Being a survivor of a mass shooting means dealing with its effects for the rest of your life. [ 1][ 2] Spared the death penalty because of her young age, she was instead sentenced to 25 years to life on April 4, 1980, when aged 18. Spencer told the reporter she had shot at the schoolchildren and adults because, "I don't like Mondays. 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. The assault at Robb Elementary School in the heavily Latino town of Uvalde was the deadliest shooting at a U.S. grade school since a gunman killed 20 children and six adults at Sandy Hook . No children were hurt in . She told reporters who called that Mondays made her blue and that she started the shooting just for the fun of it. A policeman on the scene, Sgt. "It's not politics, but emotional and personal to the families who lost their damn loved ones, shameful," he said. High school student Lucy Sarkissian was in eight grade when two students at her school, STEM School Highlands Ranch, opened fire, killing one student and wounding eight others. In 1989, 24-year-old Patrick Purdy walked onto the playground at Cleveland Elementary School in Stockton, California, with an AK-47 and opened fire, killing five children and a teacher. "[11], On the morning of Monday, January 29, 1979, Spencer began shooting from her house[12] at children waiting for 53-year-old Principal Burton Wragg to open the gates to Grover Cleveland Elementary. STOCKTON, Calif. (KTXL) - Survivors of the Cleveland Elementary School shooting are speaking out after a federal judge struck down California's assault weapons ban. We have created a browser extension. My eyes would always scan a classroom searching for the safest hiding spot in the scenario a shooting would happen again. Half of those injuries were described as critical. Website. She started her shooting rampage from her bedroom window, randomly aiming her gun at kids who were waiting to enter the playground. In 2004, I was a graduating senior with collegiate athlete aspirations. Alexandra Rozenblat. San Juan Unified staffer repeats racist slur when telling students to stop using it, 'She was a loveable soul': Cousin identifies victim of South Sacramento homicide. According to state test scores, 42% of students are at least proficient in math and 42% in reading. As of 2019, shes still incarcerated in Chino, California. She seemed most comfortable and most excited when she was around guns or talking about them, her friends said Monday after the 16-year-old Miss Spencer allegedly opened fire with a rifle at a crowded school parking lot, killing two persons and wounding 10 others. It terrifies me. The Cleveland Elementary School shooting (also known as the Stockton schoolyard shooting and the Cleveland School massacre) occurred on January 17, 1989, at Cleveland Elementary School at 20 East Fulton Street in Stockton, California, United States. However, in previous parole hearings, there has been powerful testimony from those whose lives have never been the same since that horrific morning. It forces me to remember the physical trauma I experienced and the paralyzing fear of my potential death. The shots were fired from a house located directly across the street and 100 feet away. At her first hearing, in 1993, Spencer said she had hoped police would shoot her, and that she had been a user of alcohol and drugs at the time of the crime, although the results of drug tests done when she was taken into custody were negative. 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. 260 Page Street. It was a dark moment in history, remembered for its impact on the community and the lives of five students, none above 10 years old, that were taken by a gunman. All of the fatally shot victims and those who were wounded were Cambodian and Vietnamese immigrants. Mostly heartbreak for the students and family. The gunman, Patrick Purdy, who had an extended criminal history, shot and killed five schoolchildren and wounded 32 others. The shooter was 24-year-old Patrick Purdy, often described as a drifter. I see the victims photos from the recent shooting and I see her face in theirs. "It was the perfect senseless act and this was the perfect senseless reason for doing it. On January 17, 1989, a former student opened fire on the playground of Cleveland Elementary School.Within 3 minutes the gunman fired 106 rounds from his recently-purchased AK-47, killing 5 students and injuring another 31. Juvenile Court Judge William L Todd, Jr said he will probably set a date next week for a hearing on whether Miss Spencer will be tried as an adult. Five students were killed and thirty were injured. Because we are unable to change what has happened to us, we must instead choose our response and it takes intentionality. Suchar was the next person shot. Every time I hear about another mass shooting, these thoughts tend to come back. It will enhance any encyclopedic page you visit with the magic of the WIKI 2 technology. By the end of 1979 a song by Bob Geldof for his