A woman who sustained severe injuries during a tragic attack on an Amish schoolhouse in Pennsylvania has passed away 18 years later, a funeral director announced Thursday. Rosanna S. King, 23, was one of the victims when a gunman killed five girls and injured her along with four other girls in the one-room Amish schoolhouse in 2006. She died at her home on Tuesday, and her funeral is scheduled to take place in Paradise, a farming community, on Friday.
Rosanna King was only 6 years old at the time of the attack and was considered the most critically injured survivor. Despite suffering a gunshot wound to the head, she managed to survive but was left unable to speak and required assistance with basic functions. The incident had a profound impact on her life, leaving her dependent on others for care and movement.
Following the tragic incident, Rosanna’s family shared that she could recognize them, smiled often, and had limited physical abilities in 2007. Her burial will take place at Bart Cemetery. The perpetrator, Charles Carl Roberts IV, took his own life after shooting the girls and barricading himself inside the schoolhouse in West Nickel Mines.
Roberts’ mother, Terri Roberts, regularly visited Rosanna King, moved by the forgiveness shown by the Amish community towards her and her family post-attack. In a 2013 interview, Rosanna’s father, Christ King, reflected on the challenging journey of forgiveness in the wake of the tragedy. The schoolhouse where the horrific incident took place was demolished ten days after the attack, and a new one was erected nearby.
The Amish community, known for its deep Christian faith and simple lifestyle, avoids modern conveniences and prioritizes family bonds. They adhere to traditional practices, including dressing in distinctive attire and using horses and buggies for transportation. Rosanna King’s passing coincides with a recent tragedy in Georgia, where a 14-year-old student used an assault rifle to fatally shoot two students and two teachers at a high school near Atlanta. The incident highlights the persistent issue of mass killings in the United States, with over 600 such incidents recorded since 2006.
