. >> LIVE PICTURES NOW FROM --
LIVE PICTURES NOW IN
INDIANAPOLIS INTERNATIONAL
AIRPORT.
>> GOVERNOR ERIC HOLCOMB
STEPPING UP TO TALK ABOUT
TODAY'S SCHOOL SHOOTING IN
NOBLESVILLE.
>> WELL, I WISH I WAS GREETING
YOU UNDER BETTER CIRCUMSTANCES
AND HAD A MORE CELEBRATORY
DISPOSITION.
I WAS PLANNING ON REPORTING
ABOUT HOW PRODUCTIVE OUR RECEPT
TRIP WAS ABROAD AND THEN
DELIVERING THE GREEN FLAG TO THE
INDIANAPOLIS MOTOR SPEEDWAY, BUT
OBVIOUSLY WHEN NEWS CAUGHT UP
WITH US ALMOST REAL TIME IN
FLIGHT SOMETIME THIS MORNING
ABOUT 9:06:00 A.M. WITH THE NEWS
COMING FROM NOBLESVILLE WEST
MIDDLE SCHOOL, THAT ALL CHANGED.
WE DID TRY TO KEEP UP TO SPEED
ELECTRONICALLY, OF COURSE, AND
IT SHOULD BE NOTED AT THE
VERY OUTSET HERE THAT WE ARE SO
PREENTIVE AND IN AWE, QUITE
FRANKLY, ON HOW THE MIDDLE
SCHOOL FACULTY AND TEACHER AND
TEACHERS AND STUDENTS REACTED.
THIS WAS AS CLOSE TO, I'M TOLD,
TEXTBOOK OF A RESPONSE AS IT
COULD HAVE BEEN.
STUDENTS, TEACHERS, FACULTY
ACTED SWIFTLY AND APPROPRIATELY
AND I'M SURE BECAUSE OF THAT
LIVES WERE SAVED.
WE'RE PROUD OF THE WAY THAT THEY
REACTED AND NOW'S THE TIME THAT
WE MAKE SURE THAT THEY HAVE
EVERYTHING THAT THEY NEED.
IT'S HEARTBREAKING TO EVEN
IMAGINE WHAT THESE STUDENTS AND
TEACHERS AND FACULTY HAD TO
ENDURE WHICH UNDERSCORES JUST
HOW IMPORTANT IT IS THAT WE MAKE
SURE THAT THESE SCHOOLS AND
TEACHERS AND STUDENTS HAVE EVERY
RESOURCE CONCEIVABLE.
WE HAVE TO MAKE SURE THAT ALL
THE RESOURCES ARE THERE SO THAT
THEY CAN PREVENT AND RESPOND,
AND SO I'VE ASKED A COUPLE FOLKS
TO BE WITH ME TODAY TO PROVIDE
YOU WITH SOME MORE DETAIL ON
WHAT EXACTLY OCCURRED AND WHAT
WE KNOW RIGHT NOW.
I'M GOING TO ASK THE
SUPERINTENDENT OF INDIANA STATE
POLICE, DOUG CARTER, TO SHARE
SOME OF THOSE DETAILS.
BUT I WOULD JUST ASK YOUR
ONGOING PATIENCE IN REGARDS TO
WHAT CAN BE, WHAT THE
SUPERINTENDENT IS ABLE, WHAT HE
HAS THE ABILITY TO, AND THE
LIBERTY TO SHARE, BUT HE WILL --
HE WILL SHARE ALL DETAILS THAT
HE CAN AT THE TIME THAT HE CAN,
BUT I'D JUST ASK YOU TO KEEP
FRONT AND CENTER THAT THIS IS AN
ACTIVE, ONGOING INVESTIGATION.
AND SO SUPERINTENDENT, IF YOU
COULD AT THIS TIME SHARE SOME
DETAILS THAT WE KNOW OF AS OF
RIGHT NOW REAL TIME?
>> MANY OF YOU, I BELIEVE, WERE
AT THE NEWS CONFERENCES EARLIER
THIS MORNING AND I WAS THERE IN
NOBLESVILLE BOTH AROUND THE NOON
HOUR, THEN ANOTHER ONE AT
2:00 P.M.
NOTHING HAS CHANGED NECESSARILY
SINCE THEN.
BUT AS YOU ALL HAVE PREVIOUSLY
HEARD AND UNDERSTAND, THIS IS
BECOMING A RATHER COMPLEX
INVESTIGATION.
