May 5, 2002 Sunday City Edition

SECTION: AREA/STATE; Pg. A-8

LENGTH: 670 words

HEADLINE: HELPING TO STOP A KILLER; STUDENTS WENT AFTER LAW SCHOOL GUNMAN

BYLINE: Rex Bowman, Times-Dispatch Staff Writer, * Contact Rex Bowman at (540) 344-3612 or ,

Student Ted Besen, a police officer from Wilmington, N.C., had also rushed to the building front. So had student Michael Gross, another police officer from North Carolina. Gross gripped his 9 mm Beretta.

The next seconds were a blur. Bridges pointed his pistol directly at Odighizuwa and yelled for him to drop his gun. Gross and Besen screamed the same thing. Odighizuwa stared at them and at Bridges' gun aimed at him.

Still yelling, Bridges watched every movement of Odighizuwa's body, every flick of his wrist, to see whether Odighizuwa would raise his gun. Bridges kept his finger pressed against his trigger, ready to squeeze.

After an agony of long seconds, Odighizuwa dropped his gun. The 380-caliber Jennings clattered on the sidewalk.

Seconds later, Bridges, Gross and Besen tackled Odighizuwa. Another student, Todd Ross, also jumped on.

April 1, 2002

SECTION: No. 3, Vol. 13; Pg. 10; ISSN: 1047-3572

IAC-ACC-NO: 84547003

LENGTH: 520 words

HEADLINE: The missing gun; Scan; Appalachian Law School shooting; Brief Article

BYLINE: Lott, John

Mikael and Tracy did something quite different: Both immediately ran to their cars and got their guns. Along with Ted Besen (who was unarmed), the two men approached Odighizuwa from different sides. As Tracy explained it, "I aimed my gun at him, and Peter tossed his gun down. Ted approached Peter, and Peter hit Ted in the jaw. Ted pushed him back and we all jumped on."

March 5, 2002 Tuesday, NORTH SPORTS FINAL EDITION

SECTION: Tempo; Pg. 1; ZONE: C

LENGTH: 3928 words

HEADLINE: Appalachian tragedy; A fledgling law school with a social conscience. A dean who left the Beltway to teach the kids of coal miners. Now the dream has paled because of a student they tried to help.

BYLINE: By Nara Schoenberg, Tribune staff reporter.

DATELINE: GRUNDY, Va.

Moments later, Odighizuwa exited the building, students say, and was wrestled to the ground by Ross, the teaching assistant, and Ted Besen, 37, a student and former Marine.

March 4, 2002, Monday (Shorter version also loaded on March 6, 2002)

SECTION: DOMESTIC NEWS

KR-ACC-NO: K4050

LENGTH: 1412 words

HEADLINE: NRA charges news media ignore popularity of guns

BYLINE: By Rick Montgomery

That's when the Richmond Times-Dispatch found out. Reporter Rex Bowman wrote the story after interviewing Bridges and Ted Besen, another student who helped tackle Odighizuwa. Besen was not armed.

Bowman speculated that many news organizations were unable to get that story because "they flew into town a day late," after the law school closed and many witnesses had left the area.

Still, a nagging wrinkle figures into the controversy over the law-school shootings: Whose version is true?

recently interviewed two of the students involved, Bridges and Besen, and they gave differing accounts.

Bridges stuck to the story that he pointed his weapon at Odighizuwa and ordered the suspect to put his own gun down, which he did.

Besen, the first student to tackle the suspect, said nothing of the sort happened. He said Odighizuwa laid down his weapon before the students confronted him. Police later confirmed the gun was empty.

The two armed students had not yet arrived at the scene, Besen said.

As soon as he walked out of the building, "Peter set the gun on the post and then he raised his hands in the air. To me, it was like he was mocking the students: ha, ha, ha, what are you going to do now?" said Besen, himself a trained police officer hoping to become a lawyer.

"Peter had no knowledge anyone had a gun."

Virginia State Police spokesman Stater said the armed students clearly helped subdue Odighizuwa after Besen and another student, Todd Ross, tackled him. Bridges sat on the suspect while Gross, also armed, provided a pair of handcuffs he had gotten from his car.

