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. First responders found mass confusion at the scene and the devastation that was left. [1][5] Although Spencer showed exceptional ability as a photographer, winning first prize in a HumaneSociety competition, she was generally uninterested in school. The girls mother, who was said to be divorced from Spencer, was also at the scene briefly but later left, police said. "I wrote that down. 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. The teen opened fire on Grover Cleveland Elementary School in San Carlos, San Diego. 1. [13][20] In August 2022, Spencer and the Board of Parole Hearings agreed that she was not suitable for parole and that she would not be eligible for another hearing for another three years as a result of this parole suitability denial. Because we are unable to change what has happened to us, we must instead choose our response and it takes intentionality. My eyes would always scan a classroom searching for the safest hiding spot in the scenario a shooting would happen again. It terrifies me. The shooting incident I experienced was on May 7, 2004, which was a Friday. He was armed with an AKS rifle, a semiautomatic version of the militarys AK-47, according to the National Institute of Justice. While I was being evacuated from the classroom by SWAT team we actually had to pass one of the shooters as he was being apprehended outside my classroom door. She attended PatrickHenryHighSchool, where one teacher recalled frequently inquiring if she was awake in class. Uvalde took me back to our cafeteria, where parents came to pick up their children. I was so sick of living my life in fear, constantly waking up discouraged and feeling like I was living for nothing. The principal and a custodian were killed; eight children and police officer Robert Robb were injured. I identify deeply with the staff at Robb Elementary. Before hanging up, however, she said, I have to go now. There was no option to opt our kids out of school that day. To install click the Add extension button. On the right, Julie Schardt, who was a second grade . Material on this site is provided for education, criticism, commentary, cultural reporting, entertainment, historical reference, and news reporting/analysis. This livens up the day." 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. Spencer skadade ven tta barn och en polis. Twenty-nine were students and one was a teacher. Experiencing gun violence has greatly removed the sense of normalcy from my life. Bienvenidos a nuestra escuela - estamos encantados de . Victims of San Diego School Shooting Are Forced to Cope Again 10 Years Later. Times Staff Writer. The shooter used a semi-automatic weapon. I was in the library, where much of the violence took place. The Cleveland Elementary School shooting was the first truly reported school shooting. There was never a day at school where I felt safe, I was constantly on edge. YouTubes privacy policy is available here and YouTubes terms of service is available here. Brenda Ann Spencer. A reporter reached Spencer by phone while she was still in the house after the shooting, and asked her why she committed the crime. Cleveland is a Scent Aware Building. [31], The 1982 JapaneseAmerican documentary film TheKillingofAmerica depicts the incident. cleveland elementary school shooting Latest Breaking News, Pictures, Videos, and Special Reports from The Economic Times. We ask that perfume or perfumed products not be used at school. More than 30 others were wounded by the gunman, who shot them with a semi-automatic rifle. 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. She said she and her father had enough ammunition the house for a small army,. However, in previous parole hearings, there has been powerful testimony from those whose lives have never been the same since that horrific morning. Since this mass shooting, countless others like it have happened in the US. , Your email address will not be published. Bullets can find you anywhere, anytime. [8], Spencer was charged as an adult and pleaded guilty to two counts of murder and assaultwithadeadlyweapon. Although I have made progress in my mental recovery, I dont think I will ever truly feel closure from the shooting. They didnt know if theyd be able to hug their children and take them home or have to face the worst day of their lives. Julie Schardt was a second grade teacher at Cleveland Elementary School in 1989, when five kids, age 6 to 9, were shot and killed. Within the past year, I have seen life from a new perspective. Today, Rodgers is a part-time seamstress, librarian and mother of two. Stocktons dispatch center initially received calls of a vehicle fire and reports of shots fired. I teach them the importance of communicating where they are and where they are going so in case, God forbid, something happens, someone will know where to find them. Greg Abbott says more than a dozen people were killed in a shooting Tuesday at an elementary school. 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. NY Times Opinion, Cleveland School Remembers Participates in the Youth Leadership Academy. [18] It was released in July 1979 and was number one for four weeks in the United Kingdom,[29] and was the band's biggest hit in their native Ireland. For the students of Cleveland Elementary School, January 17, 1989, started out like any other Tuesday. The other wounded youngsters were treated and released. Officers said she would be questioned by the departments homicide detectives. Every time I walk into a room I look for the nearest exit or for a good hiding spot. It sickens and chills me to think about it. The Townville Elementary School shooting occurred on September 28, 2016, in Townville, South Carolina, located 40 miles (64 km) southwest of Greenville. Her next opportunity for a parole hearing will be in 2025.[21][22][23][24]. 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. I cannot go out to breakfast with my parents without hypervigilance setting in. Choose the plan that best fits your family. Here's a rundown of the other shootings: Cleveland Elementary School shooting in 1989, leaving 6 dead and 29 injured. [3] Geldof has later mentioned that, "[Spencer] wrote to me saying 'she was glad she'd done it because I'd made her famous,' which is not a good thing to live with. Cleveland Elementary School Unclaimed. For other inquiries, Contact Us. 