James William Wilson Jr. was born on April 13, 1969. He grew up in a troubled environment and faced many challenges throughout his early life. Wilson was the son of James William Wilson Sr. and Sheila Wilson. His parents divorced when he was young, and he spent much time with his paternal grandmother. By the age of 19, Wilson was unemployed and lived a mostly isolated life with her in Greenwood, South Carolina.

At the age of 14, Wilson began to show signs of mental health issues. He was hospitalized several times for psychiatric treatment. He struggled with anxiety and depression, which led to prescriptions for medication, including Xanax. Wilson found some relief from his symptoms through this medication, but he often took it too quickly. What should have lasted for months was used up in just ten days.

Wilson’s behavior sometimes raised alarms. There was a significant incident when he locked his grandmother and her husband in a bedroom and fled the house in rage. Though the police were called, he did not face serious consequences because he was a juvenile. Instead, he was referred to a psychiatrist. Over the years, Wilson continued to experience similar outbursts but often without police involvement.

His family was not surprised by his behavior and later reactions when, tragically, he committed violent acts. Wilson had a strong obsession with the film "Psycho," reportedly watching it around 500 times. He was also intrigued by mass murderers and their actions. In the weeks leading up to his violent outburst, he checked out books from the library that detailed accounts of violent crimes.

On the morning of September 26, 1988, James William Wilson Jr. drove to his grandmother's house and took her .22 caliber revolver. He then went to a discount store to buy ammunition. He switched out the bullets in the gun for more powerful hollow-point bullets. After that, he drove to the Oakland Elementary School in Greenwood, South Carolina.

Once at the school, he parked his 1974 Maverick. He entered the cafeteria just as many children were having lunch. Wilson pulled out the gun and began to shoot at random, targeting both children and adults. Three students and a first-grade teacher were injured during this time. Chaos unfolded as staff and students attempted to escape or find places to hide. Some hid in the cafeteria's freezer, while others fled to a nearby wooded area.

Wilson then went to a girls' restroom to reload his weapon. He was confronted by physical education teacher Kat Finkbeiner, who tried to stop him. In the struggle, he shot her, causing injury. He then entered a third-grade classroom where he continued to fire at the students. He killed two eight-year-old girls, Shequila Bradley and Tequila Thomas, and injured several others. After his gun was empty, he dropped it and followed the evacuating students.

When the police arrived, the school's principal, Eleanor Rice, made contact with Wilson. She searched him for weapons while having a teacher stand by him. Police arrested him at the school without incident.

Wilson was later indicted for two counts of murder, nine counts of assault and battery with intent to kill, and one count of carrying a firearm. He was convicted and sentenced to death by electric chair as well as 175 years in prison for the other charges. He remains in prison at Broad River Correctional Institution in Columbia, South Carolina, and has been on death row for over thirty years. His attorneys have sought to appeal his sentence.