The shooting on that day changed the trajectory of our experience at school. Legendary Irish rocker Bob Geldof described how he felt as the news broke on the sad day. As a teacher, my job was first to make sure my students were safe. I shot a pig (cop) I think and I want to shoot more. In the Robb Elementary School shooting, 18-year-old Salvador Ramos open fire and killed 19 fellow students and 2 teachers, wounding many other individuals, including his . California Assembly members had met after the shooting to respond to the incident, and they passed the Assault Weapons Control Act, which was the first legislative restriction on assault weapons in the nation and served as a model for a similar federal statute in 1994. When it did happen for me, I was in 10th grade. This livens up the day. This inspired the Boomtown Rats to write the smash hit I Don't Like Mondays. On January 29, 1979, 16-year-old Brenda Spencer opened fire on the. A 16-year-old girl, Brenda Spencer, who lived in a house across the street from the school, was convicted of the shootings. West View Elementary School is an above average, public school located in GARNER, NC. , Your email address will not be published. I was in the library, where much of the violence took place. Her 20-minute shooting spree claimed the lives of the school's principal, Burton Wragg, 53, who was struck while trying to help wounded kids, and caretaker Mike Suchar, 56, who attempted to rescue his boss. She started her shooting rampage from her bedroom window, randomly aiming her gun at kids who were waiting to enter the playground. The incident resulted in a total of 5 children being killed. Website. Brenda Spencers classmates describe her as a tomboy and a gun nut who had difficulty adjusting to life. The other wounded youngsters were treated and released. The incident remains under investigation. cleveland.com. Spencer blazed away with rifle shots from her . A petition filed Wednesday in Juvenile Court by the district attorneys office accuses 16-year-old Brenda Ann Spencer of the shootings that also left a police officer wounded. He also hurt 32 others before turning the gun on himself. For Christmas 1978, he gave her a Ruger10/22 semi-automatic .22caliber rifle with a telescopicsight and 500 rounds of ammunition. Higgins said. SAN DIEGO A 16-year-old girl fatally shot two persons and wounded nine others here Monday, later telling police she fired the .22 caliber rifle into a crowded elementary schoolyard because she "just wanted to liven up the day," police said. . Brenda Spencer shot and killed two adults, wounded eight children and a San Diego police officer at Cleveland Elementary School in San Carlos on Jan. 29, 1979, 40 years ago. But when we choose daily, that our story doesnt end at tragedy, but can be a new point of beginning, we have the perspective we need to live again, and even thrive. Crystal Woodman Miller. Jan. 19, 1989 12 AM PT. A 16-year-old girl, Brenda Spencer, who lived in a house across the street from the school, was convicted of the shootings. Because of my prior experience, I helped get everyone away from the windows and locked all entrances, while the police stopped the person in the parking lot. Half of those injuries were described as critical. I have PTSD, trouble sleeping. 1. Before there was Parkland or even Columbine, there was Cleveland Elementary School.But for many, the name of the Stockton, California school is unfamiliar. It is easy and natural to stop trusting people and push them away, and isolate yourself. Although she's previously been eligible for parole, Spencer was denied four times, including on August 13, 2009, and is not eligible again until this year - 40 years after the shooting. This livens up the day. Asked if she had any particular targets, she said, No one in particular. 1. No children were hurt in . First responders found mass confusion at the scene and the devastation that was left. I wanted to cry, but I was tired of crying. My memories from that day are vivid: the looks on the other students faces as we sat in waiting, the shocked words I shared with another student next to me after the first flurry of shots, the sounds of the news reporters voices coming over the TV in the classroom we were trapped there for hours and turned the TV on and my teachers attempts to keep us calm while clearly being rattled herself. By entering your email and clicking Sign Up, you're agreeing to let us send you customized marketing messages about us and our advertising partners. The gunman, who had a long criminal history, shot and killed five schoolchildren, and wounded 29 other children and one teacher, before committing suicide. We have created a browser extension. She reportedly answered: "I don't like Mondays. Since 2009, there have been 288 school shootings in America. 