UK: SCOTLAND: DUNBLANE SCHOOL MASSACRE (7)

(14 Mar 1996) English/Nat
The headmaster of the school in Dunblane, Scotland, where a lone gunman killed 16 pupils and their teacher before killing himself, has spoken of the tragedy for the first time.
Ron Taylor, headmaster at the school for just over two years, has been hailed as a hero for how he coped with the massacre at his school.
Meanwhile, the parents of a boy who was injured in the shooting have expressed their profound relief at the fact that their son was spared, when so many others died.
Ron Taylor is the headmaster of Dunblane Primary School, which is now closed and under police guard.
The school still bears the scars of Wednesday's tragedy...
Armed with four handguns, lone gunman Thomas Hamilton entered the school, went to the gymnasium and started shooting at the class of five and six year olds inside.
After he had killed 16 children and their teacher and wounded many others, he turned the gun on himself.
Headmaster Ron Taylor was the first into the gymnasium after the shooting.
SOUNDBITE:
"The scene that met us in the hall, in the gym, was just utterly appalling and one's worst nightmare. I can't get the images out of my head yet and I think that will take some time. It was an appalling mess."
(Question: Were you able to do anything?)
"We did what we could, we tried, we tried to stem the blood, we just did what we could."
(Question: How were the children?)
"The children were traumatised, the ones who were injured but still conscious were very distressed. We managed to get those out fairly quickly because it was just an appalling scene and then the police were very quickly on the scene and together we tried to identify those who were still alive and whose wounds could possibly be treated, there were so many of them."
(Question: Were you aware of what had happened, how much did you grasp of what was going on?)
"I wasn't really aware at all of what was happening. I was totally unprepared for what we faced. One grasped it instantly, the guy was there and it was obvious what had happened. But no I was unprepared for what we faced."
SUPER CAPTION: Ron Taylor, Headmaster Dunblane Primary School
As he spoke of the ordeal, it was clear that he, like many others, was still battling to come to terms with the shocking reality of what had happened.
SOUNDBITE:
"Evil visited us yesterday but we don't know why, we don't understand it and I guess we never will."
SUPER CAPTION: Ron Taylor, Headmaster Dunblane Primary School
He also paid his respects to murdered teacher Gwenne Mayor, who he said was the perfect teacher and was respected with fondness by both pupils and staff alike.
SOUNDBITE:
"Gwenne was highly respected, very experienced lovely lady, the kids loved her, we've lost a super colleague and a friend."
SUPER CAPTION: Ron Taylor, Headmaster Dunblane Primary School
Even though their son Matthew was shot and wounded, Beverley and Steve Birnie consider themselves to be the lucky ones.
But it was an agonising wait for news on the fate of their son.
SOUNDBITE:
"Every parent that was there was thinking there's 700 children there, it's one in 700 chances. Its just when you get there and then you find that it's your little boy's class that been affected - that was just when the whole numbness started completely and reality just... left."
SUPER CAPTION: Beverley Birnie, Mother
They find the gun man's actions incomprehensible.
SOUNDBITE:
(Question: Can you tell me what your feelings are towards the man who did this?)
Beverley: "Innocent little children..."
SUPER CAPTION: Steve Birnie, Father and Beverley Birnie, Mother
SOUNDBITE:
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