John Harrison Farmer

University of California — January 18, 1961
Berkeley, California

Age: 34
Gender: male
Born: December 24, 1926 (Capricorn)
Died: 1998
Weapons:
  • shotgun
Wounded: 1
Killed: 1

Crime

At the time of the attack, Professor Thomas F. Parkinson, a respected English scholar, was meeting with graduate student Stephen M. Thomas in his office. Farmer confronted them directly and fired his weapon. The blast killed Thomas instantly, while Parkinson was seriously injured, sustaining lasting damage to his body and face. The attack was brief but brutal, leaving the campus community in shock. Police arrived quickly and apprehended Farmer without further incident. Unlike some later school shootings, he had not acted randomly; his attack was calculated and targeted, reflecting both his ideological fixation and underlying mental instability.

Victims

  • Stephen M. Thomas — 19, killed by a gunshot during the attack
  • Thomas F. Parkinson, survived but sustained major wounds, including vertebra damage and lasting disfigurement.

Motive

Farmer’s stated motivation was ideological — he compiled a list of people he thought were linked to communism or “liberal” causes, reflective of intense Cold War and McCarthy‑era anxieties. The violence was pre– Free Speech Movement and pre–Vietnam War protest era, but it occurred in a period of political tension on campus and nationwide.

Reputation

Farmer was described as quiet and reserved, but very passionate about social and political issues. Post-incident analysis indicated signs of paranoid ideation, possible delusional thinking, and an obsessive focus on ideological enemies, but these were diagnosed after the shooting.

Gear

Winchester Model 12 (12 Gauge)

The Winchester Model 12 is a legendary American pump-action shotgun introduced in 1912. By the early 1960s, it was one of the most common sporting shotguns in Northern California, especially for duck hunting and upland game.

Basic Specs

  • Gauge: 12, 16, 20, 28, .410 (12 gauge most common)
  • Action: Pump-action
  • Magazine: Tubular (4+1 typical)
  • Barrel length: 26" – 30"
  • Weight: ~7.5 lbs
  • Stock: Walnut wood
  • Receiver: Steel
  • Sights: Front bead
  • Safety: Cross-bolt

Why It Was Popular

  • Extremely smooth pump action
  • Very durable and well-made
  • Common for waterfowl hunting
  • Trusted by generations of hunters

The Model 12 was a civilian sporting shotgun, not a military weapon.

Upbringing

Nothing about his childhood is known except for the fact that he was born in Alameda, California.

Aftermath

Aside from the limited records of this case, there is no arrest or trial that follows this event. The incident was covered in local and regional press at the time, with reports emphasizing the attack in a campus office and the ideological motivations implied by Farmer’s notes and list. Coverage focused on the shock of violence at a prestigious university, the vulnerability of faculty in their offices, and the broader climate of suspicion associated with anti‑communist sentiment.

In historical retrospectives, he’s often cited as one of the earliest examples of ideologically motivated campus shootings, but his background remains largely opaque outside of the attack.

Ralph Rudolph Best

Paterson Public School 14 — May 7, 1963
Paterson, New Jersey

Age: 43
Gender: male
Born: unknown
Died: unknown
Weapons:
  • .22‑caliber Mossberg hunting rifle
Wounded: 6
Killed: none

Crime

Around 50 children were playing on the schoolyard of Paterson Public School when Ralph Best opened fire on them. Though no fatalities occurred, the frightened children scattered and the playground quickly turned from a place of play into one of terror. Another bullet narrowly missed a Paterson police patrolman who arrived soon after. After the shooting, Paterson police responded quickly. One officer ran onto the playground to assist the wounded children while another confronted Best inside his boarding house. Best opened the door unarmed and was taken into custody without further violence. There was no extended standoff — the confrontation ended almost as swiftly as it had begun.

Victims

  • Local reporting in 1963 didn’t always list all victims by name, especially in incidents involving minors

Motive

What drove Best to open fire on a playground full of children seems to have been rooted in a moment of anger and frustration that spiraled out of control. Witnesses and police later suggested that he was irritated by the noise the children were making — yelling and playing outdoors — and had shouted at them to leave before the shooting began. His actions on the evening of May 7 appeared to be an impulsive response to that irritation, exacerbated by intoxication and emotional distress, rather than a clearly articulated ideological motive.

