Slaughter of the Innocents

While the massacre at Erfurt brings its own unique pain to the Thuringian capital, other communities around the world have experienced the same tragic horror of lives lost to hateful violence Eching, Germany February 2002 A 22-year-old decorator, who had recently lost his job, shot dead his former employer in Eching and then traveled to nearby Freising, where he shot his former principal at a technical college. He later shot himself dead. Brannenburg, Germany March 2000 A 16-year-old boy shot the headmaster of a boarding school from which he had been expelled. The teacher later died. Meissen, Germany November 1999 A 15-year-old boy stabbed his teacher to death after classmates bet that he wouldn't go through with the act. He was jailed for seven years. Littleton, Colorado, U.S. April 1999 Eric Harris, 18, and Dylan Klebold, 17, went on a rampage at Columbine High School, killing 12 classmates and a teacher. Though they used guns for the murders, more than 50 homemade explosive devices were also found in and around the school. Harris and Klebold shot themselves in the school library. KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa May 1999 A school principal and a teacher killed one pupil and injured two others after they opened fire on a group of students. The perpetrators were believed to have been reacting to insults and stone throwing directed at them by pupils. Conyers, Georgia, U.S. May 1999 Thomas Solomon, 15, wounded six students at a high school near Atlanta. Jonesboro, Arkansas, U.S. March 1998 Mitchell Johnson, 13, and Andrew Golden, 11, killed a teacher and four students and wounded 11 others at Westside Middle School. Pearl, Mississippi, U.S. October 1997 Luke Woodham, 16, stabbed his mother to death at home and later shot dead two friends including his former girlfriend at Pearl High School. Seven other students were wounded in the attack. West Paducah, Kentucky, U.S. December 1997 Michael Carneal, 14, killed three girls and wounded five other students when he opened fire on a group of pupils praying at Heath High School in West Paducah. San'a, Yemen March 1997 Mohammed al-Nadhiri, 42, shot one child and four adults with a rifle and wounded others in attacks on two schools. He was sentenced to death the next day. Dunblane, Scotland March 1996 Thomas Hamilton, 43, shot dead 16 five- and six-year-olds and their teacher at a primary school, before killing himself. A year later the British government severely restricted handgun ownership. Vladikavkaz, Russia December 1995 Yuri Kardanov, 30, killed three children and wounded three other children, three policemen and himself when he set off two hand grenades in a kindergarten. Neuilly-sur-Seine, France May 1993 Eric Schmitt, 42, held 21 preschool students hostage for over 46 hours in the Paris suburb. The siege ended when police shot Schmitt dead; the kids were freed. Stockton, California, U.S. January 1989 Patrick Purdy, 26, killed five southeast Asian children aged six to nine years old and injured 30 others at a local school. Purdy then shot himself. Cologne, Germany June 1964 Walter Seifert killed eight children and injured 20 others after he set a classroom on fire with a flamethrower. He died in a hospital after ingesting insecticide and being shot by police