This is a list of attacks related to secondary schools before 2000 that have occurred around the world. These are attacks that have occurred on school property or related primarily to school issues or events.
A narrow definition of the word attacks is used for this list so as to exclude:
Incidents that occurred as a result of warfare, robberies, gang violence, public attacks (as in political protests) Accidental shootings Murder–suicides by rejected suitors or estranged spouses Suicides or suicide attempts involving only one person. Incidents involving only school staff, belongs at List of workplace killings Events where no injuries take place A foiled attack, belongs at List of unsuccessful attacks related to schools Attacks that took place at colleges, belongs at List of attacks related to post-secondary schools
The listed attacks include shootings, stabbings, slashings, bombings, and beatings administered with blunt instruments.
Secondary school incidents
1850s Date Location Attacker(s) Dead Injured Description November 2, 1853 Louisville, Kentucky, United States Matthew Ward1 dead A student, Matthew Ward, went to school and shot and killed Schoolmaster Mr. Butler for excessively punishing his brother the day before. He was acquitted.July 6, 1858Baltimore, Maryland, United States1 deadThe 15-year-old son of Col. John T. Farlow (Baltimore's Marshal of Police 1867–70), was shot to death during a Sabbath School gathering. The shooter escaped, but several arrests were made.The Fourth in Baltimore Evening Star, Washington D.C., July 06, 1858
1860s Date Location Attacker(s) Dead Injured DescriptionJanuary 21, 1860Todd County, Kentucky, United States1 deadA son of Giuseppe Elia was shot dead by another student,The Penny Press., Cincinnati, OH, January 21, 1860 who had been led to believe that Sebree intended to kill him.April 2, 1867Madison, Florida, United StatesFrank Pope1 deadFrank Pope, a pupil at the St. John's seminary, shot and killed his teacher Mr. Bristow with a pistol.Memphis Daily Appeal, April 09, 1867 Bristow had slapped Pope, who left and returned with a pistol and said that the teacher should get on his knees and beg his pardon or be shot. He refused and Pope shot him five times.
1870s Date Location Attacker(s) Dead Injured Description February 1, 1872Washington, Pennsylvania, United States Thomas McGiffen1 dead At the all-girls Union School, Thomas McGiffen, the 17-year-old son of Col. Norton McGiffin and brother of naval hero Philo McGiffin, shot and seriously wounded the principal, Prof. Wilson, because the professor refused to deliver a note to a young lady for him.The Sun, New York City, February 02, 1872February 20, 1874Agency, Montana, United StatesThomas Squires, 201 deadAfter being ejected from school for disobedience, Thomas Squires, 20 years old, returned to the school yard a day or two later, and fatally shot Prof. Hayes three times.Nebraska Advertiser, February 26, 1874 May 5, 1874Yekaterinburg, Russia Alexei Skachkov1 dead A student of Yekaterinburg gymnasium was noticed smoking in the toilet by his head teacher Yakov Predtechensky, then after a decision to expel Skachkov he murdered Predtechensky using a revolver."Первый «колумбайн» в Екатеринбурге произошел в XIX веке"May 24, 1879Lancaster, New York, United States Frank Shugart 1 injured Frank Shugart, a telegraph operator, shot and severely injured Mr. Carr, superintendent of the stables at a girls' school.
1880s Date Location Attacker(s) Dead Injured Description January 21, 1882 Red Bud, Illinois, United States James E. McBride, 171 dead After striking student James McBride in the face, teacher Robert Bailey was fatally wounded in a scuffle, in which the student stabbed him twice with a knife he was using to sharpen a pencil.A teacher stabbed by a pupil, The New York Times (January 22, 1882) April 13, 1882 Huntsville, Texas, United States G. W. Gray 1 dead G. W. Gray, a student at the Sam Houston Normal School, shot and wounded another student, M. J. Jordan. They were arguing over a comic valentine.The Milan Exchange(Milan, Tenn.), April 15, 1882 August 27, 1886 Charleston, West Virginia, United States John Griffith, 151 injured After being reprimanded by his teacher, James Kiser, 15-year-old John Griffith, a student at a school in Jackson County, brought a knife and rocks to school the next morning. A struggle ensued in which student Griffith stabbed Kiser several times.Stabbed by a pupil, The New York Times (August 29, 1886) June 29, 1888 Dalby, Queensland, Australia Peterson1 dead A 12-year-old student named Peterson stabbed his teacher when he was chastised for chasing another boy with a knife.A school teacher stabbed, The Brisbane Courier (June 30, 1888)
