SAN DIEGO (NEWS 8) — Community members are raising concerns that a notorious local high school shooter could soon get out of prison.
Charles "Andy" Williams was just 15 years old when he opened fire at Santana High School on March 5, 2001.
Two students – Bryan Zuckor, 14, and Randy Gordon, 17 – were killed and 13 other people were injured in the shooting.
Williams says he was often bullied.
Prosecutors charged him as an adult and in 2002 he pleaded guilty to 15 charges and was sentenced to 50 years to life in prison with the possibility of parole.
Over the weekend, social media posts from some surviving victims of the school shooting started calling on the community to email the governor's office.
The social posts claimed Williams requested commutation of his sentence - basically asking the governor to reduce the punishment for the crime.
News 8 verified the post and found it's true.
According to the San Diego County District Attorney’s office, Williams is asking Governor Brown to commute his sentence.
The governor is under no obligation to entertain the request or act on it.
But typically, if he were to consider it, the board of parole would investigate the reasoning and make a recommendation to the governor.
A spokesperson for Mr. Brown declined to comment on individual cases.
The San Diego District DA's office issued the following statement on the matter:
We adamantly oppose the petition by this inmate, who senselessly slaughtered two children and shot and injured 13 others at Santana High School in 2001.
We have begun the process of notifying the numerous victims in this case.
Other than a commuted sentence, there are two ways Williams could be released from prison early; one way would be to win an appeal. Several have been filed on his behalf, but so far none have been successful.
The other way for Williams to get out early would be to earn parole.
Williams is set to have a consultation with the parole board in 2020 and he's eligible for parole in March of 2025.
Willaims would have to prove he is rehabilitated and could be safely released from prison.
Victims would get the chance to speak at the hearing and it's unlikely the board would grant it on his first hearing.
Meanwhile, it's anyone’s guess how the governor will act in his final days in office.
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