I WISH THAT I COULD STAND HERE
AND TELL YOU THAT IF WE DID A,
B, AND C WE CAN ASSURE YOU THIS
WILL NEVER HAPPEN AGAIN, BUT
UNFORTUNATELY I CANNOT SAY THAT
TO YOU AND BELIEVE ME, IF THERE
WAS ANYTHING I COULD DO WITHIN
MY POWER TO SAY IT, I WOULD.
I CAN SAY WITH 100% CONFIDENCE
IN THE PEOPLE STANDING BEHIND ME
THAT THIS IS A NO. 1 PRIORITY TO
THEM, AND WHAT WE DO HERE IN
INDIANA IS UNLIKE MOST OTHER
STATES IN THE NATION.
AND I FRANKLY AM VERY, VERY
PROUD OF THAT.
THE DOWNSIDE OF MY LIFE IS I
OFTEN HAVE TO SHARE BAD NEWS
WITH GOOD PEOPLE AND TODAY IS
ONE OF THOSE DAYS.
I'VE GOT TO DO THAT.
I WOULD BE -- IT WOULD BE
IRRESPONSIBLE OF ME TO NOT
MENTION WHAT I SAW IN
NOBLESVILLE TODAY FROM THE
PUBLIC SAFETY OFFICIALS THERE TO
NOBLESVILLE PD AND KNOLLSVILLE
FIRE, FROM THE CITY OF
NOBLESVILLE, THE MAYOR, DR. BETH
NIEDERMEYER, SUPERINTENDENT OF
SCHOOLS THERE, JUST
UNBELIEVABLE.
THE PRINCIPAL, FROM THE MIDDLE
SCHOOL, WHAT THEY HAVE DONE UP
TO THIS DAY TO PREPARE FOR THIS
DAY WILL EVENTUALLY I'LL BE ABLE
TO EXPLAIN TO YOU WHAT THEY DID
AND HOW EXTRAORDINARY IT WAS.
I'VE DREADED THIS -- I'VE
DREADED THIS DAY.
I JUST -- I'VE DREADED THIS DAY,
BUT HERE WE ARE.
AND OUR JOB AND MY BOSS EXPECTS
ME, THE GOVERNOR OF THE STATE
EXPECTS ME TO BE ABLE TO VERY
OBJECTIVELY EXPLAIN TO YOU WHAT
HAPPENED AND WHY, AND I'M NOT
PREPARED TO DO THAT YET.
I WILL STAY CONNECTED TO THE
CHIEF AT NOBLESVILLE PD, JUST A
VERY VERY DEAR FRIEND,
INCREDIBLY CAPABLE AGENCY AND WE
WILL SUPPLY ANY AND ALL
RESOURCES WE CAN.
WE'VE HAD AIR ASSETS THERE,
CRIME SCENE TECHNICIANS, SWAT
MEMBERS, EOD, CRIMINAL
INVESTIGATORS AND FIELD COMMAND.
THAT LIST IS GOING TO GO ON AND
ON. YOU CAN IMAGINE THE NUMBER OF
INTERVIEWS THAT ARE GOING TO
HAVE TO BE DONE OVER THE COURSE
OF THIS WEEKEND ALL THE WAY INTO
NEXT WEEK.
WE HAVE GOT TO MAKE SURE AND DO
EVERYTHING WITHIN OUR POWER TO
MAKE SURE THAT THE KIDS IN THAT
BUILDING, THE TEACHERS IN THAT
BUILDING THAT EXPERIENCED WHAT
THEY DID HAVE EVERYTHING WE
COULD POSSIBLY GIVE THEM.
MY COMMITMENT TO THE COMMUNITY
IS THAT WE WILL BECAUSE THAT'S
WHAT MY BOSS EXPECTS OF ME.
CONTINUE TO THINK ABOUT THAT
COMMUNITY AND SUPPORT THAT
COMMUNITY.
THE GOVERNOR HAS SAID SO
ELOQUENTLY TO PLEASE BE PASH
NOT.
-- PATIENT.
THINK ABOUT THEM.
IF THEY WERE YOU, WHAT WOULD YOU
EXPECT FROM ME?
IF YOU DO THAT I THINK YOU'LL
UNDERSTAND.
IN CLOSING, I'LL SAY THERE WERE
SOME COMPLEXITIES ASSOCIATED
WITH THE REUNIFICATION PROCESS
OF THE KIDS THAT WERE IN THAT
BUILDING. AND THAT HAS TO BE SLOW AND
METHODICAL FOR ALL THE PARENTS
THAT ARE WATCHING, I HOPE YOU
UNDERSTAND THAT.