band Boomtown Rats called I Dont Like Mondays was number one across America and Britain. The shooting drastically changed my life in multiple ways: physically, mentally, spiritually and emotionally. Spencer blazed away with rifle shots from her . However, his was not the only call she received. Julie Schardt || Cleveland Elementary School shooting in Stockton, California, on Jan. 17, 1989. If you purchase a product or register for an account through one of the links on our site, we may receive compensation. L'cole Cleveland Elementary is committed to developing an environment where all members of the community help to create a positive school culture. This livens up the day. Ive developed PTSD as a result of the shooting. The principal and a custodian were killed; eight children and police officer Robert Robb were injured. You could also do it yourself at any point in time. 2. 5. For Christmas, she got a 22-caliber rifle, said Brian Higgins, 16, who was her classmate last semester at Patrick Henry High School. Since 2009, there have been 288 school shootings in America. 2023 BuzzFeed, Inc. All rights reserved. Asked why he had done that, she answered, "He bought the rifle so I would kill myself. Since the Columbine High School shooting in 1999, at least 185 children, teachers and other people have lost their lives in campus shootings across the country, according to The Washington Post. I am always on high alert when I am in public spaces. 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! The Townville Elementary School shooting occurred on September 28, 2016, in Townville, South Carolina, located 40 miles (64 km) southwest of Greenville. 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,. News Local Now, my sense of security and safety is completely gone. Every time I walk into a room I look for the nearest exit or for a good hiding spot. Would you like Wikipedia to always look as professional and up-to-date? That's it. 1. Note: This article may feature affiliate links, and purchases made may earn us a commission at no extra cost to you. Now that you know, have fun looking around! I wouldnt go to the bathrooms or walk the halls alone in fears of what would happen. 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 identify deeply with the staff at Robb Elementary. About 2 p.m. an officer said the girl was taking narcotics and drinking. UVALDE, TEXAS - MAY 24: Law enforcement officers speak together outside of Robb Elementary School following the mass shooting at Robb Elementary School on May 24, 2022 in Uvalde, Texas. Learn how your comment data is processed. "There's a part of us that does not let that go," said Judy Weldon. A man and two students at Cleveland Elementary School in Stockton on Jan. 17, 1989, after a gunman killed five children and injured 30 others before turning the gun on himself. I dont like Mondays, the girl reportedly told the Tribune. She told cops that she targeted kids and school staff as they were easy targets. PS: If you liked this article, please share it! and theyre going to let her do herself in (with the intoxicants) until she passes out. After her surrender, however, police officials declined to comment on that account. So I had to talk to my twins, starting at the age of 5, about the reality of school shootings. During negotiations between police and the girl, police spokesman Bill Robinson had described her as being under a lot of pressure. He added that he didnt know if the girl had any prior problems with authorities. So perhaps I wrote the perfect senseless song to illustrate it. Thank you for your cooperation. 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. cleveland.com. In the wake of the Uvalde shooting, HuffPost spoke to 11 survivors of such school shootings students and a few teaching staff, too about how the news of yet another campus shooting has affected them, and how the shootings at their schools affect them to this day. The shooter was 24-year-old Patrick Purdy, often described as a drifter. Jan. 29, 1979: Brenda Spencer, 16, took a rifle with a scope that her father had given her for Christmas and began firing on Grover Cleveland Elementary School across the street from her home. 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. [5][2] Spencer has been repeatedly reminded of these statements at parole hearings. The Cleveland Elementary School shooting was the first truly reported school shooting. The petition also alleges special circumstances, which means that if she is tried as an adult and convicted of murder, she could be sentenced to life in state prison without parole. In the petition, Deputy District Attorney Charles L Patrick requested that Miss Spencer, who police say has a history of petty theft and drug abuse, be tried as an adult. A heavily-armed police SWAT (special weapons and tactics) team set up a barricade around the house, keeping parents, bystanders and reporters at least one block away. I had to learn how to live life navigating a wheelchair.