Stockton massacre
The Stockton massacre refers to a tragic incident that occurred on January 17, 1989, at Cleveland Elementary School in Stockton, California. During this event, Patrick Edward Purdy, a twenty-six-year-old drifter, attacked a group of children during their lunch recess, using an AK-47 assault rifle to fire 106 rounds. The attack resulted in the deaths of five children, all of whom were Asian immigrants aged six to nine, and injured approximately thirty others, including a teacher. Following the shooting, Purdy took his own life. This incident marked the second shooting at the school in a decade and ignited significant public outrage and discussions regarding gun control laws, particularly concerning the accessibility of assault weapons to individuals with criminal backgrounds. In response to the massacre, California enacted legislation to restrict certain types of assault weapons, making it the first state to do so. The event also influenced national gun control debates, leading to the passage of the Crime Control Act of 1994, which banned the production and possession of specific firearms, including assault weapons. The massacre stands as a somber reminder of the complexities surrounding gun violence and its lasting impact on communities.
Stockton massacre
The Event Patrick Edward Purdy kills five children and wounds thirty others when he opens fire on his former elementary school
Date January 17, 1989
Place Cleveland Elementary School in Stockton, California
The Stockton massacre sparked significant controversy and debate over possible restrictions on the manufacture and sale of assault weapons.
On January 17, 1989, a twenty-six-year-old drifter, Patrick Edward Purdy, drove to his former elementary school in Stockton, California. After getting out of his car, Purdy poured gasoline on it and set it ablaze. Afterward, he walked toward the schoolyard of Cleveland Elementary School, where the children were enjoying lunch recess. There, Purdy opened fire on the schoolchildren, mostly children enrolled in kindergarten through third grade. Within minutes, he had fired 106 rounds from his personally engraved AK-47 assault rifle, killing five Asian immigrants ranging in age from six to nine years old. Another thirty individuals were injured, including one teacher. Once the assault was over, Purdy used a nine-millimeter handgun to kill himself. This tragic event, known as the Stockton massacre, was actually the second shooting to take place at the same school in a ten-year span.
Almost immediately, there was a public uproar. People questioned how an individual with Purdy’s criminal history, which included convictions for attempted robbery and unlawful weapons sales, could readily purchase an automatic rifle such as an AK-47. There was a call for tightened legislation to restrict the availability of all weapons with large ammunition capacities, including domestic and foreign assault weapons. Finally, a growing number of school systems banned all weapons on school grounds. Some of the controversy also stemmed from the apparent racially motivated nature of the crime.
Impact
The Stockton massacre led to statewide and national debates over proposed legislation to restrict assault weapons. As a result of the murders, California became the first state to ban certain types of assault weapons that same year.
Subsequent Events
On September 13, 1994, the Crime Control Act of 1994 was enacted. It banned the production, distribution, and possession of certain types of firearms, including assault weapons.
Bibliography
“Death on the Playground.” Newsweek 113, no. 5 (January 30, 1989): 35.
Holmes, Ronald, and Stephen Holmes, eds. Murder in America. 2d ed. Thousand Oaks, Calif.: Sage, 2001.
“Slaughter in a School Yard.” Time, January 30, 1989, 29.