Reputation

Best was known in the neighborhood as a gun engraver and sign painter who worked on firearms — including revolvers and rifles owned by local police officers — and lived in a dilapidated boarding house just a few blocks from the city’s Great Falls. Neighbors remembered him as someone who, at times, would invite schoolchildren and police officers into his shop to chat, and who kept a modest collection of firearms. For many in the community, this history of hands-on familiarity with guns made the shooting all the more unfathomable. At the time of the attack, Best’s life was marked by personal struggles and instability. Neighbors told reporters that he suffered epileptic seizures, had been treated in a mental institution, and battled alcoholism, with multiple arrests for public intoxication.

Gear

Mossberg Model 46B (.22 LR)

The Mossberg Model 46B is a classic American .22-caliber bolt-action rifle produced in the 1940s–1950s. It was widely used for small-game hunting, farm use, and target shooting.

Basic Specs

  • Caliber: .22 Long Rifle
  • Action: Bolt-action
  • Magazine: Detachable box (5 rounds)
  • Barrel length: ~24"
  • Weight: ~5.5 lbs
  • Stock: Walnut or hardwood
  • Receiver: Steel
  • Sights: Adjustable rear, front blade
  • Safety: Manual

Why It Was Popular

  • Affordable and widely available
  • Accurate for small game
  • Low recoil
  • Simple, rugged design

The Model 46B was a civilian sporting rifle, not a military weapon.

Upbringing

While there’s no detailed archival record of his childhood or family background readily available today, these aspects of his adult life — his health issues, his relationship with alcohol, and the way his character shifted in the eyes of neighbors — paint a picture of a man whose personal challenges may have contributed to the violence he inflicted.

Aftermath

Best was charged with atrocious assault and other counts related to the shooting, and in October 1963, the case went before a judge. During the proceedings, both the prosecutor and Best’s defense had the same two psychologists assess his mental state — a reflection of how the legal system handled questions of sanity at the time. Ultimately, the judge declared a mistrial, and Best was never retried. He walked free, and it appears that he faded from the public record afterward.

In the years that followed, the Paterson shooting became a footnote in the broader and evolving history of violence involving schools and firearms in the United States. Because no one died, and because media coverage in 1963 did not dwell on gun violence as a national crisis the way it would decades later, the incident did not spur significant legislative action at the state or federal level. At the local level, newspapers like the Paterson Evening News and the Morning Call reported on the event and the court proceedings, but there was no sustained campaign for new gun laws or school safety reforms directly tied to this shooting.

For the Paterson community — already navigating the social changes and racial dynamics of the early 1960s — the shooting was traumatic but also reflected the patterns of the era: an isolated act by a troubled individual rather than part of a larger national conversation about school safety. Some of the wounded children later recalled the fear of that night, while classmates and neighbors described Best in later interviews as a complex figure — someone who had been friendly at times but was known to struggle with his mental and physical health.

Charles Joseph Whitman

Texas State University — August 1, 1966
Austin, Texas

Age: 25
Gender: male
Born: June 24, 1941 (Gemini)
Died: August 1, 1966
Weapons:
  • Remington 700 ADL (.6 mm rifle)
  • Universal M1 carbine
  • Remington Model 141 (.35-caliber)
  • Sears model 60 (12-gauge shotgun)
  • Smith & Wesson Model 19 (.357 Magnum)
  • Luger P08 (9 mm)
  • Galesi-Brescia (.25 ACP)
  • bayonet, unused
  • machete, unused
  • hatchet, unused
  • 3 knives, unused
Wounded: 31
Killed: 17

Crime

Charles Whitman carried out one of the most infamous mass shootings in U.S. history, a rampage from the clock tower on the campus of the University of Texas at Austin.

In the early hours, Whitman stabbed and shot his mother, Margaret Whitman, and his wife, Kathleen Frances “Kathy” Whitman, in their respective homes in Austin. He later wrote notes explaining he felt “rage” and violent impulses he couldn’t control. Whitman then drove to the university with a footlocker full of guns and climbed to the 28th-floor observation deck of the Main Building clock tower. After killing a receptionist and two people inside the tower, he stepped onto the observation platform around 11:48 a.m. and began firing at people below, shooting across an area covering several city blocks. Over roughly 96 minutes, he shot at anyone in sight — students, staff, visitors, and bystanders — using high-powered rifles for long-range hits.

