April 3, 1962 - Brenda Ann Spencer
Her attack on a San Diego elementary school in 1979 left two adults dead and nine others wounded, making her one of the earliest cases of a school shooting to receive wide public attention in the United States. The explanation she offered — that she didn't like Mondays — became notorious for its apparent indifference, and was later immortalized in a pop song that spread her name far beyond the confines of the criminal record.
From Wikipedia
The Cleveland Elementary School shooting took place on January 29, 1979, at Grover Cleveland Elementary School in San Diego, California, United States. This is considered the first mass shooting at an elementary school in United States history.
The principal and a custodian were killed; eight children and a police officer were wounded. Brenda Spencer, a 16-year-old girl who lived in a house across the street from the school, was convicted of the shootings. Charged as an adult, she pleaded guilty to two counts of murder and assault with a deadly weapon and was sentenced to life in prison with a chance of parole after 25 years. As of 2026, she is still in prison.
Further reading
- I Hate Mondays
Examines the 1979 Cleveland Elementary School shooting, in which 16-year-old Brenda Spencer became America's first school shooter, killing two adults and wounding nine children.
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