But Stater said the biggest heroes were the unarmed students who lunged at Odighizuwa: Besen and Ross.

Nevertheless, they weren't the focus of attention last week when a writer and photographer for an NRA magazine, America's First Freedom, came to the campus to interview the armed students.

Bridges said they took his picture; NRA spokesman Gregory said they may have been free-lancers: "It was nobody from our staff."

It's all getting way too political for Besen.

"I'm a gun advocate, but it really irritates me that people out there are trying to use this as a plug for their point of view," he said. "The NRA is trying to minimize the tragedy that happened here. I don't appreciate it."

The Associated Press State & Local Wire

The materials in the AP file were compiled by The Associated Press. These materials may not be republished without the express written consent of The Associated Press.

February 2, 2002, Saturday, BC cycle

SECTION: State and Regional

LENGTH: 2026 words

"Mikael and Tracy did something quite different: Both immediately ran to their cars and got their guns. Mikael had to run about 100 yards to get to his car. Along with Ted Besen (who was unarmed), they approached Peter from different sides. As Tracy explained it, I aimed my gun at him, and Peter tossed his gun down. Ted approached Peter, and Peter hit Ted in the jaw. Ted pushed him back and we all jumped on."

January 26, 2002 Saturday Metro Edition

SECTION: VIRGINIA; Pg. A1

LENGTH: 831 words

HEADLINE: LACK OF 911 SERVICE STALLED GRUNDY RESCUE; LAW STUDENT MIGHT HAVE SURVIVED IF HELP HAD COME SOONER, SOME SAY

BYLINE: LINDSEY NAIR THE ROANOKE TIMES

Now, student Ted Besen says it is the town's turn to ask a question: If Buchanan County had a 911 emergency system, would Angela Dales still be alive?

"I believe Angela Dales would have survived or had a much better chance of surviving if they had a 911 system here," said Besen, who helped to both take down the gunman and coordinate rescue efforts.

Eventually, every county, city or town in the state should either have its own service or be in partnership with a neighboring locality for joint service.

"Your law enforcement and your emergency services should come from one dispatch center," Besen said. "It's more efficient, and it could save somebody's life."

January 24, 2002 Thursday Final Edition

SECTION: EDITORIAL; Pg. 6A

LENGTH: 311 words

HEADLINE: Marshallís Bridges a hero WNC should be proud of

Bridges, a reserve Buncombe County sheriff's deputy, teamed up with Wilmington resident Ted Besen to shepherd stunned fellow students out of the building.

After grabbing his own weapon, Bridges and Besen subdued the gunman and possibly saved others' lives.

Western North Carolinians should be proud of Bridges. With finger on the trigger and every reason to believe his life was in danger, he demonstrated the kind of courage and coolheaded discretion that we all hope exist within us.

January 24, 2002

SECTION: COLUMN

LENGTH: 728 words

HEADLINE: Law school, guns, and a media bias

BYLINE: By James Eaves-Johnson, The Daily Iowan

SOURCE: U. Iowa

DATELINE: Iowa City, Iowa

Most news reports pointed out that the situation ended when several students "confronted," "tackled," or "intervened." However, Tracy Bridges, Ted Besen, Todd Ross, and Mikael Gross did not merely "confront" Odighizuwa. Bridges and Gross separately ran to their cars to get their handguns once the shooting began. Bridges approached Odighizuwa with Besen's and Ross' aid. Gross was close behind. According to Bridges, "I aimed my gun at him, and Peter tossed his gun down." Bridges, Besen, and Gross had previously received police or military training.

January 23, 2002 Wednesday Middle Peninsula EDITION

SECTION: LOCAL, Pg. C3

LENGTH: 350 words

HEADLINE: GRUNDY STUDENTS RETURN WITH MIXED FEELINGS

BYLINE: The Associated Press

DATELINE: GRUNDY

Ted Besen glared over the crumbs of his sandwich Tuesday, still angry about a former classmate who went on† a shooting rampage at his law school and shattered the† peace of this tiny coal town. "You just feel violated somehow," Besen, 37, said as he ate a restaurant near the Appalachian School of Law.† The former Marine and police officer was one of several† students who charged Peter Odighizuwa after the last† week's shooting left the dean, a professor and another† student dead. When classes resume Wednesday, Besen and others said they'll return with mixed emotions. For certain, they† said, nothing will be the same.

