Charles Andrew Williams - The Shooting

The Shooting

On Monday, March 5, 2001 at 9:20 a.m., Williams entered a boys' bathroom at Santana High School and fatally shot a freshman. He then left the bathroom and began firing the revolver indiscriminately at other students, killing another. According to one witness, Williams repeatedly walked out of the bathroom, fired shots, then went back into the bathroom. The scene soon turned chaotic as students and teachers ducked or scrambled to safety. Minutes later the school was on lock-down. Williams reloaded his revolver at least once. A student teacher and campus security supervisor Peter Ruiz walked into the bathroom to try to stop Williams, but Williams aimed the revolver at Ruiz shooting him five times. As the student and supervisor walked out, Williams fired and hit Ruiz in the back. He was often seen smiling throughout the entire shooting. Two off-duty police officers who were visiting the school were alerted to the shooting; however, they were at different ends of the school. One of them approached the bathroom and called for backup. Police officers quickly arrived and charged the bathroom; they discovered Williams kneeling on the floor with the weapon in his hands. He wanted to kill himself, but was unable to. He told officers that he was by himself. In the end he shot fifteen, two which died.

Williams surrendered and was taken into custody. The two students that were killed were 14-year-old Bryan Zuckor and 17-year-old Randy Gordon. Eleven students and two school supervisors suffered gunshot wounds and were treated at either University of California, San Diego Medical Center or Children's Hospital. The San Diego SWAT team was called to "assess and clear" the scene of the shooting.