CDCAN
CALIFORNIA DISABILITY COMMUNITY ACTION NETWORK
DISABILITY RIGHTS NEWS REPORT
Prayers For the Family of Charlotte Colton
#0018-2006  February 1, 2006 - Wednesday
Advocacy Without Borders:
Connecting people with disabilities & seniors to rights and unified action
1225 8th Street Suite 480 - Sacramento, CA 95814  916/446-0013  Fax: 916/446-0026
Marty Omoto - director  email: martyomoto@rcip.com    website: www.cdcan.us
 
SHOOTING IN GOLETA
* Charlotte Colton, Age 44,  Shooting Victim Dies
* Mother of 3 Including A Child With Developmental Disabilities
* Served As Board Member of Alpha Resource Center

GOLETA  -  Charlotte Colton,the mother of three children including a young son with developmental disabilities, and the lone survivor of the shootings at a US Postal Service facility in Goleta, near Santa Barbara, died this morning (February 1) at Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital.  She was undergoing treatment for a gunshot wound to the head she suffered Monday night following an attack at the postal facility by a former postal worker that left five other co-workers dead.  The former postal worker, identified as Jennifer Sanmarco,  killed herself at the facility, leaving a total of 7 people dead.  The postal center where the shooting took place, is located just a few blocks from the University of California, Santa Barbara in the town of Goleta, about 100 miles northwest of Los Angeles.

Colton's family has asked that Charlotte Colton's organs be donated and funeral arrangements are pending. [Note: see CDCAN Disability Rights News Report #14 for more details. We will post and forward any information regarding any fund for donations to the family]

Family and friends of Charlotte Colton greeted the news of her death - and the deaths of her co-workers, with tears and what one person said was almost "overwhelming grief" and shock.  Local advocates for people with disabilities, including many parents who worked with Charlotte Colton on disability issues in Santa Barbara county, were stunned by the shootings and her death.  Her family, including her husband and three children are in seclusion following her death and did not issue any immediate statement. 

She previously served as a board member of Alpha Resource Center, a respected and well known community-based organization that provides services and supports to people with developmental disabilities in the Santa Barbara area, and she remained active in special needs activities and local support groups for her son and others.

"Charlotte was a former Alpha board member and mom to 3 great boys. Her son Kyle has CP [cerebral palsy]. Charlotte was in the [Alpha Resource Center] office over the holidays sharing news of her family and their plans for the new year," Kimberly Olson, executive director of the non-profit agency said in a message to friends and workers issued before her death "...I know the Colton family will be in your prayers."

Friends Concerned That Family Receives Immediate Services From Local and State Agencies
Friends of the Colton family including local disability advocates were concerned about making sure that Charlotte Colton's son with developmental disabilities - and the rest of the family - receive immediate needed services and supports from various responsible county and state agencies. 
Tri-Counties Regional Center, which funds services and supports for children and adults with developmental disabilities in Santa Barbara, San Luis Obispo and Ventura counties, including services for Charlotte Colton's son, issued a statement of sympathy to the family and a commitment to help the Colton family. 

Total Number of Dead Now 7
According to the Santa Barbara County Sheriff's department, those who were shot and killed by Jennifer Sanmarco (in addition to killing herself) were:
* Charlotte Colton, 44 of Santa Barbara
* Zee Fairchild, 37, of Santa Barbara
* Nicola Grant, 42, of Lompoc
* Maleka Higgins, 28, of Santa Barbara
* Dexter Shannon, 57, of Oxnard
* Guadalupe Swartz, 52,of Lompoc

Earlier today (February 1), Santa Barbara County Sheriff Department officials said they were investigating the death of shooter Jennifer Sanmarco's former neighbor, who was found dead at the condo complex where the former postal employee once lived.  They believe there is a link between that killing and the shootings at the postal facility.

How To Receive CDCAN Capitol News Reports and Alerts
The California Disability Community Action Network is a non-partisan link to thousands of Californians with developmental and other disabilities, people with traumatic brain and other injures, seniors and their families, community organizations and providers, direct care and other workers, and other advocates. These action alerts and news reports is for all of them.   If you would like to get on this distribution (and conversely, get off of  it) please send an email with that  request to:  martyomoto@rcip.com OR sign up via the NEW CDCAN website at www.cdcan.us  Sharing information is part of our organizing effort. Please feel free to forward or copy  this (attribution is nice but not necessary). We're all in this together!