Iowa High School Football Coach Shot In Weight Room

[sarge87]

Aplington-Parkersburg coach Ed Thomas shot to death

 

Cedar Rapids Gazette

 

By Jeff Raasch and Orlan Love

The Gazette

jeff.raasch@gazettecommunications.com

orlan.love@gazettecommunications.com

 

 

Investigators work at the scene of a shooting at Aplington-Parkersburg High School in Parkersburg, Iowa, Wednesday, June 24, 2009. The family of prominent central Iowa high school football coach Ed Thomas said that he died at a Waterloo hospital after being shot in the school's weight room Wednesday morning.

 

Aplington-Parkersburg High School football coach Ed Thomas has died after being shot multiple times among students at the school’s weight room this morning, officials have confirmed.

 

Thomas was shot at point blank range, including once in the head, according to the school's business manager Pat Gosch. No one else was injured in the incident.

 

The suspected gunman is in custody.

 

The family of Ed Thomas released a statement through Covenant Medical Center in Waterloo:

 

"The family of Ed Thomas would like the media to know that Ed passed away shortly after arriving at Covenant Medical Center," the statement read.

 

Sports secretary Sue Muller said Thomas was supervising the early-morning weightlifting in Parkersburg when the shooting happened around 8 a.m. About 30 students were present at the time.

 

“The kids are all safe and counselors are meeting with them at the elementary school," High School Principal Dave Meyer said.

 

Thomas was life-flighted to Covenant Medical Center in Waterloo where he died.

 

An adult male believed to be the gunman was arrested after the incident was taken to the Butler County Jail in Allison. When asked if the man was a parent of a student, Butler County spokeswoman Holly Fokkena said, "not that I'm aware of, no."

 

"We do want to articulate, because I'm sure there are a lot of concerned parents, that no students were hurt or injured in this incident," said Jessica Lown, spokeswoman for the Iowa Department of Public Safety.

 

Counselors are on scene for students, including several who witnessed the shooting.

 

Thomas has coached football for 37 years and has a career record of 292-84. He has led the Falcons to 19 state playoff appearances and two state titles, in 1993 and 2001.

 

Aplington-Parkersburg Superintendent Jon Thompson said Thomas, who came to Parkersburg in 1975, was a widely beloved icon in the community.

 

Statement from Richard Wulkow, Executive Director of the Iowa High School Athletic Association

"Like all tragedies, the taking of Coach Thomas’ life is senseless. At this time our thoughts and prayers are with his family and the Aplington-Parkersburg community and the thousands of lives he so positively impacted. He embodied the essence of what a coach should be, and that legacy will endure.

 

"He will be forever remembered not so much for his many wins on the field, but for the exemplary manner in which he coached kids and led the Aplington-Parkersburg community and school. This was especially true last spring and summer as they rebuilt from a devastating tornado. He was overwhelmed with the ensuing gratitude from the efforts of the Iowa coaching community and others during the rebuilding."

 

 

Statement from Gov. Chet Culver

"It's just awful. My thoughts and prayers are for Coach Thomas and his family and the Parkersburg community. I know him well. I've been a real fan of his. As an old coach myself, he epitomizes what it means to be a high school football coach. He's just a legend. He's an incredible role model for the generations of kids in the Parkersburg area. He's someone that I really admire a great, great deal. He was instrumental in bringing Parkersburg back (after the 2008 tornado)."

[holvy83]

A-P was one of the most prominent programs in the state when I played in the mid 90's, they were what us other "small schools" strove to be like. What an awful and sad event and my prayers go out to the family. A year after the horrible tornado that wiped out Parkersburg and now this. This is a another sad day in Iowa.

[HuskerfaninOkieland]

I fee especially bad for the students/athletes who had to witness this. Prayers going up for them and for the coach's family

[BIGREDIOWAN]

That's horrible and I hadn't heard that yet?! Why do people have to do things like this................I feel horrible for his family right now and all the kids involved in this.

[redout22]

This is sad news. I am sorry for the family, friends, and the high school

[Apathy]

That's horrible and I hadn't heard that yet?! Why do people have to do things like this................I feel horrible for his family right now and all the kids involved in this.

 

Because PEOPLE ARE MORONS.........well not all people. People have to resort to violence to solve a problem instead of taking that person out to a bar and buying that person a drink and talking about that problem. Violence never solves anything.

 

I hope that 24 yr old kid gets 20+ years in prison and never sees the light of day again but thats just my opinion and how I feel about this. Its crazy that people who kill people get less time in prison than people who are convicted of selling drugs or doing drugs but thats a whole new subject.

 

This kid probably had this thing planned for days if not weeks and continued to do this vicous tragic act and should get punished to the MAX . I feel bad for the family members of the victim and suspect......prays go both families and the players who witnessed it too.

[BIGREDIOWAN]

That's horrible and I hadn't heard that yet?! Why do people have to do things like this................I feel horrible for his family right now and all the kids involved in this.

