[3] On February 19, 1997, a sixteen-year-old student named Evan Ramsey opened fire in the common area.

Ramsey used a Mossberg 500 12-gauge shotgun and shot fifteen-year-old student Josh Palacios in the abdomen, who later died shortly after emergency surgery.

Two more students were injured before an art teacher, Reyne Athanas attempted to talk Evan into surrendering.

After she failed to do so, Evan walked to the main lobby where he would shoot principal Ron Edwards twice, effectively killing him.

Although instead of pulling the trigger, he exclaimed twice "I don't want to die," he threw the gun on the ground and surrendered without a struggle.