School Violence 1982-1983

Violence in Our Schools

August 1, 1982 through July 31, 1983

School Violence Around the World Date Stats It's Not Always About the Gun School Violence Links Guest Book Email Me

To report a threat of school violence before the instigator has a chance to act on his/her intentions, please contact Speak Up at 1-866-SPEAKUP (that is 1-866-773-2587)

I would like to thank all of the Survivors and others who have contacted me with information about school violence. I do appreciate the help, for, without their help, several of these occurrences would not be here.

One other thing I would like to ask of those who read over this list of tragedies is this: If you can provide me with any more details of any of these incidents, I would greatly appreciate the information. Or, if you know of another violent act at a school that is not on this list, please forward that information to me as well. The link to my e-mail is above.

Parkway South Junior High School, St. Louis, Missouri

Thursday, January 20, 1983

Eighth-grader David Lawler shot two of his classmates today, then he turned the gun on himself and committed suicide. Randell Kroger, 15, was shot in the abdomen and died at 12:28 p.m. 15-year-old Greg Palmer was injured in the shooting, which occurred just before noon in a study hall. David brought two guns to the school and used one of them on himself to end the violence.

Source: Visitor to this web site

Brentwood East Junior High School, New York City, New York

Monday, May 16, 1983

Robert O. Wickes graduated from Brentwood High School in 1977. He works at Brentwood East on New York's Long Island as a substitute teacher's aide. On Wednesday, May 4, Luis Burgos, a 15-year-old student, was talking in class when Robert ordered him to stop talking and stand up. Luis refused. Robert then went to the boy's desk, pulled it away from him and struck Luis. Luis began to fight back by throwing punches. Because of this fight, Robert, 24, was dismissed from his job. Luis was suspended for twelve days. Robert sought revenge on Luis and the school and executed his plan today. He dressed in Army fatigues and took a .22-caliber semi-automatic Ruger rifle and 100 rounds with him when he returned to Brentwood East this afternoon. He entered Room 201, a second-floor ninth-grade social studies classroom, ordered the teacher out and ordered the 18 students to lie on the floor. He told them, "I'm not leaving here alive, you kids messed up my career." This was shortly after 1:00. In the room was Luis, returning to school for the first time since the fight. "You know me," Robert said to Luis. He then fired the rifle at him but missed the boy as he crouched near a window. Robert approached Luis and fired two more shots. Luis was struck in the stomach and one of his fingers. He was having difficulties breathing. Fellow student Wilfred Mercado noticed this and said to Robert, "I'm taking him out." Robert let the two boys leave the classroom. Principal William Howland, 47, looked into the classroom from the door's window. Robert saw this and shot him as well. William was struck in the cheek. Both Luis and William were taken to Southside Hospital for treatment of gunshot wounds. A dozen of the students feigned and induced nausea; Robert released them. The remaining students were released periodically throughout the afternoon and evening. He did this after a local radio station played some of his favorite tunes ("Penny Lane" from the Beatles, "Angie" from the Rolling Stones" and "Lonely People" from America) and read a statement from him. He made no threats but fired four times down the hall to keep police at bay. Bryan Lopez, 14, was Robert's last hostage and his liaison with the police, ferrying messages, food and a transistor radio from them to Robert. Bryan witnessed the end of his captivity when Robert shot himself in the right temple at 10:15 p.m. The hostage crisis lasted nine hours. Robert was rushed to Southside Hospital in Bay Shore where he died at 11:41 p.m. Brentwood East has roughly 980 students and is in one of the poorest school districts on Long Island. The school canceled classes for two days and reopened on Thursday, May 19 with seventh period, the same period in which classes were interrupted.

Source: New York Times - Hostages at L.I. School are Freed, and Gunman then Kills Himself; New York Times - L.I. School Opens 2 Days After Siege; New York Times - How Hostage Team Passed the Test

Hebron Islamic College, Hebron, West Bank, Israel

Tuesday, July 26, 1983

At least three masked gunmen jumped from a car parked at the back of Hebron Islamic College today with guns blazing. The gunmen had automatic rifles and fired at random at the students in the courtyard. At least one grenade was thrown into a classroom. The gunmen killed three students and wounded 33 students and faculty members.

THOSE WHO DIED:

Saad Adin Hassan Sabri, 30

Jamal Saad El Adin Nayal, 30

Samir Fatih Daoud, 30

Source: The New York Times - 3 Slain as Gunmen Attack Hebron Islamic College

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