 

Because PEOPLE ARE MORONS.........well not all people. People have to resort to violence to solve a problem instead of taking that person out to a bar and buying that person a drink and talking about that problem. Violence never solves anything.

 

I hope that 24 yr old kid gets 20+ years in prison and never sees the light of day again but thats just my opinion and how I feel about this. Its crazy that people who kill people get less time in prison than people who are convicted of selling drugs or doing drugs but thats a whole new subject.

 

This kid probably had this thing planned for days if not weeks and continued to do this vicous tragic act and should get punished to the MAX . I feel bad for the family members of the victim and suspect......prays go both families and the players who witnessed it too.

 

Evidently the guy was a nut bag who was supposed to be a mental facility and had at one time played for this coach. No one knows why he did this yet and you can almost guarantee that they will drop the charges down to a lesser offense due to his "mental" status. In Iowa Murder 1st, which is what he is charged with, is an A felony and is an automatic life sentence.

[Touchdown Tommie]

I have a dad at my school who played for him. What a tragedy....I have heard that the guy who shot him has a brother on the team. This town had the tornado and now they have to deal with this. For as small of a town as this is, they have 4 people in the NFL....he was a great coach and my thoughts and prayers are with his family.

[BIGREDIOWAN]

I have a dad at my school who played for him. What a tragedy....I have heard that the guy who shot him has a brother on the team. This town had the tornado and now they have to deal with this. For as small of a town as this is, they have 4 people in the NFL....he was a great coach and my thoughts and prayers are with his family.

They had a story about him tonight on the news and how he could've went on to coach college ball, but he wanted to stay with his family and coach the kids at that level. It meant more to him and he was really passionate that the kids find some sort of religion. Tough story...............

[HuskerfaninOkieland]

This from Fox News:

 

Late Wednesday afternoon, authorities say Becker was supposed to be taken to a hospital psychatric ward on Saturday evening after taking a baseball bat to a local home and leading police on a car chase. Police say he was released but the Butler County Sheriff Department was not notified.

 

 

Can someone say "Lawsuit!"?

[T_O_Bull]

I used to have an aunt and uncle who lived in Parkersburg and I remember the town as a very nice small town. This is a terrible trajedy for the community and for those who were directly touched by incident. My thoughts and prayers are with all of them.

T_O_B

[TXHSKR]

I watched a news story were one of the sons of the Coach as he wanted to remind people that his father was most proud of his accomplisments in the church more so than that on the football field. The Coach took great pride in helping youth to grow and be productive. The son asked for continued prayers for his family, the suspect's family, and the whole community.

 

He will be missed!!

[Blackshirtsguru]

This from Fox News:

 

Late Wednesday afternoon, authorities say Becker was supposed to be taken to a hospital psychatric ward on Saturday evening after taking a baseball bat to a local home and leading police on a car chase. Police say he was released but the Butler County Sheriff Department was not notified.

 

 

Can someone say "Lawsuit!"?

 

Yeah...some heads are gonna roll on that one. Someone dropped the ball and the people are going to want the some answers......I know here in Florida we have this think called a Baker Act, where mentally disturbed people are placed into a facility...the kicker is they can only hold them up to 72 hours and after that...if they don't have insurance, they are released back to society. Works well don't it??!!!

[Wild Bill]

I hope that 24 yr old kid gets 20+ years in prison and never sees the light of day again but thats just my opinion and how I feel about this. Its crazy that people who kill people get less time in prison than people who are convicted of selling drugs or doing drugs but thats a whole new subject.

80 years!

 

 

Holy crap, this is sad.

 

Thomas has coached football for 37 years and has a career record of 292-84. He has led the Falcons to 19 state playoff appearances and two state titles, in 1993 and 2001.

 

Aplington-Parkersburg Superintendent Jon Thompson said Thomas, who came to Parkersburg in 1975, was a widely beloved icon in the community.

 

"He will be forever remembered not so much for his many wins on the field, but for the exemplary manner in which he coached kids and led the Aplington-Parkersburg community and school. This was especially true last spring and summer as they rebuilt from a devastating tornado. He was overwhelmed with the ensuing gratitude from the efforts of the Iowa coaching community and others during the rebuilding."

[cornhusker13]

I have a dad at my school who played for him. What a tragedy....I have heard that the guy who shot him has a brother on the team. This town had the tornado and now they have to deal with this. For as small of a town as this is, they have 4 people in the NFL....he was a great coach and my thoughts and prayers are with his family.

 

Another thing that I haven't seen anyone mention is that after they were hit by that tornado Coach Thomas and the A-P football team were really a rallying point for the whole town after that disaster. They worked hard to get the football facilities ready for the season and were able to take the field without missing a single game. Football was already huge in that area, but I don't even live in Iowa and I remember hearing stories of how inspirational Coach Thomas was and what that team meant to the town. Truly a sad loss.