The first reported school shooting in what is now the U.S. took place in the 1700s when four Lenape Indians entered a schoolhouse in what is now Greencastle, Pa., and killed the schoolmaster and as many as 10 children, according to K12academics.com.
Since that dark day, there have been hundreds of schoolhouse shootings, the most recent on Friday morning, when a gunman entered the Sandy Hook Elementary School in Newtown, Conn., and started shooting. In all, 20 children and six adults were killed. The suspected shooter is also dead, as is another adult at a separate location.
Herewith is a short pictorial history of fatal incidents in U.S. primary and secondary schools since 1989.
24-year-old Patrick Purdy shot and killed five schoolchildren, and wounded 29 other schoolchildren and one teacher on the playground of Cleveland Elementary School. The shooting ended with Purdy committing suicide.Wikipedia
Armed with a pistol, 20-year-old Eric Houston took hostages at his former high school, killing four people and wounding 10. His motive was his inability to find a good job because he had failed a grade at school. He was given the death penalty for the shooting.MurderpediaArmed with a high-powered hunting rifle and two handguns, 14-year-old Barry Loukaitis killed his algebra teacher and two students before taking hostages. He also shot a girl in the arm, who he released during the hostage situation. The incident ended when a teacher burst into the room and tackled him. Loukaitis is now serving life in prison.
MurderpediaCharles Carl Roberts, a 32-year-old milk-tank truck driver, took hostages and eventually shot ten girls, killing five (aged 7–13), before killing himself at West Nickel Mines School, a one-room Amish schoolhouse.Murderpedia
