There are striking new details about the motives of the 32-year-old man who shot 10 Amish schoolchildren in Pennsylvania on Monday. Police say that Charles Roberts was upset about the loss of a daughter years ago, and that he told his wife Monday that he was distraught because he molested two young female relatives 20 years ago.
The death toll in the shooting is now at five. Two young victims died last night.
State police describe Charles Carl Roberts IV as a man who appeared normal to friends, but was, in fact, deeply troubled and haunted by those two events.
Roberts' daughter, Elise, died shortly after her birth 9 years ago.
"Roberts was angry with God for taking Elise," Pennsylvania State Police Commissioner Col. Jeffrey Miller said.
"Roberts expressed hate towards himself and towards God," Miller said.
When Marie Roberts found the suicide note in the couple's home, her husband was already laying siege to the small Amish school, near where he regularly parked his milk-delivery truck. When Marie called Charles, he was at the school and explained he was not coming home again.
During that conversation, Roberts told his wife that he had molested two young relatives 20 years ago.
According to Miller, Roberts admitted he had been dreaming of committing a similar crime again in recent years.
Miller said there was no evidence that Roberts had, in fact, molested his relatives, but police are still investigating. The alleged victims would have been younger than five at the time.
Police also clarified that one victim who was at first identified as a teachers' aide was actually a student. Police also named the fatalities: Naomi Rose Ebersole, 7; Anna Mae Stolzfus, 12; Maria Fisher, 13; Mary Liz Miller, 8, and her 7-year-old sister, Leena.
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