"School shooter"
On Oct. 1, 1997 at age 16, Luke Woodham shot and killed two students, and injuring seven others at Pearl
Highschool.
Killed were Christina Menefee 16, his former girlfriend, and a classmate, Lydia Dew 17.
The
shooting spree in Pearl, a
community of about 20,000 just east of
Jackson, Mississipi, was the first in a series of school-related attacks across the nation.
Woodham was the member of a
satanic group called "
The Kroth" with six friends, five of whom were charged with
conspiracy in this shooting spree.
Before opening fire on his
classmates he stabbed and beat his mother to death in their home.
Woodham was found
guilty of three murders and seven counts of
aggravated assault. He was sentenced to three life sentences and an additional 20 years for each
assault charge.
As a result of Woodham's shootings, the
Mississippi legislature has passed a law making committing a murder on a school
campus punishable by death.