"The Carroll County Courthouse Tragedy"

Preparing to Remember VA Courthouse Shooting a Century Later
RICHMOND, Va. (AP)
Carroll County residents are preparing to commemorate the 100th anniversary of a courthouse shooting that killed five people, including three county officials.
Posted: 4:00 AM Nov 30, 2010
Reporter: LARRY O'DELL - Associated Press Writer

Carroll County residents are preparing to commemorate the 100th anniversary of a courthouse shooting that killed five people, including three county officials.

"The Carroll County Courthouse Tragedy" dominated national news in 1912 until it was bumped from the front pages by the sinking of the Titanic.

For some, it remains a painful part of local history because of lingering resentments and conflicting accounts of who fired the first shot and why. That's why centennial organizers are promising a neutral approach that will promote reconciliation.

A kiss between two youngsters at a corn shucking in December 2010 started a series of events that led to the courthouse shooting, so the first event in the county's commemoration will be a shucking December 18.

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