Gunman's widow doesn't know what prompted shooting

PANAMA CITY, Fla. – The widow of the man who held a Florida school board at gunpoint and fired shots before killing himself says she still doesn't know why it happened.

Rebecca Duke told CBS' "The Early Show" in an interview shown Thursday that she'll spend the rest of her life wondering what made her husband, Clay Duke, interrupt a school board meeting in Panama City, paint a red "V'' on a wall and start shooting. No one else was hurt.

Rebecca Duke had lost her job in the school district and her unemployment benefits were running out, but it wasn't clear if that was what prompted the incident.

In the interview, she remembered her husband as gentle and compassionate with a good sense of humor. She had told The Associated Press earlier that he was a gentle giant who always wanted to protect her.

Rebecca Duke also said she felt for the people at the school board meeting and for Mike Jones, the security guard who shot and wounded Clay Duke before Duke turned the gun on himself.

She and other family members told the AP earlier that they were grateful Clay Duke waited to fire his weapon until the room was largely empty.

Meanwhile, school board members have tried to turn the incident into something good. School board member Ginger Littleton auctioned the purse she used in an unsuccessful attempt to disarm Duke by sneaking up behind him and whacking his arm. The money will go to a charity Jones founded to help needy kids.

The brown Brahmin handbag sold for $13,100 on eBay late Wednesday. The buyer, who lives in Alexandria, Va., asked to remain anonymous.

The purse is from the discontinued Almond Collection and originally sold for $345. The Fairhaven, Mass.-based purse manufacturer says it will match the winning bid, meaning Jones' charity will get $26,200.

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Information from: WJHG-TV, http://www.wjhg.com/