Birney Elementary School Shooting

Birney Elementary School has about 400 students ageing up to the fifth grade. The Birney Elementary School shooting occurred on February 26, 2010 in Tacoma, Washington. A 30 year old special education teacher, Jennifer Paulson, was shot and pronounced dead on the scene. The shooter was Jed Ryan Waits who had an anti-harassment order with Jennifer Paulson through September 2010.

Leading Up To The Shooting
Jed Ryan Waits had had an unhealthy obsession with Paulson since 2003. Waits and Paulson met each other at Seattle Pacific University. They worked together in the cafeteria and graduated together in 2003 but were not close friends. Paulson filed an anti-harassment order against Waits on September 18, 2008. The order was valid until September 25, 2010. The order prevented Jed Ryan Waits from being 1,000 feet from Birney Elementary School or Paulson’s home. It also took away any communication with Paulson. In the order Paulson stated that Waits called her frequently and would occasionally show up at Birney Elementary School. Paulson would not answer the phone calls and would tell Waits he must leave when visiting Birney Elementary School. The principal and staff were informed of the order against Waits and were instructed to call police if he was seen.
Prior to the shooting, Paulson noticed Waits following her on February 19, 2010. She called police and drove to the local police station while police pulled over Waits who said he wanted to talk with Paulson. Waits was arrested for violation of the anti-harassment order placed against him by Paulson. Waits posted bail of $10,000.
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The Shooting
On February 26, 2010 a female special education teacher of Birney Elementary school, Jennifer Paulson, was shot at multiple times and killed while walking into her work. Paulson was shot and killed by Waits at around 7:35 a.m. Friday February 26, 2010. Waits fled the scene after the shooting. Witnesses said Waits was waiting two hours before Paulson arrived at the school. There were no children at the school when the shooting occurred. Birney Elementary school starts at 9:00 a.m. and classes were cancelled the day of the shooting. The Tacoma, Washington Fire Department was called to the scene, but they were not able to save the teacher and she was pronounced dead at the scene of the shooting. The Jennifer Paulson was 30 years old.
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Following The Shooting
Police followed and confronted shooter Jed Ryan Waits. Waits got out of his car and began shooting at police. He was then shot and killed in the shootout with police after they returned fire to Waits.
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