2023 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. Required fields are marked *. View our online Press Pack. My daughter is around the same age as the victims of the Robb Elementary shooting. Although I have made progress in my mental recovery, I dont think I will ever truly feel closure from the shooting. The 2006 British documentary I Don't Like Mondays also revisits the case. According to the San Diego Police Museum, Spencer took an early liking to guns and to stories about violence. Acknowledging my progress encourages me everyday. The principal and a custodian were killed; eight children and police officer Robert Robb were injured. 4. I wanted to see what they were saying on the news, but was also repulsed by watching the news. I don't like Mondays. Victims of San Diego School Shooting Are Forced to Cope Again 10 Years Later. San Diego A freckle-faced teenage girl has been charged with 12 criminal counts including murder in connection with a sniper attack in the parking lot of Cleveland Elementary School that killed the principal and head custodian and wounded eight pupils. A man and two students at Cleveland Elementary School in Stockton on Jan. 17, 1989, after a heavily armed gunman invaded the school yard and killed five children and injured 30 others before . Charged as an adult, she pleaded guilty to two counts of murder and assaultwithadeadlyweapon, and was sentenced to lifeinprison with a chance of parole after 25 years. Every time I hear about a new school shooting, I feel as though Im grieving for those victims and that school but also my own trauma and school. Julie Schardt || Cleveland Elementary School shooting in Stockton, California, on Jan. 17, 1989. cleveland.com. The shooting began as children were waiting outside for principal Burton Wragg to open the gate. All of the fatally shot victims and those who were wounded were Cambodian and Vietnamese immigrants. Because we are unable to change what has happened to us, we must instead choose our response and it takes intentionality. Every time I walk into a room I look for the nearest exit or for a good hiding spot. I am a big concertgoer and it took me a while to feel comfortable at my safe place after the shooting. For 7.5 minutes, as I took cover under a table, I listened to the killers gun down friends and classmates, and waited to die. "It wasn't an attempt to exploit tragedy.". University of Iowa shooting in 1991, leaving 6 dead and 1 injured. I am finally capable of enjoying experiences that life has to offer. Although she was 16 at the time of the murders, Brenda was tried as an adult, convicted, and given a 25-to-life prison sentence. The principal and a custodian were killed; eight children and police officer Robert Robb were injured. Spencer told the reporter she had shot at the schoolchildren and adults because, "I don't like Mondays. Robb was released from the hospital Wednesday with Charles Cam Miller, 9, who suffered a shoulder wound. Nobody would ever have imagined the horror that invaded our peace. In the frantic moments follo-ing the two killings, eight students were wounded, police reported. To see all content on The Sun, please use the Site Map. Material on this site is provided for purposes of education, criticism, commentary, cultural reporting, entertainment, historical reference, and news reporting/analysis. Hendrickson said, they found it in disarray. THAT WAS 29 YEARS AGO! Spencer shot and killed Wragg as he and teacher Daryl Barnes tried to help children. They quoted her father as saying she had 500 to 600 rounds of ammunition. Classes resumed about 12:30 p.m. Investigators learned a woman and her mother were seated in their car when the womans ex-boyfriend drove up, got out of his vehicle and walked toward the car, Cleveland Heights police Chief Annette Mecklenburg said. Geldof later explained: "Not liking Mondays as a reason for doing somebody in is a bit strange. According to Cleveland School Remembers, Purdy had walked onto the campus around noon on Jan. 17, 1989. "For decades now, California legislators have called for a ban on so-called "assault weapons", a term in which they have defined on their own, and have had to modify several times to fit their narrative. Asked why he had done that, she answered, "He bought the rifle so I would kill myself. For her part, Brenda Spencer says she does believe, because of the news coverage of her shooting, that others may have taken her mistake and made their own. I dont know and the Robb teachers may not know yet if theyll ever go back to their library. Experiencing gun violence has greatly removed the sense of normalcy from my life. Blountsville, AL 35031. That summer, Spencer, who