1890s Date Location Attacker(s) Dead Injured Description March 26, 1893Plain Dealing, Louisiana, United States4 dead1 injured During an evening school dance at Plain Dealing High School, a fight broke out. Two youths were shot dead, two more were fatally wounded, and the high school's Professor Johnson was shot in the arm.San Francisco Call, Volume 73, Number 117, 27 March 1893 January 26, 1899 Albany, Missouri, United States Charles Ayres1 dead When he got whipped by his teacher T. B. Hunter, 13-year-old student Charles Ayres drew a jackknife and slashed the teacher's throat.Schoolboy stabs teacher, The New York Times (January 27, 1899)
1900s Date Location Attacker(s) Dead Injured Description September 15, 1900 Kharkiv, Russian Empire Iwanow 1 dead 1 injured After failing an exam, gymnasium student Iwanow shot and killed principal Tschanowitsch with a revolver and also wounded a teacher named Horkiwicz, before surrendering to police.Die Rache des Gymnasiasten, Meraner Zeitung (September 16, 1900) April 28, 1902 Kingston, Ontario, Canada Eric Sharp, 15 1 dead Beatrice Holland, a 14-year-old student, is shot and killed by a fellow student at the Frontenac School. The shooter, 15-year-old Eric Sharp, fled the scene but later turned himself in to the police. February 24, 1903 Inman, South Carolina, United States Reuben Pitts 1 dead Edward Foster, a 17-year-old student at Inman High school, was shot and fatally wounded by his teacher Reuben Pitts after he tried to resist punishment. Pitts said the student struck the pistol he drew in self-defense, and it fired. Pitts was acquitted of murder.Carolina youth shot by teacher, The Atlanta Constitution (February 25, 1903)Reuben Pitts gets freedom, The Atlanta Constitution (September 20, 1903)July 21, 1903Jackson, Kentucky, United States 2 dead 1 injuredAt the Cave Run School, James Barrett and Mack Howard fought a duel with pistols over a card game, killing each other. Another student James Vires, aged 12, suffered a wound while sitting at his desk.April 6, 1904Chicago, Illinois, United States Henry Schaze1 deadTwo students had been fighting over a girl for the better part of a year. Finally Henry Schaze pushed 16-year-old Paul Jelick to the ground and shot him dead.San Francisco Call, Volume 95, Number 129, 7 April 1904November 16, 1904Riverside, California, United States 2 dead 1 injuredAt the Indian School, a gun fight broke out between pupils. Charles Colby was shot in the head, then returned fire, killing Tom Bucanoros and fatally wounding Fred Smith.San Francisco Call, Volume 96, Number 170, 17 November 1904December 16, 1904Magee, Mississippi, United States E. E. Mangum1 dead1 injuredE. E. Mangum was shot through the head and killed by the principal of the high school, Professor J. E. Woodward after the student argued about punishment of his son and the argument became violent.February 9, 1905Colusa, California, United StatesWilliam Ingrim 2 injuredAt the request of his childhood friend, Pearl Cruse, Elmer Hildreth a 17-year-old non-student, attended a meeting between Miss Cruse and her teacher which ended in "a hand to hand" encounter between teacher and pupil. Hildreth became involved in a physical confrontation with school trustee Ingrim, whom he shot. He was found to have acted in self-defense. Ingrim survived the shooting.Colusa Sun Herald 15 February 1905 September 12, 1905 Athens, Tennessee, United States Ernest Powers, 15 1 dead 15-year-old student Ernest Powers fatally stabbed his teacher Elbert Wattanbarger when he attempted to whip him for throwing stones.Surrender Boy Who Slew Teacher, The New York Times (September 17, 1905)
1910s Date Location Attacker(s) Dead Injured Description March 10, 1910 Ione, California, United States Albert BrownEugene Griffin At the reform school, Preston School of Industry, students Albert Brown and Eugene Griffin tried to escape after stealing a revolver from the school bakery. Griffin shot at Captain William H. White who pursued them. No one was hurt, but the two boys were transferred to the state penitentiary.Amador Ledger, 11 March 1910 September 23, 1912 Sankt Pölten, Austria Rudolf Hlawat 1 dead Rudolf Hlawat, a student at a gymnasium in St. Pölten, shot at his teacher, Prof. Schmidt, with a revolver. He also shot at the school janitor before shooting himself twice in the head. Hlawat died in hospital, the only casualty.Revolverattentat eines Gymnasiasten auf den Professor, Die Neue Zeitung (September 24, 1912) October 9, 1913 Szeged, Hungary Johann Skultety, 14 1 dead After he had been reprimanded by his teacher, Prof. Horvarth, for missing classes, Johann Skultety, a gymnasium student in Szeged, barged into the classroom and fired with a revolver at the teacher, missing him. He committed suicide by shooting himself in the heart.Ein Revolverattentat eines Gymnasiasten auf seinen Professor, Die Neue Zeitung (October 10, 1913) April 12, 1919 Ogden City, Utah, United States 1 injuredDuring a high school assembly, six boys shot off their guns, with permission, thinking they were loaded with blanks. Teacher Miss Verna Davidson was shot in the foot.
1920s