A day after Jeffress killed two monks and wounded two others before turning the gun on himself, police say the shootings don’t make much sense. They say there doesn’t seem to be any link to the sexual abuse scandal plaguing the Roman Catholic church.
No Motive Yet For Shootings At Abbey
CONCEPTION, Mo. — Investigators in Missouri are looking into the background of Lloyd Robert Jeffress (pictured, below), in hopes of learning why he shot up a Benedictine abbey in Missouri.
They’re looking at his religious history, financial dealings, employment and social background.
A day after Jeffress killed two monks and wounded two others before turning the gun on himself, police say the shootings don’t make much sense. They say there doesn’t seem to be any link to the sexual abuse scandal plaguing the Roman Catholic church.
Police said Jeffress opened fire at random in the halls of the Conception Abbey Monastery, which is located about 20 miles east of Maryville, Mo., and 90 miles north of Kansas City, Mo.
The 71-year-old retiree did not appear to be under the influence of drugs or alcohol and had no criminal record.
They did find anti-depressant medication in his home but don’t know if he had been taking it.
An interview with Jeffress’ daughter didn’t turn up anything.
For the first time in recent memory, the doors to the abbey in Conception are locked, and a highway patrolman is standing guard.
Residents Baffled
Northwest Missouri residents are baffled that the 71-year-old man walked into the Benedictine monastery and started shooting people.
The 30-acre campus of Conception is home to the largest priest training center in the Kansas City-St. Joseph Diocese.
“I was in my office and heard what I thought was a window falling and crashing followed by another two shots,” said Abbot Gregory Polan (pictured, left) of the Conception Abbey.
Jeffress started firing about 8:40 a.m. He was seen walking into the abbey’s basilica with two boxes. Inside the boxes were a Mac-90, which is a Chinese replica of the AK-47, and a .22-caliber rifle, police said.
Witnesses said Jeffress never said a word during the shooting.
“We have no sense of who this man is,” Polan said.
From the basilica, Jeffress was seen walking down a hallway to the monastery. He shot and killed 64-year-old Br. Damian Larson of Wichita, Kan. Jeffress then walked around a corner and opened fire on 68-year-old the Rev. Kenneth Reichert of Brunswick, Mo. He was wounded.
The Rev. Norbert Schappler, 73, was also shot and injured, police said.
Jeffress then turned around and headed back to the basilica, where he shot and killed the Rev. Philip Schuster, 85, of Pilot Grove, Mo., police said. Schuster was a greeter at the monastery’s front door.
Jeffress returned to the basilica, where he shot and killed himself with the rifle, according to police.
Jeffress lived in a Kearney retirement community. Investigators searched his apartment early Monday afternoon. Neighbors said he was quiet and kept to himself.
“It’s very hard to believe. … He was kind of a loner. … He just didn’t seem like that kind of man,” neighbor Pearl Voyles said.
“You didn’t expect that out of anybody, especially living in senior-citizen housing. You don’t think about people doing that,” neighbor Aldeen Crain said.
The two wounded victims are listed in stable condition in separate hospitals.
A spokeswoman for the diocese said that they do not know the reason for the shooting.
The seminary ended its academic year in mid-May, so no students or faculty were on the campus.
No Motive Yet For Shootings At Abbey
Three People Killed In Shooting Spree
UPDATED: 10:16 am CDT June 11, 2002