was known to hunt birds in the neighborhood, was arrested for shooting out the windows of Grover Cleveland Elementary with a BBgun and for burglary. The Cleveland Elementary School shooting was the first truly reported school shooting. Among the nine persons wounded was Officer Robert Robb, 30, who was shot in the neck as he tried to carry a wounded student to safety. Who is Brenda Ann Spencer, is she being released from prison and which Bob Geldof song did she inspire? BRENDA Spencer, the "I Don't Like Mondays" school shooter, has been caged for 40 years since killing two people and wounding nine - aged just 16. [9], In early 1978, staff at a facility for problem students, into which Spencer had been referred for truancy, informed her parents that she was suicidal. I want to sit by their side as they look to see if any books on hold were for students who died. News reporters marked every second with live reports, video, second by second reporting. According to Mail Online, several lawyers believe she will be granted her wish, and be paroled, as they don't believe she will reoffend. On a clear blue day on Jan. 17, 1989, a man whose peripatetic life included years as a troubled Sacramento youth walked onto a playground in Stockton and shot 34 children, killing five. See the vintage toy sets that started it all, These popular 1950s bathroom color schemes are the epitome of mid-century suburban decor, Easy fondue recipe fun! For the students of Cleveland Elementary School, January 17, 1989, started out like any other Tuesday. Example video title will go here for this video. Cleveland is a Scent Aware Building. Within the past year, I have seen life from a new perspective. I teach my godchildren and younger cousins to never be distracted in public, to always keep their head on a swivel and practice situational awareness. It was a dark moment in Stockton history, remembered for its impact on the community with the lives of five students, none older than 10-years old, lost. / CBS Sacramento. It will forever be a part of your story but the degree to which it will affect you depends on choice and some intentionality. The infamous 'I Don't Like Mondays' school shooter is up for parole 40 years after opening fire on Grover Cleveland Elementary in San Diego. This is his duty. On January 29, 1979, Spencer posted herself by a window in her home and began randomly shooting at Grover Cleveland Elementary School across the street. The school was on lockdown briefly, but no children were hurt. Hearing arguments, a certain noise, or even smells can be extremely triggering for me and set me into panic mode. With the shooting in Texas this week, I dont have the words to describe the feelings I have about it. Spencer pleaded guilty to two murders, and assault with a deadly weapon. Pescaro, who was 19 at the time, was shot in the back, only an inch from his spine. It completely changed how I exist in public space. Wragg died in surgery and Suchar was dead on arrival at local hospital. This livens up the day." Dave Kelly, said Spencer emerged from her familys modest home, put two guns on the ground, then calmly went back into the house and brought other ammunition before heavily armed officers grabbed the girl. She and others call the decision by Judge Roger Benitez to reverse the ban on assault weapons a deadly choice. But on the other hand, I take every opportunity I can to travel or do something I love. I dont like Mondays, the girl reportedly told the Tribune. January 17 marks 31 years since the Cleveland Elementary School shooting in Stockton, California. The Cleveland Elementary School shooting was a school shooting that took place on January 29, 1979, at Grover Cleveland Elementary School in San Diego, California, United States. Rob Young was just over 6 . Ive developed PTSD as a result of the shooting. It destroyed my collegiate athlete dreams. A reporter reached Spencer by phone while she was still in the house after the shooting, and asked her why she committed the crime. . The shooter was 24-year-old Patrick Purdy, often described as a drifter. My classroom was one of the only ones in the hallway that did not have any bullets enter the room. She told reporters who called that Mondays made her blue and that she started the shooting just for the fun of it. The five shooters are Robert Poulin, Brenda Spencer, Wayne Lo, Luke Woodham, and Asa Coon. Believe me, I get it. Evidently, shes pretty garbled over the telephone . On January 17, 1989, a 26-year-old man drove to Cleveland Elementary School in Stockton, California, armed with an assault rifle and a 9mm Taurus semi-automatic handgun. No one at my school was killed. Tuesday marks 34 years since the Cleveland Elementary School shooting happened