The Associated Press

The materials in the AP file were compiled by The Associated Press. These materials may not be republished without the express written consent of The Associated Press.

January 22, 2002, Tuesday, BC cycle

SECTION: Domestic News

LENGTH: 332 words

HEADLINE: Students return to law school where gunman killed three, including dean and professor

BYLINE: By CHRIS KAHN, Associated Press Writer

DATELINE: GRUNDY, Va.

Ted Besen says he had yearned to become a defense attorney, but changed his mind in the wake of the slayings of the dean, a professor and another student at the Appalachian School of Law.

"I don't ever want to defend someone like him," Besen said.

The former Marine and police officer was among several students who tackled former classmate Peter Odighizuwa on the school's front lawn after last week's shootings.

When classes resume Wednesday at the school, Besen, 37, and others said they'll return with mixed emotions.

"You just feel violated somehow," Besen said Tuesday at a nearby restaurant.

January 22, 2002 Tuesday

SECTION: DOMESTIC NEWS

LENGTH: 332 words

HEADLINE: Students Return to Va. Law School

BYLINE: CHRIS KAHN; Associated Press Writer

DATELINE: GRUNDY, Va.

Ted Besen says he had yearned to become a defense attorney, but changed his mind in the wake of the slayings of the dean, a professor and another student at the Appalachian School of Law.

"I don't ever want to defend someone like him," Besen said.

The former Marine and police officer was among several students who tackled former classmate Peter Odighizuwa on the school's front lawn after last week's shootings.

When classes resume Wednesday at the school, Besen, 37, and others said they'll return with mixed emotions.

"You just feel violated somehow," Besen said Tuesday at a nearby restaurant.

The Associated Press State & Local Wire

The materials in the AP file were compiled by The Associated Press. These materials may not be republished without the express written consent of The Associated Press.

January 22, 2002, Tuesday, BC cycle

SECTION: State and Regional

LENGTH: 584 words

HEADLINE: With mixed feelings, students return to law school

BYLINE: By CHRIS KAHN, Associated Press Writer

DATELINE: GRUNDY, Va.

Ted Besen glares over the crumbs of his sandwich, still angry about the former classmate who police say killed his school's dean, a professor and another student in a shooting that shattered the peace of this tiny coal town.

"You just feel violated somehow," Besen, 37, said Tuesday at a restaurant near the Appalachian School of Law. The former Marine and police officer was one of several students who charged Peter Odighizuwa, tackling him on the school's front lawn, after the shootings last week.

When classes resume Wednesday at the Appalachian School of Law, Besen and others said they'll return with mixed emotions. For certain, they said, nothing will be the same.

Besen said he can still hear the shrieks of fleeing students when gunfire first ripped through the school. His wife had applied to Appalachian Law School in hopes of also pursuing a legal education, but now it's likely they'll move away after he graduates in June.

Besen said he was thinking of working as a defense attorney when he applied to the Appalachian School of Law. But Odighizuwa has changed his mind.

"I don't ever want to defend someone like him."

The Associated Press State & Local Wire

The materials in the AP file were compiled by The Associated Press. These materials may not be republished without the express written consent of The Associated Press.

January 22, 2002, Tuesday, BC cycle

SECTION: State and Regional

LENGTH: 332 words

HEADLINE: Students return to law school where gunman killed three, including dean and professor

BYLINE: By CHRIS KAHN, Associated Press Writer

DATELINE: GRUNDY, Va.

Ted Besen says he had yearned to become a defense attorney, but changed his mind in the wake of the slayings of the dean, a professor and another student at the Appalachian School of Law.

"I don't ever want to defend someone like him," Besen said.

The former Marine and police officer was among several students who tackled former classmate Peter Odighizuwa on the school's front lawn after last week's shootings.

When classes resume Wednesday at the school, Besen, 37, and others said they'll return with mixed emotions.