YOU WANT US TO BE SLOW AND
METHODICAL IN THE WAY IN WHICH
WE RELEASE KIDS TO MOMS AND
DADS.
UNFORTUNATELY, LADIES AND
GENTLEMEN, THE STIT SENSE OF
THIS GREAT STATE, WE HAPPEN TO
BE IN A MIDDLE SCHOOL TODAY.
SO WE DID THE VERY VERY BEST WE
COULD.
WE'LL LEARN FROM THAT
EXPERIENCE.
WE'LL IDENTIFY THOSE THINGS THAT
WE COO HAVE DONE BETTER AND
WE'LL ALWAYS STEP UP AND TRY AND
DO THE RIGHT THING.
>> THANK YOU, SUPERINTENDENT
CARTER.
ALSO, ANOTHER KEY LEADER IN
TERMS OF ON BOTH SIDES OF THIS
EQUATION, ON THE SIDE OF
PREVENTION, OUR ONGOING EFFORTS,
PLAYING OFF OF SOME OF THE
LEGISLATION THAT WAS PASSED JUST
EARLIER THIS YEAR, ALL THAT WORK
THAT'S ONGOING, BUT ALSO IN THE
RESPONSE IN MAKING SURE THE
SYSTEM IS IN PLACE AND CONNECTED
TO THOSE WHO NEED THAT CARE NOW
AND FOR THE UNFORESEEABLE
FUTURE.
SO I WOULD ASK THE
SUPERINTENDENT AND DR. JENNIFER
MCCORMICK IF YOU COULD SHARE
SOME THOUGHTS ABOUT TODAY AND
GOING FORWARD?
>> WELL, FIRST OF ALL, I WOULD
LIKE TO RECOGNIZE THE VICTIMS.
THE STUDENTS AND THE EDUCATOR
WHO WERE SHOT TODAY AT
NOBLESVILLE MIDDLE SCHOOL.
YOU KNOW, OUR THOUGHTS AND OUR
PRAYERS GO OUT TO THOSE VICTIMS
AND THEIR FAMILIES, BUT I ALSO,
TOO, WANT TO ACKNOWLEDGE THE
WHOLE NOBLESVILLE COMMUNITY
SCHOOLS.
DR. NIEDERMEYER, PRINCIPAL SWAN,
PRINCIPAL BRYANT, IT TOOK A
TREMENDOUS EFFORT ACROSS THE
BOARD TO ENSURE AFTER THE
EFFECTS THAT THEY WERE STILL
PREPARING AND PLANNING AND BEING
RESPONSIVE.
EVERYDAY BE ASSURED THAT YOUR
INDIANA SCHOOLS, WE PREPARE.
WE PLAN.
AND WE PARTNER.
AND WE CANNOT DO IT ALONE.
IN CRISIS THAT HAPPEN LIKE TODAY
THEY'RE GOING TO HAPPEN.
UNFORTUNATELY THOSE THINGS
HAPPEN BUT WE'RE GOING TO TRY
EVERYTHING IN OUR POWER TO MAKE
SURE WE'RE PREVENTATIVE AND GOD
FOR BID SOMETHING HAPPENS WE'RE
READY ON THE RESPONSE EVENT.
TO OUR PARTNERS I CANNOT SAY
ENOUGH.
I KNOW I'M SPEAKING FOR THE
SCHOOLS ACROSS THIS GREAT STATE,
THAT WE HAVE WONDERFUL PARTNERS
IN SUPERINTENDENT CARTER AND THE
STATE POLICE, IN OUR FIRST
RESPONDERS, AND OUR LOCAL LAW
ENFORCEMENT, OUR MENTAL HEALTH
PARTNERS, THAT THE GOVERNOR HAS
MADE IT CLEAR ACROSS OUR STATE
AGENCIES, WE NEED TO GET A LINE.
WE NEED TO PARTNER.
WE NEED TO GET EFFICIENT AND WE
NEED TO BE PRODUCTIVE.
THAT IS EXACTLY WHAT OUR
COMMUNITIES AND SCHOOLS ACROSS
THE STATE ARE WORKING HARD TO
DO.
TO OUR PARTNERS WE THANK THEM A
GREAT DEAL.
AGAIN, TODAY WAS A CRISIS.