in Stockton on Jan. 17, 1989. [5] A 28-year-old police officer, Robert Robb, had responded to a call for assistance during the incident, where he was wounded in the neck as he arrived. Her Dad, Wallace Spencer, gave her a semi-automatic .22 calibre rifle for Christmas in 1978. It was her first teaching job in California. SACRAMENTO (CBS13) - Survivors of the Cleveland Elementary School shooting in Stockton are speaking out after a federal judge struck down California's assault weapons ban, calling it unconstitutional. My eyes would always scan a classroom searching for the safest hiding spot in the scenario a shooting would happen again. Original documents Brenda Spencer Parole Hearing 1993 Brenda Spencer Parole Hearing 1994 Twenty-nine were students and one was a teacher. It just popped into my head, about last Wednesday, I think.. One of Sweeneys classmates died. It was a dark moment in history, remembered for its impact on the . . "It was the perfect senseless act and this was the perfect senseless reason for doing it. According to Cleveland Heights Chief of Police Annette Mecklenburg, officers responded to a report of shots fired in the street on the north side of Noble Elementary School on Ardoon St. at. I was skeptical of everyone I saw, thinking they wanted to kill me. In her 2001 hearing, Spencer claimed that her father had been subjecting her to beatings and sexualabuse, but he said the allegations were not true. Every time I hear about another mass shooting, these thoughts tend to come back. I spent years of my life fearful of leaving my house. The shooter opened fire on hundreds of students while they were playing. She also killed 56-year-old custodian Mike Suchar as he tried to pull a student to safety. The organization's database dates back to 1966. No one died, but the gunshots were real, the fear was deep, and the hours of uncertainty while trapped in a classroom were brutal. Killed in the 20-minute hail of bullets were Principal Burton A Wragg, 53, and Michael Suchar, 56, chief custodian at the school, which is across the street from the Spencers home. By MICHAEL GRANBERRY. That morning, Spencer shot the principal, a custodian, a police officer, and eight children as they were entering the school. San Bernardino County Sun (San Diego) January 30, 1979. [27] In 2018, the school was demolished to construct a housing development, and the plaque was relocated to the former school's southern edge, at the corner of Lake Atlin Avenue and Lake Angela Drive. As first responders . He's been in Law Enforcement for 17 years. SAN DIEGO Tuesday will mark 40 years since San Diego's first-ever school shooting, which took place at Cleveland Elementary school. I recognize now how young she was. The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local. After, school became such a stressful environment for me that I ended up leaving in-person school to do online school in the second semester of my junior year. Wragg was hit when he went to the aid of a wounded 9-year-old girl, Suchar as he tried to help the fallen principal and Officer Robert Robb was shot through the neck while dragging wounded children to safety. News Group Newspapers Limited in England No. And the custodian was either helping him or came out after he heard the gunfire, said San Diego police officer Lee Nashold. I think back to last year, when 10 people died at a supermarket about 45 minutes away from my house the King Soopers store shooting in Boulder. The decision carries a 30-day stay, giving the state the opportunity to appeal -- meaning the ban is still in effect, for now. The Cleveland Metropolitan School District is gathering information about a student who may have been the target of shots fired outside Collinwood High School Wednesday morning, according to. I want to design bookplates and paste them into the two slain teachers favorite books. Two men were shot and wounded Thursday afternoon in Northwest Washington's Cleveland Park neighborhood when at least one person fired toward a construction site at an elementary school,. Countless lives were saved as officers commandeered a rubbish truck to use as a shield to drive in the line of fire to rescue the children. "They [the kids] looked like a herd of cows standing around; it was really easy pickings.". She was a teacher at the school when a gunman shot and killed five students. [14], After firing thirty-six times,[12] Spencer barricaded herself inside her home for several hours. I identify deeply with the staff at Robb Elementary. By that definition, 72-year-old Hemet resident Huu Can Tran the man identified by authorities as the shooter would be the oldest person in recent history to carry out a mass shooting, and only the second in their 70s to carry out such an attack, according to the Violence Project. [31], The 1982 JapaneseAmerican documentary film TheKillingofAmerica depicts the incident. Fill in your details below or click an icon to log in: You are commenting using your WordPress.com account. 