"You just feel violated somehow," Besen said Tuesday at a nearby restaurant.

January 20, 2002 Sunday Metro Edition Correction Appended

SECTION: VIRGINIA; Pg. A1

LENGTH: 1875 words

HEADLINE: SHOOTING HITS MANY LIVES; AS GUNSHOTS HIT 6 PEOPLE IN GRUNDY, A COMMUNITY RUSHED TO HELP

BYLINE: LAURENCE HAMMACK, KIMBERLY O'BRIEN and LINDSEY NAIR THE ROANOKE TIMES, NEWS RESEARCHER BELINDA HARRIS CONTRIBUTED TO THIS REPORT.

DATELINE: GRUNDY

Students were scattering. Third-year student Ted Besen crept along the side of the building toward Odighizuwa, who had just come outside from the lounge. Gross sprinted for his car, about 100 yards away, and retrieved a bulletproof vest and a 9 mm handgun. Back home in North Carolina, he's an officer with the Grifton Police Department.

He ran back, gun in hand.

By then, Odighizuwa had placed his gun and a clip on a light fixture about four feet off the ground and put his hands in the air. He was yelling something unintelligible to the students, Besen said. Besen, a former Marine and Wilmington, N.C., police officer, told him to get onto the ground.

Besen had heard shots on the second floor while waiting for a class to start. He and fellow student Tracy Bridges, another former police officer, had ushered students down the back stairs to safety before Besen went to his car to get his own gun.

Now, outside the Lions Lounge, Besen was taking a punch on the jaw from Odighizuwa. As the two wrestled, third-year student Todd Ross ran up and tackled Odighizuwa in the legs, hard. All three went down.

The first victim McCall-Burton saw was Dales, lying in the career services office doorway. Right after being shot, Dales had been talking, according to Besen. But as McCall-Burton worked on Dales, she went into cardiac arrest. McCall-Burton was performing cardiopulmonary resuscitation when Dr. Jack Briggs, nurse practitioner Susan Looney and registered nurse Carol Breeding arrived.

January 19, 2002 Saturday Final Edition

SECTION: LOCAL; Pg. 1B

LENGTH: 457 words

HEADLINE: Area officer helps wrestle law school gunman to ground

BYLINE: Jon Ostendorff, STAFF WRITER

The day started like any other for the 25-year-old Marshall native, including having lunch with friend Ted Besen of Wilmington. Both cops and North Carolina residents, the men quickly developed a close friendship during their time at the school.

They met for lunch that day then had to rush to make their 1:30 p.m. class. Bridges, anxious to be on time, parked his truck in a faculty spot in front of the building.

He had just opened his book in class when he heard three muffled pops. Several more pops echoed down the hall, closer this time. Then Bridges heard a scream.

Bridges and Besen ran into the hallway and saw a professor. "Peter's in the building shooting," the professor shouted.

Bridges ran back into the classroom. "Get out," he ordered the students. The two men shepherded the students away from danger, down a back stairwell and out of the building.

Bridges and Besen then ran around to the front of the building. They saw Peter Odighizuwa, 43, clutching a handgun. Bridges instantly recognized his classmate, a troubled former student who had flunked out of the 230-student law school.

Bridges remembered the handgun in his truck, parked nearby.

He reached inside and grabbed his weapon. He pointed the handgun at Odighizuwa.

"We continued to approach Peter and he turned and faced us," Bridges said. The Marshall native shouted at Odighizuwa to drop his gun. The man did as he was ordered.

"Ted was the first one to get to him," Bridges said. "There was a short altercation. He hit Ted in the jaw and Ted backed up and pushed him off-balance."

The men wrestled the suspect to the ground and handcuffed him.

Bridges, a Western Carolina University graduate, downplays his life-saving actions. He credits stopping the gunman to teamwork.

"It was me and Ted both," he said. "We were trained under the North Carolina law enforcement institution and so we kind of have an unspoken communication between each other. And we were able to work together."

