Students Still Shaken, 6 Days After Shooting

OXNARD —  Six days later, Melody Perez was still wishing she hadn’t looked.

Last week, hunkered down in the Hueneme High School cafeteria after a young gunman took a student hostage, Melody stole a glance at the drama just as an Oxnard SWAT officer shot and killed Richard “Midget” Lopez.

On Tuesday, the first day school was been back in session since the incident, the 14-year-old was trying to wipe away the memories of the gunfire, the blood, and Lopez as he collapsed on the campus quad.

“I’ve never even seen a gun before,” said Melody, decked out in her soccer team sweatshirt in preparation for a meet later in the afternoon.

As Hueneme students returned, hundreds of friends and family members mourned Lopez, 17, at a funeral and burial service that began at Santa Clara Catholic Church in downtown Oxnard.

Lopez had suffered from a history of mental illness, family members said last week. That included talk of suicide, but he told his hostage, Lorena Gonzalez, 17, that he couldn’t kill himself for religious reasons.

The drama surrounding Lopez’s hostage-taking still affected students, many of whom seemed dazed that they were back in school. Many also expressed thanks for the quick reaction of school officials after Lopez grabbed Gonzalez and held a gun to her head.

Senior Juan Pena eagerly shook the hand of Joe Tinoco, the campus police officer who tried to negotiate an end to the lunchtime standoff last Wednesday, as teachers and administrators pulled students into classrooms, the cafeteria and the teachers’ lounge.

“I’m kind of shaky, but I feel secure knowing there are people here willing to put their lives on the line for us,” Pena said.

Along with more Oxnard police around the campus perimeter, school officials also provided counseling to more than 50 students by noon, Principal Roger Rice said.

“I was standing so close to Lorena when he was holding her,” said a still-frightened freshman who asked to be identified only as Maria T. “And then everybody started running and I couldn’t find my friends.”

Jim Lane, the high school’s athletic director, said students in his accounting classes had asked why police hadn’t just wounded Lopez, rather than kill him.

“It’s kind of difficult for kids to understand,” Lane said. “He was holding the gun, not firing it. They don’t see him as evil.”

Lane said he considered Lopez a victim because of his mental illness.

“He needed help, but it wasn’t forthcoming,” Lane said. “But I’m not second-guessing the police.”

Many of the mourners at Lopez’s funeral were Hueneme High students. Among them were Anna Raya, 14, and Elisa Martinez, 14, who said they grew up with Lopez.

“I was just thinking about the old days when he was here,” Anna said. “We used to have a lot of fun.”

“I’m going to miss him,” Elisa said.

At the cemetery, Tony Silerio, who lives three doors down from the family, released white doves in Lopez’s honor. One by one, a procession of those who had known Lopez paid their respects to his grief-stricken relatives.

“My heart is with the Lopez family,” Silerio said. “Sometimes even in the area we live in, we don’t know the problems and situations we all have.”