2021 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. Washington DC Jun 17, 2021 Shooting at DC Construction Site Leads to . However, in previous parole hearings, there has been powerful testimony from those whose lives have never been the same since that horrific morning. Now eligible for parole, is she being released from prison? When the shooting began, students ran in panic from the schoolyard and teachers told those inside to huddle beneath desks and keep away from the windows. The Cleveland Elementary School shooting was a schoolshooting that took place on January 29, 1979, at GroverCleveland ElementarySchool in SanDiego, California, United States. I want to support them as they mark books lost in their catalog so shattered parents dont get automatic overdue notices. Cleveland, Ohio: A 14-year-old student at a Cleveland high school, Asa H. Coon, shot and injured two students and two teachers before he shot and killed himself. The Associated Press UVALDE, Texas (AP) An 18-year-old gunman opened fire Tuesday at a Texas elementary school, killing at least 19 children as he went from classroom to classroom, officials. It was such a senseless act. Fireworks on the Fourth of July will be unbearable, their explosive cracks bringing back the sound of AR bullets leaving a gun and shattering little bodies. Yet, at the same time, they've also dumbed down several weapon related charges in recent years, that in turn has taken away law enforcement's ability to hold criminals accountable for their actions. I hate loud unexpected popping noises. Alexandra Rozenblat. Note: ClickAmericana.com features authentic historical information, and is not intended to represent current best practices on any topic, particularly with regard to health and safety. "[30] Spencer disputes ever contacting Geldof. The other victim who was killed is Dominic Blackwell. The gunman walked onto the elementary school campus, opening fire with a semi-automatic weapon. Nearby homes were evacuated in the citys La Mesa section, a middle-class area of quiet, tree-lined streets and frame houses northeast of the city. It will enhance any encyclopedic page you visit with the magic of the WIKI 2 technology. This article presents five school shooters from 1975 through 2007, classifies them within my typology, and compares them to the ten shooters discussed in Why Kids Kill. There were a lot of beer and whisky bottles laying around., Merced Sun-Star (Merced, Calif.) February 1, 1979. On April 4, 1980, a day after her 18th birthday, she was sentenced to 25 years to life. The girl was alone in the house but her father, identified as W.D. When I hear about another mass shooting, it obviously breaks my heart. At first, I was incapable of being in public, especially in large crowds. Prom went on as planned on May 14, senior farewell and graduation all commenced without skipping a beat as if four students werent just shot on school grounds. [5][7] Police officers found beer and whiskey bottles cluttered around the house but said Spencer did not appear to be intoxicated when arrested. Her next opportunity for a parole hearing will be in 2025.[21][22][23][24]. The Cleveland Elementary School shooting is also known as the Cleveland School massacre and the Stockton Schoolyard Shooting. As of 2019, shes still incarcerated in Chino, California. In 2004, I was a graduating senior with collegiate athlete aspirations. He was shot in the foot and chest. Ive done significant healing mentally from the shooting, however, when a new shooting happens, it does pull back some of the Band-Aid. William Tipper Thomas, III. First published on June 10, 2021 / 8:42 PM. [18] Early reports indicated that Spencer had scratched the words "courage" and "pride" into her own skin; Spencer corrected this during her parole hearing as reading "unforgiven" and "alone". Along with her father, Miss Spencer was an avid hunter. Police SWAT team members arrested her following a 6-1/2 hour siege at the home she shared with her divorced father. In the wake of the Texas shooting, I find myself consumed with grief. The suspect, Brenda Spencer, barricaded herself in her home across the street from the school and held police at bay for 6-1/2 hours before surrendering. I had endless nightmares, where I would not only relieve my experience at Columbine, but dream up new tragedies that I was trying to escape. "I was thinking about it on the way back to the hotel and I just said 'Silicon chip inside her head had switched to overload'.