Victims

  • Margaret Elizabeth Whitman, 43 – Charles Whitman’s mother, stabbed to death in her home.
  • Kathleen Frances Whitman, 23 – Charles Whitman’s spouse, stabbed to death in the couple's shared apartment.
  • Edna Elizabeth Townsley, 51 – Tower receptionist; bludgeoned and shot in the head early in the attack.
  • Mark Jerome Gabour, 16 – Tourist; shot in the head while trying to navigate a blocked stairwell.
  • Marguerite Lamport, 56 – Tourist; shot while ascending the stairwell to the observation deck.
  • Baby Boy Wilson– Unborn child of 18-year-old Claire Wilson; shot and killed after Whitman fired into a crowd.
  • Thomas Aquinas Ashton, 22 – Student/Peace Corps volunteer; shot in the chest and killed while walking to a meeting.
  • Paul Bolton Sonntag, 18 – High school graduate; shot through the mouth and killed on Guadalupe Street.
  • Claudia Marilyn Rutt,18 – High school graduate and ballet dancer; shot in the chest and died hours later from her wounds.
  • Harry Walchuk, 38 – PhD student and father; shot once in the chest on Guadalupe Street and died of injuries.
  • Officer Billy Paul Speed, 23 – Austin Police officer; shot in the shoulder and chest while responding to the shooting.
  • Roy Dell Schmidt, 29 – Electrician; shot in the abdomen while trying to take cover; died from his injury.
  • Thomas Frederick Eckman, 18 – Claire Wilson’s boyfriend; shot and killed while trying to help her.
  • Robert Hamilton Boyer, 33 – Mathematician/student; shot while leaving the UT library; died of his wounds.
  • Thomas Ray Karr, 24 – Army veteran/student; shot and killed while attempting to help another victim.
  • Mary Frances Gabour, 41 – Shot in the head and spine; survived but was crippled and legally blind.
  • Michael Gabour, 19 – Shot in the Tower; injury prevented completion of U.S. Air Force Academy training.
  • Claire Wilson, 18 – Eight months pregnant when shot in the abdomen; survived personal injuries but lost her unborn child.
  • Devereaux Maitland Huffman, 31 – PhD student; shot in the arm and chest but survived by feigning death.
  • Aleck Hernandez, 17 – Shot through the right femur while delivering newspapers.
  • Carla Sue Wheeler, 18 – Shot in the left hand; lost fingers.
  • Nancy Harvey, 21 – Shot in the hip while leaving the Tower for lunch; survived.
  • Ellen Evganides – Shot in the left leg and thigh by ricochet.
  • Oscar Royvela,21 – Engineering student; shot.
  • Irma Garcia – Shot in shoulder; survived (experienced PTSD later).
  • Delores Ortega, 30 – Injured by flying glass.
  • Janet Paulos – Shot; hospitalized 10 days and later married her fiancé Abdul Khashab.
  • Abdul Khashab – Chemistry student, shot with his fiancée.
  • Homer J. Kelley, 64 – Injured by flying glass while helping others.
  • Billy Snowden – Shot in the shoulder while getting a haircut 500 yards from the Tower
  • David Mattson – Injured while walking with Peace Corps group.
  • Brenda Gail Littlefield, 18 – Hip wound; survived.
  • Adrian Littlefield, 19 – Shot and paralyzed on left side for months.
  • Della Martinez – Injured by shell fragments.
  • Marina Martinez – Injured by shell fragments.

Motive

Whitman’s motives were never fully clear, and that uncertainty remains part of why this case still fascinates researchers today. What is known is that he himself acknowledged something was wrong. Months before the shooting, he visited a university psychiatrist and confessed that he was plagued by violent urges and thoughts of harming others. He told the doctor he felt overwhelmed by rage he could not control, yet he was not hospitalized or closely monitored afterward. This missed opportunity is often cited as a tragic failure of early mental health intervention.

On the night before the attack, Whitman wrote several letters explaining his actions in a disturbingly calm, methodical tone. He claimed he killed his wife and mother out of a twisted sense of “mercy,” believing he was sparing them from future suffering. He then asked authorities to perform an autopsy on his brain after his death, saying he suspected something biological might be wrong with him. This request turned out to be significant: after he was killed, doctors discovered a brain tumor pressing against his amygdala, a region associated with emotional regulation and aggression. While experts disagree on how much the tumor influenced his behavior, many believe it likely worsened his impulsivity and rage. Ultimately, Whitman’s motive appears to be a complex mixture of mental illness, neurological damage, personal stress, and emotional isolation rather than ideology or revenge.

