On Jan. 29, 1979, 16-year-old Brenda Spencer opened fire on Grover Cleveland Elementary School, which sat directly across the street from her San Diego home. The attack — one of the earliest recorded elementary school shootings in U.S. history — left two school employees dead and multiple people wounded, and it reverberated across the nation.
What Happened
That morning Spencer watched children gather as Principal Burton Wragg prepared to unlock the school gates. She picked specific targets in the crowd and shot 9-year-old Cam Miller, reportedly because he was wearing blue, her favorite color, according to the San Diego County District Attorney.
As students panicked and nearby adults tried to move children to safety, Spencer continued firing from her home. Two school employees were killed, and several students and staff were wounded. A responding police officer was also injured before officers used a garbage truck to shield the front of the building and limit further gunfire.
The Standoff and Surrender
Police engaged in a lengthy standoff while Spencer remained barricaded in her home. During that period she took a reporter’s call and, when asked why she had carried out the shootings, said in the now-infamous line:
“I don’t like Mondays. This livens up the day.”
Brenda Spencer leaving court in Oct. 1979Credit: Nick Ut/AP
She eventually surrendered outside her house on the unusual condition that officers take her to Burger King before she was booked.
Background, Charges and Trial
Authorities described Spencer as troubled before the attack. She had been arrested the previous summer for burglary at the same school and was on probation in late 1978. A probation officer had recommended a psychiatric evaluation that recommended inpatient mental health treatment; her father reportedly declined that recommendation. That Christmas he purchased a .22-caliber rifle and ammunition that matched the weapon later used in the attack, according to reports.
On April 4, 1980 — one day after turning 18 — Spencer pleaded guilty to two counts of murder and assault with a deadly weapon; other counts were dismissed. She received concurrent terms of 25 years to life, making her eligible for parole.
Parole Attempts and Ongoing Impact
Spencer first appeared before a parole board in 1993 and has been denied release repeatedly (2001, 2005, 2009, 2022 and most recently in February 2025). At parole hearings she has offered varying explanations for her actions, including claims about substance use and abuse at home; investigators and officials have disputed or questioned aspects of those accounts. San Diego County District Attorney Summer Stephan and other local officials argued that the gravity and lasting impact of the crime weigh against release.
The case remains a stark early example of school-targeted gun violence in the United States and continues to be cited in discussions about juvenile offenders, mental health, gun access, and parole policy.
