Janitor held without bail in fatal shooting of Placerville school principal
A janitor who allegedly shot and killed the principal of a Northern California elementary school was being held Thursday without bail, authorities said.
John Harold Luebbers, 44, who worked at Louisiana Schnell Elementary School in Placerville, was taken into custody Wednesday at his El Dorado home shortly after allegedly killing principal Sam Ronald Lacara, said officials with the El Dorado County Sheriff's Department.
Luebbers told investigators Lacara had fired him Wednesday morning, according to a statement from Capt. Mike Scott of the Placerville Police Department. Luebbers confessed he drove home and retrieved a handgun after being fired, officials said.
He returned to the campus just after 10:30 a.m., walked into Lacara’s office and fired two rounds, striking the principal, Scott said.
Lacara, 50, was taken in critical condition to Marshall Medical Center in Placerville, about 45 miles east of Sacramento. He later died at the hospital.
School officials could not be reached for comment Thursday, but Placerville Union School District officials announced on their website that Louisiana Schnell Elementary, Markham Middle School and Sierra Elementary would be closed Thursday “due to the tragic events.”
School would resume Friday, and counseling and grief support services would be provided to students upon their return, according to information issued by school district officials.
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Principal fatally shot at elementary school
Students safe after shooting at school in Placerville
-- Ann M. Simmons
Photo: John Luebbers. Credit: MCT
EDITOR'S PICKS:
at times like this, employers need to be really careful and sensative when letting employees go.
Posted by: dubya | February 03, 2011 at 03:10 PM
This just proves that the principal was right to fire him. Anyone who would kill another over a firing has no business living outside a cage, especially near children.
Posted by: woof-woof | February 03, 2011 at 04:55 PM
what do you will happen when the police and firemen start to get fired and their pay cut.how many people will they they murder.just look how they treat the children lock downs at schools and nobody thinks that it is wrong.does any one get that they are putting the children in a lot of danger all those cops with high powered guns what do you think would happen,if they start to fire how many walls and children heads will those rounds go thought.safety the police have no clue and dont care,and the people just dont care I cant believe that the people of this state do not d
Posted by: frankie | February 03, 2011 at 10:16 PM
sorry did not finish, the people need to demand more from their public servants (police,firemen,etc) and their government.
Posted by: frankie | February 03, 2011 at 10:19 PM
Proofreading is your friend, frankie.
Posted by: Brainiac | February 04, 2011 at 01:56 PM
frankie
Go back to school and get that GED that's been eluding you.
Numerous police officers and firefighters are actually fired every year due to misconduct issues, and the vast majority of them had their pay cut each of the last two years due to the city not paying them cash compensated overtime.
So far I haven't heard of any of them going after their bosses with a gun.
So your statement is wrong, ignorant and obviously biased because you are either a criminal or just incredibly uninformed.
Posted by: u know | February 04, 2011 at 02:43 PM
I was about to comment on Frankie's lack of education but it seems that has been taken care of!
I've been so cautious of how I react to people recently, stories like this are chilling... it could happen to any of us.
Posted by: Shane | February 04, 2011 at 09:51 PM
With someone like this janitor, it was just a matter of time until something like this happened. Firing him was certainly the correct thing to do; and schools DO need to be more careful in their hiring and run better background checks. I've heard of several instances where a janitor, a maintenance worker, even a bus driver murdered a student or teacher and later it turned out that he had had a criminal record. I'll be interested to see what turns up about this guy!
Posted by: ConcernedCitizenInLACounty | February 05, 2011 at 08:04 AM
When is everybody going to learn that you can't just "fire white people." Whites are endowed with certain inalienable rights to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. If you encroach on those rights, They become mad as hell, and can't take it anymore!!!
Posted by: dale dehavilland | February 05, 2011 at 12:24 PM
U know just what dream land do you live in,the police and firemen get raises every year, no lay offs.and just how many people do they murder every year.I may not write well,but I cant do every thing good.but at least I dont walk around with my head in the clouds with no clue of what is happening in Calif.this state is gone and the public unions are talking every thing.and the police are on the top of the list.
Posted by: frankie | February 05, 2011 at 06:15 PM
frankie
There is this thing out there called "the internet", it's a fabulous invention that makes research incredibly easy. So instead of making up things and spreading misinformation, try to look topics up that way people won't see you for the miguided ignorant person that you are.
For example, I just looked up the police and fire contracts within the City of Los Angeles. The last time LA City Fire or LAPD got a raise was in 2009, and with the current financial crisis they are not only not going to get raises for the next several years, but the current negotiations with the union and the city is calling for a 10 percent pay reduction. That would place the pay of our emergency service workers back to wages they were earning back in 2005, and it will take them up to at least 2015 to back above current levels.
READ, LEARN, and KEEP YOUR MOUTH SHUT until you can make an intelligent comment.
Posted by: u know | February 06, 2011 at 12:09 AM