotional pain of the Columbine High School incident (20 April 1999) I completely understand how you feel now. My tearful prayers and thoughts go to the families, friends and community in this difficult time. God bless you as the world morns with you now.
No name
My condolences to those who have been hit by the criminal violence, a symptom of our times. When it happens in the school, the very special place for tolerance, education, high values and trust, there is no easy way to assimilate it.
Erico Wulf, Associate Professor, University of La Serena, Chile
Our heart felt sympathy to all of the families affected by the senseless murders. We are thinking of you in your trying times of horrendous grief.
Dennis & Lorraine Ashworth, Newmarket, Ontario Canada
It is with deep regrets that I send this message. I as the founder and director or End Youth Violence have become all to familiar with these incidents in Canada and the United States. This is a problem that will continue and will grow in our Canadian and American schools. As schools, law enforcement and parents are still not using effective solutions. They MUST ALL WORK TOGETHER. They must take a stand together and thus teaching a standard of respect that is not there today.
Our hearts go out to these and all of the other victims of youth violence and we have made it our goal to help find REALISTIC AND EFFECTIVE solutions.
From Columbine to Taber, we have been there for victims and their families. We will continue to do so and are very pleased with the media taking such a pro-active stand in recent months.
We only wish that it was not a result of so many needless injuries and deaths of our young.
Parents, educators, law enforcement and others concerned MUST start working together.
Until such time the solutions are not going to be effective. Zero tolerance is not a solution, it is a reaction. Solutions are needed, reactions only multiply until solutions are found.
Further, schools in North America NEED to be on extra alert as there may be a copycat style event within the next 14 days. This has happened in the past and we hate to say it may happen again.
End Youth Violence has contacted the German Embassy in Washington, DC and offered our assistance and will travel to Germany to assist victims and families, if requested.
James Miller, Youth Violence Prevention Educator
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