Sheriff: 'Warning signs' preceded Oregon school shooting

Clements

Kinkel under suicide watch

May 24, 1998
Web posted at: 4:04 p.m. EDT (2004 GMT)

SPRINGFIELD, Oregon (CNN) -- Signs pointed to something wrong with Kipland Kinkel long before he was arrested in last Thursday's deadly shooting rampage at Thurston High School, Lane County Sheriff Jan Clements said Sunday.

Clements said on CBS' "Face The Nation" that his probe into the deaths includes interviews with neighbors who knew the Kinkel family. The 15-year-old also is charged in the death of his parents, who were shot before the school killings.

"Apparently, some of the behavior that he exhibited, some of the ways in which he just handled life," were tips that something was wrong, Clements said.

CNN's Martin Savidge talks with Sara Branom, a victim of the shooting 4 min. VXtreme video

Springfield Police Chief Bill DeForrest said on "Face The Nation" that his investigation has not shown that teachers or other students knew that Kinkel was planning to open fire at his high school cafeteria. The shooting spree left two students dead and 22 others wounded.

"What I can say at this particular point in time, we do not have any knowledge that any school official or any other official, law enforcement or otherwise, was aware of these problems," DeForrest said.

Suicide watch

Kinkel continued to be held Sunday in a single cell under a 24-hour suicide watch monitored by a closed circuit camera, Steve Carmichael, director of the Lane County Department of Youth Services, told CNN.

Kinkel

He is allowed no access to sharp objects and wears only paper clothing. He is isolated from the rest of the inmates and is allowed to leave his cell only to use the bathroom and for 15 minutes of daily exercise.

Authorities at the Skipworth Juvenile Detention Center said Kinkel is "pretty detached" and not sleeping well.

Improper search

DeForrest says his officers didn't properly search Kinkel, who lunged at an officer with a knife that he smuggled into the police station after his arrest.

Police said Kinkel had a hunting knife taped to his leg that escaped notice.

Kinkel was handcuffed and placed in an interview room at the police station while an officer left briefly to secure his weapon, said police spokeswoman Rosemary Pryor.

Kinkel maneuvered his handcuffed arms to his front and lunged at the returning officer, she said. "The officer stepped back and used pepper spray on Kinkel."

Police made the disclosure after finally clearing away the parents' bodies from Kinkel's home, along with five "sophisticated" bombs -- one of which exploded as demolitions teams were attempting to disrupt it. There were no injuries.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

Special section:

• Are our schools safe?

Message board:

• School violence

Related stories:

• Kinkel lunged at officer with a knife after arrest - May 23, 1998
• Accused Oregon school shooter shows no emotion in court - May 22, 1998
• Bombs found in Oregon shooting suspect's home - May 22, 1998
• Oregon teen due in court after shooting spree - May 22, 1998

Related sites:

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• Springfield, Oregon Public School District
  • Thurston High School
• Springfield Chamber of Commerce
• The Spencer Butte Gazette
  • The Springfield Pages
• Welcome to Springfield, Oregon
• McKenzie Willamette Hospital
• National Center for Education Statistics
  • Statistical analysis report: Violence and Discipline Problems in U.S. Public Schools, 1996-97
• National Alliance for Safe Schools
• Gun-free Schools Act of 1994

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