January 16, 2009
KCRA (Stockton, California, USA)
STOCKTON, Calif. -- When more than 60 shots ran out across the playground of Stockton's Cleveland Elementary School, a teacher and 34 students were hit.
Five of those children died.
Savan Chitt was a first-grader when she was involved in the country's first major elementary school shooting, on Jan. 17, 1989.
She was shot three times -- in the lower leg, her back and her thigh.
"Sometimes it still affects me," Chitt said. "Sometimes when I hear stuff, I jump or stay in the house."
The shooter, Patrick Purdy, killed himself after the shooting, and no one has ever figured out why he opened fire.
But his violent act drew significant national attention, prompting Congress to enact a federal assault weapons ban.
A teacher who survived the shooting founded the Children's Museum of Stockton. At a service Friday, the museum hung a plaque in her honor.
"It's just a real testament to a community gathering together and forming something positive, making something positive come out of that day," Nancy Collum said.
At the University of the Pacific in Stockton, students were raising money for picnic tables at Cleveland Elementary.
"We thought instead of doing a memorial service that would dredge up all the sadness and horrible memories of the day, we would do something useful and helpful to the school," said Shellynne Allan, with the UOP Chaplain's Office.
Five of those children died.
Savan Chitt was a first-grader when she was involved in the country's first major elementary school shooting, on Jan. 17, 1989.
She was shot three times -- in the lower leg, her back and her thigh.
"Sometimes it still affects me," Chitt said. "Sometimes when I hear stuff, I jump or stay in the house."
The shooter, Patrick Purdy, killed himself after the shooting, and no one has ever figured out why he opened fire.
But his violent act drew significant national attention, prompting Congress to enact a federal assault weapons ban.
A teacher who survived the shooting founded the Children's Museum of Stockton. At a service Friday, the museum hung a plaque in her honor.
"It's just a real testament to a community gathering together and forming something positive, making something positive come out of that day," Nancy Collum said.
At the University of the Pacific in Stockton, students were raising money for picnic tables at Cleveland Elementary.
"We thought instead of doing a memorial service that would dredge up all the sadness and horrible memories of the day, we would do something useful and helpful to the school," said Shellynne Allan, with the UOP Chaplain's Office.
1 comment:
Definitely good news du jour!!!
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