On March 5, 2001, a then-15-year-old Andy Williams shot 15 students and staff at Santana High School, killing 14-year-old Bryan Zuckor and 17-year-old Randy Gordon.
Among those injured were Tim Estes, a student teacher, and Peter Ruiz, a campus security guard.
Estes told KNX News’ Emily Valdez he had a break in between classes and went into a bathroom.
“Just as I went to go wash my hands, I hear ‘pop, pop, pop,’” he recalled. “I turned around. He's pointing the gun at me and he hits me in the back as I go out the door.”
Ruiz, who was shot three times, remembered going into the bathroom to see what was going on.
“I found two students laying on the ground and [was] not aware that the shooter was still in the bathroom,” he said. “So, as I left the restroom, I was calling for first responders to aid the students that were in the bathroom, and that's when the shooting started again and at that point I was trying to clear kids out of the way.”
Williams was arrested by deputies who caught him reloading the 22 caliber revolver in the bathroom. He was sentenced as an adult to 50 years to life in prison. But on Tuesday, a judge granted a resentencing request for Williams due to a new law and his age at the time of the crime.
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Both Estes and Ruiz told Valdez they do not believe Williams should be released.
“I mean, especially when the parole board said he was unfit for society still and doesn't have any remorse for what he did,” Ruiz said.
“He gave those two families and all the people around him life sentences,” Estes said.
He took two kids' lives, so they never got to graduate, [never] got to get married, not to have families, careers, whatever, but yet he's going to get to go do that.”
The San Diego County District Attorney’s Office has filed an appeal against Williams' release.
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