1994 Wickliffe Middle School Shooting

On November 7, 1994, a school shooting occurred at Wickliffe Middle School in Wickliffe, Ohio. The gunman, 37-year-old Keith A. Ledeger, a former student of the school, entered the building at approximately 2:10 p.m. armed with a 12-gauge single-shot shotgun and 25 shotgun shells. According to the Wikipedia account of the incident, he was spotted walking toward the school by a nearby construction crew, who called 911 before he entered — an action credited with reducing the number of casualties by allowing a faster police response.

Ledeger went to the school's administrative offices and asked for the principal or assistant principal. Principal James Anderson saw the weapon and fled into a coworker's locked office. Ledeger fired through the door, wounding Anderson, who escaped through a window and was spotted by Wickliffe police officer Thomas Schmidt. Three additional officers entered the school through the north and east doors around the same time.

Ledeger then moved toward the computer lab, where custodian Peter Christopher was assisting a teacher. Ledeger pointed his weapon at an 11-year-old girl standing near Christopher; Christopher pushed the girl into the lab and stood in the doorway, urging Ledeger to drop the weapon. Ledeger refused and shot Christopher twice, killing him instantly. Christopher was later memorialized by shopwork students, who built a wooden bench with a commemorative plaque that remains in the school's administrative offices.

Ledeger next encountered shop teacher Lowell Grimm near the boys locker room, where Grimm had been helping students hide. Grimm was shot three times while attempting to flee but survived after collapsing in the school's rear recreational yard.

Police officer Leonard Nosse, who had entered through the east side of the building, confronted Ledeger in the hallway outside the locker room. During the ensuing exchange of gunfire, officer Thomas Schmidt was wounded when he came across Ledeger, who attempted to shoot Schmidt again before being incapacitated by gunfire from Nosse. Nosse later received the Jorge Medina Award for his actions.

The attack lasted three minutes and thirty-four seconds. Ledeger fired his shotgun ten times before being shot three times by Nosse. When asked by arresting officers why he had carried out the attack, Ledeger reportedly replied, "Revenge, sir." He was described as an alcoholic at the time with a history of mental health issues. Ledeger was sentenced to 57 years in prison and died of natural causes on December 24, 2011, while incarcerated.