YOU NEVER WANT TO BE ON THE IN
US FOR AN EVENT SUCH AS TODAY.
BUT AS FAR AS THE RESPONSE THAT
HAPPENED TODAY, I'M VERY PROUD
OF OUR SCHOOL.
I'M VERY PROUD OF THE WHOLE
NOBLESVILLE COMMUNITY AND I'M
VERY PROUD OF OUR PARTNERS.
WILL THAT I WILL TURN IT BACK
OVER TO THE GOVERNOR FOR SOME
QUESTIONS.
>> HAPPY TO -- FOR ANY OF US TO
ENTERTAIN ANY QUESTIONS THAW
MIGHT HAVE AT THIS TIME.
I JUST WANT TO MAKE IT AGAIN
VERY CLEAR HOW THIS IS A UNITED
FRONT FROM THE LOCAL TO THE
STATE TO EVEN OUR FEDERAL
PARTNERS, FROM THE LEGISLATIVE
BRANCH TO THE EXECUTIVE BRANCH,
THE RESOURCES THAT WERE MADE
AVAILABLE TO ALL SCHOOLS.
COMING OUT OF THIS LAST SESSION.
NOT JUST THE GRANTS, BUT THE
LOANS AS WELL TO MAKE SURE THAT
SCHOOLS ARE SECURE AND THAT
PARENTS KNOW THROUGHOUT THE
WHOLE STATE OF INDIANA THAT
THEIR SCHOOLS ARE SECURE.
AGAIN, AS DR. MCCORMICK JUST
MENTIONED, WE'VE GOT TO HAVE
THOSE PLANS IN PLACE.
WE'VE GOT TO BE PREPARED FOR A
DAY LIKE TODAY.
AND WE ARE.
SO WITH THAT, WE'RE HAPPY TO
ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS THAT YOU
MIGHT HAVE?
>> DO WE KNOW ANYTHING AT ALL --
DO WE KNOW ANYTHING AT ALL ABOUT
THE MOTIVE HERE?
>> I HOPE WITHIN THE NEXT THREE
TO FOUR DAYS WE'LL BE ABLE TO
TALK ABOUT THOSE, BUT IT'S AN
INVESTIGATETRY PROCESS AND IT
WOULD BE PREMATURE FOR ME TO
SPECULATE.
>> CAN YOU TELL US ANYTHING
ABOUT THE ACTIONS OF THE TEACHER
WHO APPARENTLY INTERVENED?
>> AGAIN, AN EXTRAORDINARY STORY
FOR ANOTHER DAY.
BUT I CAN TELL YOU THE STUDENTS
THAT WERE IN THAT BUILDING, VERY
VERY CLEAR TO THEM WHAT THEY
WERE SUPPOSED TO DO IN A TIME OF
CRISIS.
AND THAT IS AN ABSOLUTE
TESTAMENT TO THE PREPLANNING AND
THE COMMUNICATION AND THE
STRUCTURE AND THE CARE THAT
THOSE TEACHERS AND
ADMINISTRATORS AT THAT SCHOOL
HAVE PERPETUATED INTO THE
STUDENT BODY.
AND CRAZY PROUD OF THAT.
>> CAN YOU TALK ABOUT BEING
PREPARED FOR A DAY LIKE THIS.
ARE THERE ANY EXAMPLES YOU CAN
POINT TO?
>> I JUST SAY THEY KNEW WHAT
THEY WERE TO DO IN A TIME OF DRY
SIS.
I'M CONFIDENT THAT EVEN THE PD
AND ME ARE GOING TO BE SCREAMING
FROM THE HIGHEST MOUNTAINS WHAT
HAPPENED TODAY BECAUSE IT WAS AN
EXAMPLE TO ALL.
>> GOVERNOR, YOU HAD JUST
MENTIONED THE SCHOOL SAFETY --
[ INAUDIBLE ]
ARE YOU SATISFIED WITH HOW THAT
WENT --
>> YES, WE WANTED TO MAKE
SURE -- I AM SATISFIED THAT
WE'RE ON THE RIGHT PATH, THAT
WE'RE HEADING IN THE RIGHT
DIRECTION, THAT MORE SCHOOLS ARE
TAKING ADVANTAGE OF THE
RESOURCES THAT ARE THERE TO MAKE
SURE THEIR SCHOOLS ARE SECURE,
BUT GOING FORWARD AND TRAVELING
HERE TODAY, THE SPEAKER AND THE
PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE AND I,
AS YOU CAN IMAGINE, WERE IN A
PERPETUAL HUDDLE TALKING ABOUT
WE NEED TO MAKE SURE WE DON'T
LEAVE ANY STONE UNTURNED AND IF
THERE IS A RESOURCE THAT IS
NEEDED BY A SCHOOL IN THE STATE
OF INDIANA WE'RE GOING TO FIND A
WAY TO DELIVER ON THAT.
