did anyone die in the cokeville bombing
We figured that he had dropped down on his knee, took his pistol and shot her to put her out of her misery, because when we went out and looked at her, there was a hole up through the bottom of her chin, and it came out the top of her head. The explosion engulfed her in flames and burned many nearby children. On May 16, 1986, when former town marshal David Gary Young and his wife Doris Young took 154 children and 13 teachers hostage at Cokeville Elementary school in Wyoming, and kept them at bay with a shopping-cart sized bomb attached to five hairpin-trigger blast caps, it should have ended in great tragedy - one of the worst in American history. May 12, 2011, 2:30am PDT. Rich Haskell: Well, as we were talking before we started recording, because of my knowledge with the explosives and with the law enforcement and everything else, I've had many opportunitiesbecause of the explosivesI've been with Vice President Cheney when he was here in Wyoming up in Pinedale. The top basket contained a gallon milk jug of gasoline, wired with a blasting cap. As long as that piece of wood was in there to keep those separated, it would not detonate. It was just shootin' everywhere. ITT: people who want to pick a fight with someone who survived an incredible experience. I went from within two feet of the bomb to right near the door within ten minutes before the bomb went off. On May 16, 1986, David and Doris Young took 154 people hostage at the Cokeville Elementary School in tiny Cokeville www.wyohistory.org 25 years after school bombing, Wyoming town remembers the . Okay? David Young entered the school with his wife transporting a large gasoline-filled device that appeared to be a bomb. Mark Junge: You also mention in your written article in Witness to Miracles [See Note] , the book, that you found a briefcase and you had to open it remotely? Cook, the school's secretary and the first person taken hostage, could tell Young's threats were serious. I mean, okay, you lose the Twin Towers, you might get the Pentagon damaged, but if somebody's town hall or school is blown up in Star Valley [Wyo.] It has shaped me to know that God is real. They feel that it was a positive experience for them. Mark Junge: But all of these holes were above the level of the children. Casper Chapter, Wyoming Archaeological Society, June Frison chapter, Wyoming Archeological Society. Well, with the window being open, with the ceiling tiles being able to lift up and down, I think that absorbed a lot of the explosion of the gasoline bottle. With the explosionwhat occurred? After a two-and-a-half hour standoff, the children were becoming restless, so the teachers preoccupied the kids in the form of movies, games, prayer, and books. And it burned some children. The incident was detailed in the book The Cokeville Miracle: When Angels Intervene[12] by Hartt Wixom and his wife Judene, published by Cedar Fort, Inc., which formed the basis for a CBS made-for-TV movie titled To Save the Children. David saw John Miller, the music teacher, trying to escape and shot him in the back. And that's where the bomb sat and that's where they sat. David returned to the restroom and killed himself, ending the hostage crisis. To my right is Sue Castaneda who is the Wyoming Oral History Project Director, and across the table from me is Rich Haskell, who is a certified bomb technician. I was a little bit nervous, of course. When I looked up to see if David had heard me (which he had, and scowled down at me) I noticed that the florescent white light overhead was not white, but a yellow hazy light. The Cokeville hostage crisis began the afternoon of May 16, 1986, David and Doris Young took 154 children and adults hostage at the Cokeville Elementary School in tiny Cokeville, Wyo. The Cokeville Elementary School was the site of a horrific hostage situation on May 16, 1986 when David and Dorris Young took a homemade bomb inside the school. When I walked inside of the classroomit was a kindergarten classroom which meant that the desks were smaller, everything was smaller because of the smaller children. Because it was sittin' low enough and the kids were low enough that it would have done it. The man and woman who took an elementary school here hostage Friday, injuring 70 children when their homemade gasoline bomb exploded, had ties to the Posse Comitatus and other white supremacist. At that time, about 500 people lived in Cokeville, and there were slightly more than 100 students attending the elementary school. Rich Haskell: I sometimes do, but you can't let yourself think about it. All the hostages escaped, though 79 were hospitalized with burns and injuries. Davids friends did not know that the Biggie was a plan to take over Cokeville Elementary School, hold each of the children hostage for $2 million dollars apiece and then detonate the bomb, transporting the money and children to his Brave New World, where he would be God. And I think that these people actually thought that they could start another world. Do you ever think about that? Rich Haskell: No, it's not. results in the deaths of perpetrators David and Doris Young; 154 hostages survive. May 16, 1986, will never be forgotten by the residents of Cokeville, Wyo. The blasting cap in the gasoline jug functioned properly, initiating the explosion. Cokeville officially has only536 people in it and two LDS wards that meet in the same chapel. Ahntastic Adventures in Silicon Valley Rich Haskell: There was a reason I was there for some reason. The hostage takers took part in the singing. Well, you know how fine that dust is. That much I know. You can also read about it on [Wikipedia] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cokeville_Elementary_School_hostage_crisis). Rich Haskell: Yes. Parentheses ( ) are used for incidental non-verbal sounds, like laughter. We're in a conference room here on the main floor. I said, "What on earth happened there?" Story: