SAN DIEGO (NEWS 8) — Tuesday marked 40 years since a deadly shooting took place at Grover Cleveland Elementary School.
On January 29, 1979, 16-year-old Brenda Spencer opened fire on the school from her home across the street from campus.
Two people were killed and nine others – including many students – were injured.
Images and footage from that day show fear and chaos – and for many who were there it is still a fresh and painful memory.
Spencer - from her home across the street - fired 30 shots at students heading to class at the elementary school in San Carlos. The weapon was a rifle her dad gave her a month earlier as a Christmas present.
10-year-old Crystal Hardy told News 8 that day a teacher heard the shots and yelled at students to run.
"He said 'duck, you guys, run,’ and I got shot and went into the nurse’s office and I was bleeding a lot,” young Crystal said.
She was one of 11 people shot that day - including eight students and a police officer – who survived.
But the school's principal Burton Wragg and custodian Michael Suchar who tried to protect children died from their injuries.
Spencer was arrested after an hours-long SWAT standoff and told officers she did it because she didn't like Mondays and wanted to have some fun. But before the shooting she had a history of emotional problems and suffered from depression.
Spencer pleaded guilty to two counts of murder and was sentenced to 25 years to live in prison.
She spoke to News 8 from behind bars in 1993.
"Every day I live with the knowledge I took the lives of two men - and that's real difficult,” Spencer said.
Cleveland Elementary eventually closed but for the students there that day the tragedy impacted their future decisions and changed their lives forever.
Chris Stanley was in third grade at the time of the shooting. He said a teacher saved his life during the terrifying ordeal.
“That whole day, every moment, it is who I am and what has guided me,” he said.
He went on to become a middle school teacher in Santee and spoke to News 8 this week about his ordeal.
"You don't relive the bad,” Stanley said. “You try to take those lemons and make lemonade out of it, I guess."
He says as a teacher he takes the time to make sure all of his students know they're special.
Spencer will be eligible for parole later this year. She has been denied parole on four previous attempts.
RELATED COVERAGE