Bio

Charles Andrew "Andy" Williams was born on February 8, 1986, in Frederick, Maryland. He was born to Charles Jeffery and Linda Williams. Andy arrived about two weeks early and was delivered by C-section. He had one older brother named Michael. For the first eight months of his life, he lived with his mother but seldom saw her after that time.

In 1990, when Andy was four years old, his parents divorced. After the divorce, Andy went to live with his father, while his brother lived with their mother. Andy grew up primarily in Maryland and moved twice within the state during his childhood. In 1999, seeking a new experience, his father moved him to 29 Palms, California.

In 29 Palms, Andy and his father had a relatively good relationship. However, in the summer of 2000, they moved again to Santee, California. Andy found Santee to be very different from his previous homes. He started to experience bullying at school, which made him feel like an outsider. In an effort to fit in, he began to hang out with a group of skateboarders. This group sometimes engaged in activities like smoking marijuana. While they initially accepted him, they also teased him.

Tragedy struck in February 2001, just before Andy's 15th birthday, when he learned that one of his best friends from 29 Palms had died in a bus accident. This event deeply affected him.

Before the summer of 2001, Andy had two skateboards stolen, which added to his sense of frustration. He also began to open up about troubling thoughts, mentioning his desire to "pull a Columbine" at his school. However, no one reported these statements to authorities at the time.

Andy struggled with feeling lonely and bullied. He had fewer opportunities to connect with caring adults, as his father was often distracted and did not pay much attention to him. As a teenager, Andy faced a lot of challenges. He sought acceptance and belonging in the wrong places.

Murder Story

On March 5, 2001, at 9:20 a.m., Charles Andrew Williams entered the boys' bathroom at Santana High School in Santee, California. He was 15 years old and armed with a .22-caliber revolver. Without warning, he began firing the weapon. He shot two students: 14-year-old Bryan Zuckor and 17-year-old Randy Gordon, both of whom died from their injuries.

As students and teachers inside the school reacted to the situation, chaos unfolded. Williams moved from the bathroom, shooting indiscriminately at others as they tried to flee. Many students initially thought the sounds they heard were fireworks and moved closer, only to see classmates falling to the ground.

Witnesses reported that Williams sometimes stepped out of the bathroom, fired his weapon, and then returned to reload. A campus security supervisor and a student teacher attempted to confront him in the bathroom. Williams pointed the gun at them, forcing them out of the room. As they left, Williams shot one of them in the back.

Two off-duty police officers were present on campus during the shooting and quickly alerted other law enforcement. They approached the bathroom, calling for backup. Upon their arrival, they found Williams sitting on the floor with the gun in his hands. He told the officers that he was alone.

In total, Williams shot 15 people that day, leading to the deaths of Zuckor and Gordon. Thirteen others, including students and staff, were injured and required medical attention.

Later that same day, Williams was arrested and taken into custody. He expressed to investigators that he was "tired of being bullied," and claimed that his actions were prompted by friends who had dared him to carry out the attack.

On June 20, 2002, Williams pleaded guilty to two counts of murder and 13 counts of attempted murder. He was sentenced to 50 years to life in prison on August 16, 2002.