Reputation

Before the attack, Charles Whitman was widely seen as a capable, disciplined, and even impressive young man. He had earned the rank of Eagle Scout as a teenager, showing early signs of intelligence and self-control. In high school he was known as academically gifted and musically talented, even playing piano. After graduating, he joined the U.S. Marine Corps, where he became a highly skilled marksman and earned praise for his performance. This military background gave him a reputation for discipline and reliability, and when he later enrolled at the University of Texas, he was viewed as a fairly typical student veteran trying to build a life after service.

he later enrolled at the University of Texas, he was viewed as a fairly typical student veteran trying to build a life after service. To friends and classmates, Whitman did not stand out as aggressive or dangerous. He was described as polite, soft-spoken, and reserved. However, those close to him later recalled subtle warning signs: growing irritability, emotional volatility, and dark mood shifts. In the months leading up to the shooting, he began expressing overwhelming anger and intrusive violent thoughts. Still, none of this raised public alarm at the time. His outward image — a Marine, a student, a newly married man — masked the internal collapse he was experiencing. When the shooting occurred, the revelation that someone with such a seemingly stable background could commit such an atrocity deeply unsettled the public.

Gear

Mixed Firearms & Equipment List

This collection includes a wide range of civilian sporting firearms, surplus military arms, and sidearms spanning the early 1900s through the late 20th century.

Remington 700 ADL (6mm Remington)

  • Type: Bolt-action rifle
  • Introduced: 1962
  • Caliber: 6mm Remington
  • Magazine: Internal (4–5 rounds)
  • Use: Varmint and deer hunting
  • Notes: Known for strong accuracy and modern design

Universal M1 Carbine

  • Type: Semi-automatic carbine
  • Caliber: .30 Carbine
  • Capacity: 15 or 30-round detachable magazines
  • Origin: Commercial reproduction of WWII carbine
  • Notes: Lightweight, compact, civilian surplus market staple

Remington Model 141 "Gamemaster"

  • Type: Pump-action rifle
  • Caliber: .35 Remington
  • Production: 1935–1950
  • Magazine: Internal tubular
  • Use: Deer and woodland hunting
  • Notes: Classic slide-action sporting rifle

Sears Model 60 (12 Gauge)

  • Type: Pump-action shotgun
  • Gauge: 12
  • Manufacturer: J.C. Higgins / Sears (rebranded)
  • Use: Hunting, farm use, home defense
  • Notes: Budget-friendly catalog firearm

Smith & Wesson Model 19

  • Type: Double-action revolver
  • Caliber: .357 Magnum
  • Frame: K-frame
  • Capacity: 6 rounds
  • Use: Law enforcement, civilian defense
  • Notes: Developed with Bill Jordan (Border Patrol)

Luger P08

  • Type: Semi-automatic pistol
  • Caliber: 9×19mm
  • Origin: Germany
  • Production: 1900s–1940s
  • Magazine: 8 rounds
  • Notes: Famous toggle-lock action, WWII surplus

Galesi-Brescia (.25 ACP)

  • Type: Semi-automatic pocket pistol
  • Caliber: .25 ACP
  • Origin: Italy
  • Use: Concealed carry, personal defense
  • Notes: Small, inexpensive import pistol

Edged Tools (Unused)

  • Items: Bayonet, machete, hatchet, knives
  • Status: Unused
  • Typical Uses: Utility, camping, military surplus
  • Notes: Non-firearm equipment, no evidence of use

This assortment reflects civilian ownership, surplus collecting, and hunting equipment rather than military issue.

Upbringing

Whitman grew up in Lake Worth, Florida, in a deeply religious Catholic household. His mother was gentle and supportive, but his father was authoritarian, demanding, and emotionally abusive. Whitman later described his childhood as rigid and controlling, with his father enforcing extreme discipline and perfectionism. Despite this, Charles excelled academically and athletically, driven in part by his father’s pressure to succeed. His early achievements — Eagle Scout, musical talent, academic success — earned praise but also came with intense expectations.

