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Rocori High School marks shooting anniversary
by Tim Post, Minnesota Public Radio
September 24, 2004

A memorial to the two slain Rocori High School students. (MPR Photo/Tim Post)

Students at Rocori High School in Cold Spring spent the day Friday remembering the events of one year ago. That day, freshman student Jason McLaughlin opened fire. Senior Aaron Rollins died almost immediately while freshman Seth Bartell died 10 days later. McLaughlin has been charged with two counts of murder in the shootings. For many of the staff and students at Rocori High School, recovering, continues to be a struggle. But the commemoration of the shooting was designed to help everyone look forward.

Cold Spring, Minn. — There was short private remembrance at Rocori High School and all through the day, school leaders tried to promote the most positive message they could.

Students got T-shirts when they came to school. Bold, colorful letters spelled out "Life is a Celebration."

The challenge for us, has been to keep moving forward. To keep remembering that we are here for the students, to keep remembering there is a message of hope and future that we need to portray to others. - Rocori School Superintendent Scott Staska

Rocori Superintendent Scott Staska says they'll always remember September 24, 2003 as the day two students died, but they don't want everyone to get lost in the sorrow of what happened a year ago.

"It's very easy for us to get trapped in the negative or lose hope and to be consumed by all of the negative emotions," Staska said. "The challenge for us, has been to keep moving forward. To keep remembering that we are here for the students, to keep remembering there is a message of hope and future that we need to portray to others. And when you're struggling with that it's hard to convey that others. A lot of our staff members have struggled with that issue because it was a tragic event."

Teachers like Warren Christie continue to struggle with their feelings. Christie shared some of his thoughts on the last year at a news conference with staff and students.

"Sometimes, I feel like I'm standing on a beach alone, trying to blow hard, trying to stop a hurricane of pain and sadness, hopelessness and anger," Christie said. "But then I realize I'm not alone. Family, the Rocori community and God has been with me through it all. And with them I'll heal and continue to make a difference in the lives of those around me."

Scott Staska says after today, there will be a community-wide sigh of relief. He says that relief comes from knowing that they've survived. They made it through the shooting, they made it through prom and graduation, they made it to the one-year anniversary.

But Staska says they know it doesn't end here.

"I know we have some issues ahead of us," Staska said. "What we're hearing is the anniversary and the time following that can sometimes be even more traumatic then the event itself so we're preparing for that."

The school is trying to secure grants to pay for more counseling for Rocori students and staff in the coming year.

School leaders say they expect that for some students the resolution will come only when the trial in the shooting case is over.

	A moment at the memorial

Jason McLauglin, 16, has been charged with two counts of murder in the shooting.

McLauglin was a freshman at Rocori last fall. He has pleaded not guilty and is scheduled to be tried as an adult early next year. His attorney is asking that McGlaughlin be tried as juvenile. That appeal will likely push back the trial.

Some experts say it could be another year before the case actually goes to court.

But this day, wasn't about a court case. This was a day for people in Cold Spring to mark the passage of time and to say in their own way, we'll make it.

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