January 18, 2002 Friday ONE-THREE EDITION

SECTION: MAIN; Pg. 2A

LENGTH: 485 words

HEADLINE: EX-CHARLOTTEAN: I HELPED NAB SUSPECT; SCENE 'LOOKED LIKE SOMEBODY HAD MOPPED THE FLOOR WITH BLOOD'

BYLINE: DIANE SUCHETKA, STAFF WRITER

The third man, Ted Besen, who has worked as a police officer in Wilmington, was not armed and ordered the gunman onto the ground. Instead, the gunman lunged at Besen, punching him in the face.

January 18, 2002 Friday FINAL EDITION

SECTION: MAIN NEWS; Pg. A1

LENGTH: 1001 words

HEADLINE: STUDENT HELD IN KILLINGS ASKED FOR HELP, GOT IT, CLASSMATES SAY

BYLINE: Lee Mueller, Eastern Kentucky Bureau

DATELINE: GRUNDY, VA.

The suspect was tackled and handcuffed by another student, Ted Besen, a deputy sheriff in North Carolina. Gross said both he and Besen were armed.

January 18, 2002 Friday City Edition

SECTION: AREA/STATE; Pg. A-1

LENGTH: 1288 words

HEADLINE: 'I WAS SICK. I NEED HELP'; SHOCKED TOWN STILL GRASPS FOR ANSWERS

BYLINE: Rex Bowman, Times-Dispatch Staff Writer, Contact Rex Bowman at (540) 344-3612 or , Times-Dispatch staff writers Carlos Santos and Tyler Whitley contributed to this report.,

DATELINE: GRUNDY

"We went to get to class after 1 o'clock, and [student] Ted Besen and other students and I were in the classroom when we heard the first three shots," Bridges said yesterday. "It sounded kind of muffled, and a few seconds later we heard the next round of shots, and a scream.

"Me and Ted and [student] Rob Sievers went out to look. A professor ran up the stairs and said, 'Peter [Odighizuwa] has got a gun and he's shooting.' I ran back and told the class to get out. They went out the back way," Bridges said.

"We went down, too, and Peter was in the front yard. I stopped at my vehicle and got a handgun, a revolver. Ted went toward Peter, and I aimed my gun at him, and Peter tossed his gun down.

"Ted approached Peter, and Peter hit Ted in the jaw. Ted pushed him back and we all jumped on," Bridges said.

The Associated Press

The materials in the AP file were compiled by The Associated Press. These materials may not be republished without the express written consent of The Associated Press.

January 17, 2002, Thursday, BC cycle

SECTION: Domestic News

LENGTH: 403 words

HEADLINE: Students tackled gunman in law school shooting spree, held him down until police arrived

BYLINE: By CHRIS KAHN, Associated Press Writer

DATELINE: GRUNDY, Va.

"I just reacted," said Bridges, a student and sheriff's deputy who tackled Odighizuwa with classmates Todd Ross and Ted Besen after the Wednesday shootings.

The three men pinned Odighizuwa to the ground, and Bridges handcuffed the man's arms behind his back.

Odighizuwa, 42, a former student who was dismissed on Tuesday for bad grades, is accused of shooting and killing Dean L. Anthony Sutin, Professor Thomas Blackwell and student Angela Dales.

As screaming students started climbing out of windows, Bridges and Besen said their police and military training took over.

"I'm a former Marine, former police officer," said Besen, 37. "Who better to do that? I'm trained to do that. I'm not going to let him shoot anyone else if I could."

Bridges and Besen, a former police officer from Wilmington, N.C., crept down a back stairwell to the parking lot, and Bridges got his gun out of the car.

Odighizuwa had walked outside and stood with a confused look on his face, Bridges said.

"I planned on blindsiding him from behind," Besen said. "He sat the weapon down and raised his hands up in the air. I didn't know if he was praying."

Besen said he ran toward Odighizuwa and told him to get on the ground.

"He kind of came at me. He swung and hit me in the jaw," Besen said.

Once pinned down, he kept shouting, "I have nowhere to go. I have nowhere to go."'

January 17, 2002 Thursday

SECTION: DOMESTIC NEWS

LENGTH: 403 words

HEADLINE: Students Tackle Gunman in Law School