As a young adult, Whitman joined the Marines partly as a way to escape his home environment. He performed well in service, but after returning to civilian life he struggled to adjust. He married young, faced academic difficulties, financial strain, and increasing frustration with his future. Friends later said he seemed lost, angry, and overwhelmed by adult responsibilities. These pressures compounded his existing emotional instability. The contrast between his outward accomplishments and his inner turmoil paints a picture of someone who never learned how to cope with failure, disappointment, or emotional pain in healthy ways.

Aftermath

The aftermath of the UT tower shooting was seismic. At the time, mass shootings were not part of the American public consciousness in the way they are today. The event unfolded live on radio and television, shocking viewers across the country. People watched in horror as victims lay bleeding in the open while police struggled to reach the shooter. The prolonged nature of the attack made it even more traumatic, and for many Americans, this was the first time they witnessed real-time mass violence.

The tragedy changed policing forever. Law enforcement agencies realized they were unprepared for active shooter scenarios, especially from elevated positions. In response, police departments nationwide began developing rapid-response tactics, rooftop counter-sniper strategies, and modern active-shooter training protocols that are still used today. The shooting also influenced future campus security policies across the country.

For the University of Texas community, the trauma lasted decades. Survivors lived with permanent injuries and psychological scars. Families of victims fought to ensure their loved ones were remembered, leading to memorials, scholarships, and annual remembrances. For years, the university kept the tower closed to the public out of respect and safety concerns. Even after it reopened, the memory of what happened there never faded.

Nationally, Whitman’s case also pushed conversations about mental health. His prior visit to a psychiatrist and the later discovery of a brain tumor raised difficult questions about early warning signs, missed intervention, and the limits of psychiatric screening. While no immediate gun legislation followed, the case became foundational in discussions about mass violence, psychology, and public safety.

Robert Benjamin Smith

Rose‑Mar College of Beauty shooting — November 12, 1966
Mesa, Arizona

Age: 18
Gender: male
Born: February 10, 1948 (Aquarius)
Died: April 21, 2024
Weapons:
  • .22‑caliber single‑action revolver
  • 2 hunting knives, unused
Wounded: 2
Killed: 5

Crime

On November 12th, a Mesa High School student arrived at Mar College of Beauty to commit a massacre. Inside were a handful of students and a customer with her two children — it was a typical Saturday morning scene at a beauty school where students were preparing for the day’s classes and appointments.

When Smith entered, he didn’t immediately open fire. Instead, he fired a warning shot from his .22‑caliber revolver to draw attention, then herded everyone — five students, the customer, and her two young children — into a back room. There, he ordered them to lie down in a circle on the floor. The situation quickly turned horrific. Smith first tried to suffocate them with sandwich bags over their heads, but the bags wouldn’t fit. When one of the victims began praying, Smith became enraged and began shooting victims in the back of the head, killing three immediately.

When police arrived, Smith made no attempt to flee. He calmly told officers, “I have shot some people back there,” and pointed to the bag containing his weapon. He surrendered without resisting arrest.

Victims

  • Mary Margaret Olsen, 18 — Student; shot in the head during the massacre.
  • Glenda Sue Carter, 18 — Student; shot and killed.
  • Carol Pope Farmer, 19 — Student; shot and killed by Smith after he forced all victims into a back room.
  • Joyce Faye Luth Sellers, 27 — Customer; shot and killed.
  • Debra LaRae “Debbie” Sellers, 3 — Daughter of Joyce Sellers; initially wounded by gunfire and then fatally stabbed by Smith.
  • Bonita Sue Harris — Shot and wounded, survived by playing dead.
  • Tamara Sellers, 3 months — Survived with a gunshot wound to the arm. Her life was saved because her mother shielded her; she did not die in the incident.

Motive

Smith’s motive was chillingly candid: he sought fame. He later told police and investigators that he was inspired by other high‑profile mass killers earlier that year, including Charles Whitman (the University of Texas tower sniper) and Richard Speck (who murdered eight student nurses). Smith said he wanted to kill more people than they did and become “known” because he felt ignored and insignificant.

Reputation

Though not previously known for violent behavior, Smith’s fixation on notoriety and murderous figures grew over the months before the attack, culminating in his decision to carry out the shooting.

Gear

Ruger Single-Six (.22 LR)

The Ruger Single-Six is a classic American .22-caliber single-action revolver introduced in 1953. Styled after Old West cowboy revolvers, it became extremely popular for plinking, training, and small-game hunting.

