Arizona Daily Star from Tucson, Arizona • Page 1

BEST AVAILABLE 50 One dollar in Mexico SERVING TUCSON SINCE 1877 TUESDAY, OCTOBER 29, 2002 NURSING COLLEGE SHOOTINGS THE VICTIMS Three teachers with different styles, they died in the place where all had earned respect. Robin E. Rogers I The retired lieutenant colonel, a song leader at her church, was focused and serious in her medical work. Cheryl M. McGaffic Caring and spiritual, she taught others how to deal with death and was working to become a hospital chaplain.

mm Barbara S. Monroe Praised as a model staff member by UA colleagues, she impressed peers as being strong and outspoken. IN .1 I 9 M'. 1 TV t. mm I Student kills three on faculty, himself By Anne Newell ARIZONA DAILY STAR A man fatally shot three of his professors in the University of Arizona's College of Nursing early Monday, gunning down two in front of a room of students before apparently killing himself as people rushed from the building in hysterics.

The man was identified as Robert Stewart Flores 41, who authorities and witnesses said failed a pediatric nursing class last semester and was failing critical care Robert S. Flores Jr. So nervous he squeezed a stress ball in class, he showed no hesitation as he gunned down his teachers. the 8 a.m. class that he barged into armed with five handguns and up to 250 rounds of ammunition Monday.

Tucson Police Chief Richard Miranda said Monday night that he had no doubt that Flores wanted to create "holy hell for this community" when he walked into the building. Officials said Flores apparently targeted clinical assistant professors Robin E. Rogers, 50, and Barbara S. Monroe, 45, and Cheryl M. McGaffic, 44, a clinical associate professor who taught the critical care class, because they'd given him failing grades.

"This is the last place you'd expect this," said pharmacy graduate student Stephen Machatha as he stood with dozens of other students near the building after the shootings, talking quietly and struggling to understand what had happened. Classmate Phil Kuehl said: "You don't want to expect it anywhere, or believe it can happen anywhere." SEE UA KILLINGS A9 'hot spot specialist at the Crozer Chester Medical Center in Philadelphia, who led the survey's panel of medical experts, sponsored by GlaxoSmithKline, a major manufacturer of asthma medications. "But it does mean these people need to be aware of the triggers you have in Tucson that aggravate their disease and min- SEE ASTHMA A13 JEL backs to the camera, had just finished giving their statements to police Max Becherer Staff when they encountered a staff member at UMC who comforted them. call slayer cool, confident of the episode while hiding be- tion, his voice wasn't shaking, neath their desks. his hands weren't shaking," Some heard Flores talk to hisJUsaid Lisa Riser', 37, a student in teachers before killing the front row.

others couldn't recall any of his Kiser said she was less than a comments. foot from McGaffic when Flores shot her after saying, "Cheryl, are you prepared to use your spiritual resources now?" Nursing student Diana Lugo was busy working on the test when Flores suddenly walked into the room. Lugo, 22, said she was startled by the door open- i Two UA nursing students, with their Students By Mitch Tobin ARIZONA DAILY STAR Before shooting professor Cheryl M. McGaffic, Robert Stewart Flores Jr. spoke of the spirituality that infused her teachings at the University of Arizona.

Before killing Barbara S. Monroe, who came to school Monday in a Halloween costume, Flores asked if she was ready to "meet your maker." About 50 terrified students in Room 467 were prepared for On StarNet www.azstamet.com A thousand words Our slide show site gives a clear view of the news: www.azstarnet.comslldeshows ft Witnesses agreed that Flores remembered by one fellow student as a nervous guy who would incessantly squeeze a "stress ball" in class was cool and confident in his killing. "It was so clear he knew what he was doing and that he'd planned it. There was no hesita- BUSINESS Dl-6 I Diagram: Nursing college crime scene. A9 I Campus in shock: "Trying to come to grips with an unimaginable tragedy." Aio I Ernesto Portillo "A sickness stalks us." A8 I Nursing: High-stress proposition.

All environmental "triggers" that make living with asthma more difficult here. Tucson, a city of some 95,000 asthmatics, suffers more than double the average asthma death rate of the nation's biggest cities, the survey found. "Does this mean all the people with asthma in Tucson should be leaving? Absolutely not," said Dr. Anthony Rooklin, allergy their own deaths Monday morning after Flores murdered their teachers at close range, then singled out two female friends and excused them. But in the end, all students were set free before Flores took his own life.

When Flores entered the classroom at about 8:40 a.m., some students thought he was late for the multiple-choice midterm they were taking. As soon as the shooting began, the students in Nursing 475 ducked for cover; then witnessed much IN TODAY'S STAR Weather TODAY FORECAST Sunny, pleasant. High 74 Low 45 Monday: High 69 Low 46 5 Daily Tucson top asthma COMICS E4 DEAR ABBY E5 EDITORIALS B4-5 HOROSCOPE E5 LOTTERY A13 MOVIES E3 NEIGHBORS B3 OBITUARIES B2 PUZZLES CLASSIFIED 2 SPORTS Cl-6 By Carla McClain ARIZONA DAILY STAR Tucsonans live in the nation's top "hot spot" for asthma a disease bred into our genes for decades according to a just-released national survey. In the survey of the 100 largest U.S. cities, Tucson topped all others for its high death rates from this chronic lung disease, combined with its A Pulitzer Newspaihr Vol.

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