School Violence - Shootings Become More Frequent

On February 19, 1997, a year after the Washington and Georgia shootings, sixteen-year-old Evan Ramsey in Bethel, Alaska, who was tired of being teased, took a shotgun to school. He killed a student and the principal and wounded two other students. He had previously told two fourteen-year-olds about his plan for retribution against those bullying him and the authority figures who had not protected him.

Later in 1997, on October 1, sixteen-year-old Luke Woodham in Pearl, Mississippi, stabbed his mother to death then went to school carrying a rifle and a pistol. There he killed a girlfriend who had just broken up with him, a second girl, and wounded seven others. When returning to his car for more ammunition he was charged and captured by the assistant principal. Again, other students knew of his plan but told no one.

Two months later on December 1, fourteen-year-old Michael Carneal of Paducah, Kentucky, carried a gun to school and fired on a small prayer group killing three girls and wounding five others. Carneal was intrigued with Satan worshiping and frequently dressed in black. Other students had heard him talk about wanting to shoot up the school. Police found a pistol, two rifles, two shotguns, and seven hundred rounds of ammunition.