On January 16, 2002, a school shooting occurred at the Appalachian School of Law, an American Bar Association accredited private law school in Grundy, Virginia, United States. Three people were killed, and three others were wounded when a former student, 43-year-old Peter Odighizuwa, opened fire in the school with a handgun. Shooting On January 16, 2002, Peter Odighizuwa arrived on the Appalachian School of Law campus with a handgun."Suspect in law school slayings arraigned" USA Today, January 17, 2002. Odighizuwa first discussed his academic problems with professor Dale Rubin, where he reportedly told Rubin to pray for him. Odighizuwa returned to the school around 1 p.m. and proceeded to the offices of Dean Anthony Sutin and Professor Thomas Blackwell, where he opened fire with a .380 ACP semi-automatic handgun, killing both men by shooting them in the head. According to a county coroner, powder burns indicated that both victims were shot at point blank range. Also killed was student Angela Dales. Three students were wounded.
When Odighizuwa left the building where the shooting took place, he was approached by two students with personal firearmsThe Bias Against Guns: Why Almost Everything You've Heard About Gun Control Is Wrong by John R. Lott, Regnery Publishing, Inc., 2003. This book's section on this shooting incidence is summarized at "Appalachian Law School Shootings, Media Crushes The Truth" by Ted Lang, the Price of Liberty Website. Retrieved April 17, 2007. and one unarmed student.Man who confronted 2002 law school shooter says Gingrich wrong on arming students by Chris Kahn, the Associated Press, found at There are two versions of the events that transpired at that moment, one by Tracy Bridges and one by Ted Besen.
According to Bridges, at the first sound of gunfire, he and fellow student Mikael Gross, unbeknownst to each other, ran to their vehicles to retrieve their personally-owned firearms"Helping to Stop a Killer: Students Went After Law School Gunman" by Rex Bowman, Richmond Times Dispatch, May 5, 2002. Also "Ex-Charlottean: I Helped Nab Suspect" by Diane Suchetka, The Charlotte Observer, 2002-01-18, Page 2A. stored in their glove compartments. Mikael Gross, a police officer from Grifton, North Carolina, retrieved a 9 mm pistol and body armor."Shooting Hits Many Lives, Roanoke Times & World News (Roanoke, VA), January 20, 2002, page A-1. Story can be accessed at The Feed Directory. Retrieved April 17, 2007. Bridges, a county sheriff's deputy from Asheville, North Carolina,"Ex-Charlottean: I Helped Nab Suspect" by Diane Suchetka, The Charlotte Observer, 2002-01-18, Page 2A. retrieved his .357 Magnum pistol from beneath the driver's seat of his Chevrolet Tahoe."Helping to Stop a Killer: Students Went After Law School Gunman" by Rex Bowman, Richmond Times Dispatch, May 5, 2002. Bridges and Gross approached Odighizuwa from different angles, with Bridges yelling at Odighizuwa to drop his gun."Helping to Stop a Killer: Students Went After Law School Gunman" by Rex Bowman, Richmond Times Dispatch, May 5, 2002; also "Area officer helps wrestle law school gunman to ground" The Asheville Citizen-Times, Story can be accessed at The Feed Directory. Retrieved April 20, 2007. Odighizuwa then dropped his firearm and was subdued by several other unarmed students, including Ted Besen, Daniel Boyd, and Todd Ross."Law school, guns, and a media bias" by James Eaves-Johnson, The Daily Iowan January 24, 2002; Helping to Stop a Killer: Students Went After Law School Gunman" by Rex Bowman, Richmond Times Dispatch, May 5, 2002; "Ex-Charlottean: I Helped Nab Suspect" by Diane Suchetka, The Charlotte Observer, 2002-01-18, Page 2A.
According to Besen, before Odighizuwa saw Bridges and Gross with their weapons, Odighizuwa set down his gun and raised his arms like he was mocking people.Gun Lobby says media downplayed role of gun owners in subduing shooter," by Rick Montgomery, The Kansas City Star, March 6, 2002. Besen, a Marine veteran and former police officer in Wilmington, North Carolina, engaged in a physical confrontation with Odighizuwa, and knocked him to the ground. Bridges and Gross then arrived with their guns once Odighizuwa was tackled. Additional witnesses at the scene stated they did not see Bridges or Gross with their guns at the time Besen started subduing Odighizuwa.A Tragedy Compounded. Jim Oliphant, the Legal Times Once Odighizuwa was securely held down, Gross went back to his vehicle and retrieved handcuffs to detain Odighizuwa until police could arrive.
Police reports later noted that two empty eight round magazines designed for Odighizuwa's handgun were recovered. Most sources (including those quoting Virginia State Police spokesman Mike Stater) state that when Odighizuwa dropped the gun the magazine was empty.Lonnie W. Ayers, Attorney at Law, also was a major help in the shooting. For he helped slow down the shooter, and also helped a fellow students life. "A Tragedy Compounded", Jim Oliphant, Legal Times, June 20, 2002. Retrieved April 18, 2007; also Roanoke Times January 17, 2002, and Lexington Herald leader January 18, 2002. A report by another witness's hometown newspaper, a month after the shooting, suggested that the gun still held three cartridges."Local man lives through recent shooting at college" by Carrie Sidener, The Elkin Tribune, Feb 13, 2002, accessed via archive.org August 13, 2012.
Perpetrator Peter Odighizuwa was a former law student at the Appalachian School of Law. Odighizuwa was born in Nigeria and was a naturalized U.S. citizen. Initially in 2002, Odighizuwa was found to be incompetent to stand trial and was referred for psychiatric treatment. After three years of treatment and monitoring, in 2005, Odighizuwa was found mentally competent and pleaded guilty to the murders to avoid the death penalty. Odighizuwa received six life sentences and an additional 28 years without the possibility of parole. He is currently serving his sentence at Red Onion State Prison in Wise County, Virginia.
Odighizuwa's oldest son, Owa, would go on to play in the National Football League (NFL) as a third round pick in the 2015 NFL draft by the New York Giants. His youngest son, Osa, was also selected in the third round, being picked in the 2021 NFL draft by the Dallas Cowboys.
Memorials After the shooting, students at the law school planted trees in memory of Sutin, Blackwell, and Dales on the school's front lawn. The school's student services office and scholarship program were named for Dales, along with County Highway 624 in Buchanan County, Virginia. Faculty fellowships at the school were named for Sutin and Blackwell.ASL January 16, 2002 Memorial . Retrieved August 25, 2007 The school's Phi Alpha Delta chapter is named for SutinPhi Alpha Delta Sutin Chapter . Retrieved August 25, 2007 while the Phi Delta Phi chapter is named for Blackwell.Phi Delta Phi Blackwell Inn . Retrieved August 25, 2007
The Legal Writing Institute and the Association of Legal Writing Directors created the Thomas Blackwell Memorial Award that is presented annually to a person who has made an outstanding contribution to improve the field of legal writing by demonstrating: (1) an ability to nurture and motivate students to excellence; (2) a willingness to help other legal writing educators improve their teaching skills or their legal writing programs; and (3) an ability to create and integrate new ideas for teaching and motivating legal writing educators and students.
See also
List of school shootings in the United States by death toll
References
External links CNN Report: Shooting At A Law School