Bio

Charles Carl Roberts IV was born on December 7, 1973, in Lancaster, Pennsylvania. He was the son of a retired police officer. His father later applied for a special license to provide transportation services for the Amish community. Charles was raised in a family that did not follow the Amish faith, although they lived in a region with a significant Amish population. He earned his high school diploma through a home-school program.

As a young adult, Roberts worked at various jobs. In 1990, he was a dishwasher at the Good 'N Plenty Restaurant, located in Smoketown, Pennsylvania. Some of his coworkers at that time became involved in a murder case a year later, but there is no evidence that Roberts was connected to any criminal activity. He later became a commercial milk tank driver for North West Foods, picking up milk from local dairy farms, including some that supplied an Amish community.

Roberts was married and had three children, two boys and a girl, all under the age of seven. He appeared to be an involved father and a family man. Friends and neighbors described him as quiet and hard-working. He lived in Georgetown, Pennsylvania, a short drive from the West Nickel Mines School.

On the morning of October 2, 2006, Roberts was last seen by his wife after they dropped off their children at the bus stop. After leaving his home, he drove to the Amish school where tragic events unfolded.

Murder Story

On October 2, 2006, Charles Carl Roberts IV entered the West Nickel Mines School in Bart Township, Pennsylvania, at approximately 9:51 a.m. He carried a 9 mm handgun, a 12 gauge shotgun, a .30-06 bolt-action rifle, and around 600 rounds of ammunition. He was also equipped with a stun gun, knives, and a variety of tools. Roberts barricaded the school doors with wooden boards and flex ties.

After entering the school, he ordered the thirty-one students inside to line up against a chalkboard. He released fifteen male students, a pregnant woman, and three parents with infants. This left ten female students as hostages. The school teacher managed to escape and contacted the police at around 10:36 a.m. Officers arrived about nine minutes later.

As police attempted to communicate with Roberts using their vehicles' PA systems, he began firing shots, which prompted them to break in through the windows. During the incident, Roberts shot five girls before taking his own life. Three girls died at the scene, while two others died later from their injuries.

The victims were identified as Naomi Rose Ebersol, age seven; Marian Stoltzfus Fisher, age thirteen; Anna Mae Stoltzfus, age twelve; Lena Zook Miller, age seven; and Mary Liz Miller, age eight. Reports indicated that many of the girls were shot execution-style.

Before the police arrived, Roberts had called his wife and mentioned that he had molested two young female relatives twenty years earlier. He also stated that he had been having distressing thoughts related to these incidents. Roberts left behind four suicide notes, expressing his anger towards God for the loss of a daughter nine years prior.

Following the tragic events, the school was demolished on October 12, 2006, and a new school was built nearby. The community, especially the Amish, expressed deep sorrow but also a desire to forgive. Ample support was extended towards the families impacted by the shooting, including offers of help to Roberts' family.