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! After murdering his mother at their home, Adam Lanza fatally shot 20 children and 6 adults at Sandy Hook Elementary School before taking his own life. The incident remains under investigation. Looking up the states led to the very sad history, that California was first to ban assault weapons in 1989, following the 1989 Cleveland Elementary School shooting in Stockton, CA. He set his van on fire with a Molotov Cocktail and proceeded to use an assault rifle on the students. STOCKTON, Calif. (KTXL) - Survivors of the Cleveland Elementary School shooting are speaking out after a federal judge struck down California's assault weapons ban. Under the terms of her sentencing, Spencer became eligible for hearings to consider her suitability for parole in 1993. I knew one girl who got shot through the leg and I knew one kid who got grazed with a bullet. 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. Pescaro is now 22 and works for the Carolina Hurricanes. San Bernardino County Sun (San Diego) January 30, 1979. Being a survivor of a mass shooting means dealing with its effects for the rest of your life. Hearing arguments, a certain noise, or even smells can be extremely triggering for me and set me into panic mode. Thank you for your cooperation. 2021 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. Part of HuffPost Wellness. Spencer later became infamous for her quote, "I don't like Mondays," which inspired the song of the same name by The Boomtown Rats. At 15 years old, I had to say goodbye to my two friends, Alyssa Alhadeff and Martin Duque, as well as my geography teacher, Scott Beigel. The students killed during the shooting were: January 17 marks 31 years since the Cleveland Elementary School shooting in Stockton, California. 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. I had a few classmates lose their lives and others get injured. All the shots were fired within 15 minutes starting at 8:40 a.m., just as students and teachers were entering the school for the start of the days classes, officers said. It surprises many this ban was put in place after the first mass shooting at a school in this country. All those hit by gunfire were outside the school. . Both father and daughter slept on a single mattress on the living room floor in a house strewn with empty bottles from alcoholic drinks. . 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. 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. The school was closed in 1983, along with a dozen other schools around the city, due to declining enrollment. [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. Robb was listed in stable condition at a local hospital. PS: If you liked this article, please share it! 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. "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'. 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. I am aware of how short and precious life is and I dont want to waste a single second of it. On the morning of January 17, 1989, an anonymous person phoned the Stockton . When I hear about another mass shooting, it obviously breaks my heart. Nothing. Shana Sweeney. Click on a school name below to view its attendance boundary . STOCKTON, Calif. Tuesday marks 34 years since the Cleveland Elementary School shooting happened in Stockton on Jan. 17, 1989. School officials placed the building on lockdown amid the investigation. At the end of Drew Pescaros sophomore year, a gunman and former UNC student barged into a classroom and opened fire, killing two students and wounding four. Original documents Brenda Spencer Parole Hearing 1993 Brenda Spencer Parole Hearing 1994 Ever. [17] In prison, Spencer was diagnosed with epilepsy and received medication to treat epilepsy and depression. People dont talk enough about the rush to return to normalcy after a mass shooting. The act specified put forth alist of firearms that would be considered assault weapons and prohibited people from buying them. You are also agreeing to our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy. My daughter is around the same age as the victims of the Robb Elementary shooting. June 10, 2021 / 8:42 PM There were a lot of beer and whisky bottles laying around., Merced Sun-Star (Merced, Calif.) February 1, 1979. He also hurt 32 others before turning the gun on himself. Among the injured were a police officer and eight schoolchildren, two of whom were wounded critically. [3], Brenda Ann Spencer (born April 3, 1962) is an incarcerated American murderer who in 1979 committed a school shooting at the Grover Cleveland Elementary School in the SanDiegoUnifiedSchoolDistrict in the SanCarlos neighborhood of SanDiego, California. Contact info. 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. As of 2019, shes still incarcerated in Chino, California. I have PTSD, trouble sleeping. Adam Sandler bringing comedy tour to Cleveland this News / Mar 1, 2023 / 09:32 . Her Dad, Wallace Spencer, gave her a semi-automatic .22 calibre rifle for Christmas in 1978. Today, 25 years laterand one year after the . Change), You are commenting using your Facebook account. 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. 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. 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. 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. It was a dark moment in history, remembered for its impact on the . From 2005 to 2017, it housed the Magnolia Science Academy,[26] a public charter middleschool serving students in grades 68. West View Elementary School is an above average, public school located in GARNER, NC. According . The brutal killer coldly replied: "I just did it for the fun of it. 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. (See the video at the bottom of the page.). "There's a part of us that does not let that go," said Judy Weldon. 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. Your email address will not be published. Suchar was the next person shot. 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 . 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. When you have a classmate shot and killed at school, you cant leave the experience without the belief that safety is an illusion. L'cole Cleveland Elementary is committed to developing an environment where all members of the community help to create a positive school culture. Experiencing gun violence at a place like a school has completely shifted my perception of comfort in public spaces ever since. Later I learned that I knew five of the victims, including my coach for softball and basketball, Dave Sanders. News Local Legendary Irish rocker Bob Geldof described how he felt as the news broke on the sad day. No one died, but the gunshots were real, the fear was deep, and the hours of uncertainty while trapped in a classroom were brutal. "I have to go now. 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.