Basic Specs

  • Caliber: .22 Long Rifle (.22 WMR optional on some models)
  • Action: Single-action
  • Capacity: 6 rounds
  • Barrel length: 4.6" – 9.5"
  • Weight: ~32 – 36 oz
  • Frame: Steel
  • Grips: Wood or hard rubber
  • Sights: Fixed or adjustable
  • Safety: Transfer bar (later models)

Why It Was Popular

  • Very reliable and well-built
  • Low recoil and inexpensive to shoot
  • Great training revolver
  • Classic cowboy styling

The Single-Six is a civilian sporting revolver, not a military weapon.

Upbringing

Smith’s upbringing did not, on the surface, resemble that of someone predisposed to mass violence. His father was a Major in the Air Force Reserves, and the family moved frequently due to military assignments. As a result, Smith experienced frequent disruptions in childhood schooling and stability. By accounts in retrospective coverage, he was teased in school for his lack of coordination and physical awkwardness, which apparently affected his self‑esteem. He developed an obsession with historical figures of power and infamy, such as Caesar, Napoleon, and — tellingly — Lee Harvey Oswald after Kennedy’s assassination.

Aftermath

Smith was arrested at the scene and did not resist. He was convicted of five counts of first‑degree murder and two counts of assault for the injuries inflicted. Originally sentenced to death, his sentence was commuted to life imprisonment after the U.S. Supreme Court imposed a moratorium on the death penalty in the early 1970s. While incarcerated, records show Smith had disciplinary issues and even assaulted another inmate early in his sentence. He was denied parole multiple times. Eventually, he spent 57 years in prison — possibly one of the longest terms served by a mass murderer in U.S. history — before dying on April 21, 2024 in a hospital outside prison.

At the time, this massacre was reported as the deadliest school shooting in Arizona history. Because it occurred shortly after several other high‑profile murders in 1966, the crime was covered heavily in local and national press, though it did not provoke the lengthy national policy debates that later mass shootings would incite.

Survivors, especially those wounded, and the families of the deceased suffered deep trauma. The community reacted with shock and sorrow — a beauty school, a place associated with learning and normal life, was transformed into a site of horror. Memorials and remembrances among friends and family persist in local memory.

The attack also became an early subject in discussions about media influence on mass violence, since Smith openly stated he was inspired by other killers who received media attention. This concept — later termed the copycat effect — remains a significant factor in research on mass violence. This desire to achieve notoriety — one of the earliest confirmed cases of a copycat mass shooter motive in U.S. history — reflected a dangerous emerging pattern where notoriety in the media becomes part of the incentive for violence, rather than ideology or personal grievance alone.

Unknown Student

Willow Run High School — October 1, 1968
Ypsilanti Township, Michigan

Age: 16
Gender: male
Born: unknown
Died: unknown
Weapons:
  • unknown handgun
Wounded: 4
Killed: none reported

Crime

A student at Willow Run High School fired a handgun at a bus stop on the school grounds immediately after classes had ended. The incident wounded several people; authorities arrived within minutes and took the shooter into custody. School officials and police did not immediately release a motive, and the principal stated that investigations were ongoing.

Victims

  • Smitty Burnet, 16 — Sustained chest and abdominal wounds. He was taken to the hospital and listed in fair condition.
  • Karen Hickman, 15 — Shot in the left elbow; in good condition.
  • Dennis Wilson, 15 — Shot in the left elbow; in good condition.
  • Unnamed Fourth Student — Believed to have been hit by a ricochet bullet and suffered superficial wounds (not life-threatening.)

Motive

State police did not comment publicly on the motive, and the principal said classes would continue as normal the next day while officials worked toward a formal statement.

Reputation

He appears to have been an ordinary student with no publicly known reputation before the shooting. No one described him as dangerous beforehand, and no warning signs were reported after the fact.

Gear

It is unknown what type of gun was used in the attack.

Upbringing

Since the perpetrator's name and identity was not released, nothing is known about his family or childhood.

Aftermath

Detailed reporting on legal outcomes, motive, or school/community response for this specific incident is not readily available in digitized historical sources. This event appears in major compilations of school shootings before 2000, indicating it was a deliberate act of gunfire involving students at or near a school, even though it did not result in fatalities like the much more widely known cases of the 1960s.