THERE'S NOTHING MORE IMPORTANT
THAT WE CAN DO.
WE'RE ON THE RIGHT ROAD.
WE'RE MOVING IN THE RIGHT
DIRECTION.
THERE IS FUNDING AND RESOURCES
AVAILABLE TO MAKE SURE OUR
SCHOOLS ARE SAFE.
WE NEED TO MAKE SURE, AS WE ARE
RIGHT NOW, WE'VE ALSO CALLED TO
AUDIT.
WE'LL GET THAT -- WE'LL GET A
LOT OF THAT INFORMATION BY
AUGUST 1ST.
WE'LL SEE WHERE THERE ARE SOME
DEFICIENCIES, IF THERE ARE SOME,
THROUGHOUT THE STATE OF INDIANA
AND WE'LL ADDRESS THOSE ISSUES.
>> HAS THERE BEEN ANY TALK OF
POTENTIALLY LEGS THAT WOULD
MANDATE SCHOOL SHOOTER
TRAINING --
>> WELL, THE SCHOOL DISTRICTS
CAN DECIDE IF THEY WANT -- IF
YOU'RE GOING DOWN, HOW DO YOU
ARM INSIDE THE SCHOOL.
THAT'S ALREADY IN PLACE.
>> GOVERNOR, GIVING WHAT
HAPPENED TODAY --
[ INAUDIBLE QUESTION ]
>> WELL, WE ARE NOT JUST
TALKING.
WE ARE DOING RIGHT NOW.
THAT'S THE BOTTOM LINE.
WE ARE MAKING RESOURCES MORE
AVAILABLE RIGHT NOW AND WE ARE
DOING THE HARD WORK OF AUDITING
ALL OVER THE STATE OF INDIANA
THE SCHOOLS.
I WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT 100% OF
ALL PUBLIC SCHOOLS AND I WOULD
ENCOURAGE EVERY PRIVATE SCHOOL
TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THIS AS
WELL, ARE DOING EVERYTHING THAT
THEY CAN TO MAKE SURE THAT
SCHOOL IS THE SAFEST PLACE FOR
OUR KIDS AND TEACHERS TO LEARN
AND TEACH.
AND THOSE RESOURCES ARE THERE.
THIS IS AN EXCEPTION.
IT'S AN EXCEPTION THAT
THANKFULLY AS THE SUPERINTENDENT
AND BOTH DR. MCCORMICK AND
SUPERINTENDENT CARTER HAVE BOTH
MENTIONED, FORTUNATELY THE PLAN
WAS IN PLACE TODAY AND IT WAS
FOLLOWED.
IT WAS EXECUTED APPROPRIATELY.
AND SWIFTLY.
WE NEED TO MAKE SURE THAT'S
GOING TO HAPPEN ALL OVER THE
STATE OF INDIANA.
>> THERE WERE I THINK OVER
$120,000 --
[ INAUDIBLE QUESTION ]
>> SIGNIFICANT.
IT IS MAKING A DIFFERENCE.
IT DID TODAY.
I'M CONVINCED IT SAVED LIVES.
>> CAN YOU TALK ABOUT THAT?
>> FOR ANOTHER DAY, YES.
THIS IS AN ACTIVE, ONGOING --
TONY, I'LL JUST SAY THIS.
THERE MAY BE IN THE INITIAL 24,
48, 72 HOURS A LITTLE
FRUSTRATION IN THE QUEST FOR
ANSWERS IMMEDIATELY.
BUT WE WANT TO MAKE SURE WE
DON'T DO ANYTHING TO TARNISH OR
DETER THE COMPLETE INTEGRITY OF
THIS INVESTIGATION.
WE'RE GOING TO GET TO THE BOTTOM
OF EXACTLY WHAT HAPPENED, WHAT
LED TO THIS, BUT THE RESPONSE
COULD NOT BE MORE PROUD OF THE
SCHOOL, OF THE LEADERSHIP, AND
THE COMMUNITY, AND HOW FAST IT
ALL CAME TOGETHER UNDER THE MOST