Witness who ran toward marathon bomb 'saw bodies flying' "The death of any child shatters us all,'' Barnicle said. #TodayInHistory: Today in 1986, The Cokeville Elementary School crises happened. He listened so well, so patiently. In their minds they could start another world. (before I see Hollywood's version). Details: At 1:20pm on Friday, May 16, 1986, forty-three-year-old David Young and his forty-seven-year-old wife, Doris, wheeled a shopping cart containing a homemade gasoline-filled bomb into Cokeville Elementary School in Cokeville, Wyoming, just after the lunch hour recess. It's made me, I think, more open-minded to things and don't take so much for granted anymore. Shortly after their wedding, David and Doris left Cokeville and headed to Tucson, Ariz. During their time in Tucson, according to Doris daughter Bernie Petersen, David became increasingly reclusive, focusing on his philosophical readings and writings. While David and Doris Young were not involved in an organized religion, both were deeply spiritual. Rich Haskell: Because of the response and because of the emails and everything that took place. After a stand-off lasting two and a half hours, the gasoline bomb the couple had brought into the school went off prematurely, badly burning Doris Young while David Young was out of the room. (Laughs) Yeah, I understand what you're saying, but it was. There are several great resources out there. Mark Junge: No? I walked into the bathroom and there was the suspect that had started this whole mess, layin' there on the floor with ahe had a pistol in his hand and you could tell he had shot himself in the head. When you say what cut the wire? Also, how long was it before the kids started talking about seeing angels? Mark Junge: You'd been tested, though. Rich Haskell: There was also ayou look through the ceiling and there was a bigger hole up there. We had people from ATFAlcohol, Tobacco and Firearmsand there was another bomb technician that came up from Evanstonhe was studying to be a bomb technicianand we all looked at that and said, "That wire's been cut." Virginia Tech, it wasn't that way. I think you should know that it can be difficult to watch - but that it has a very rewarding outcome. Well, when I arrived at Cokeville, of course they had the roads all blocked off and there was not a lot of people around the school at the time. Audio/Video Recording. Now you've got problems. You went back home? They forget about what happened in Cokeville with a lot more people and the potential of what was there. Rich Haskell: Yeah, I think I did. Retro Report took a look back at this episode, with a focus on how Johnson & Johnson and . One of the unique things that I noticed when I went into that room and I don't know if any of the other people have told you about it or whatever else, but when I walked into that room you could see the outline on the whiteboard of an angel. Reddit and its partners use cookies and similar technologies to provide you with a better experience. For me, what has impressed me about the film is not necessarily the story of Angels (which are remarkable), but that the majority of the 154 hostages chose to see God's hand in their lives that day. . Everybody that was inside that room, they just started throwin' them out the windows, out the doors, just anyand she happened to be one they threw out the window. Trauma is trauma and everyone deals with it differently. I don't know. the children began describing things more specifically and that is when the mom was prompted to find the photograph of their grandmother. COKEVILLE, Wyo. If you are interested in seeing the film, theaters are listed here. By the people that was the bad folks, they're the only ones that got really hurt. It would have killed them. Rich Haskell: Well, by none of the kids bein' hurt that was supposed to be hurt. It said in there that they had brought blasting caps, ammunition, those types of things in and there was a sealed briefcase that was in the hallway. But we knew what our story was, and that it could help offer hope. My husband and I are looking forward to seeing the movie, as we weren't around when it happened and have just recently learned about it. She lured them by telling them there was either an emergency, a surprise, or an assembly there. Cokeville Recollects Miracle of 1986: Hostage Survivors, Town Residents Compile Book, ________. The first chapter is titled A Town of Trust.. In Cokeville, Nowhere, Wyo. How has that experience shaped your life? She fled the building and drove the Youngs vanwith Deppe and Mendenhall still insideto the town hall, where she reported her fathers plan. In the West? We know he built two of 'em. Rich Haskell: Oh my goodness! Mark Junge: You had some bullets in the ceiling that you had to investigate, too. Rich Haskell: I'm Rich Haskell. Some of the children just sat right all around and just watched him. Cokeville Elementary School hostage crisis, "Radical Right Link Suggested in Hostage Case", "Cokeville Elementary School Bombing | WyoHistory.org", "Couple take over school but die after bomb blast", "Couple in School Blast Linked to Extremist Group", "Certified Bomb Technician Rich Haskell on the 1986 Bombing of Cokeville Elementary School | WyoHistory.org", "Lead Investigator Ron Hartley, Father of Four Student Survivors, on the 1986 Bombing of Cokeville Elementary School | WyoHistory.org", "Secretary Tina Cook on the 1986 Bombing of Cokeville Elementary School | WyoHistory.org", "A projectile killed Dorris Young, not bomb blast, police in Cokeville say", "In 1986, 154 children and teachers survived the bombing of Cokeville Elementary School", "Emergency Management Coordinator Kathy Davison on the 1986 Bombing of Cokeville Elementary School | WyoHistory.org", University of North Carolina at Charlotte, Liberty Point International Middle School, Central Visual and Performing Arts High School, "'No Way to Prevent This', Says Only Nation Where This Regularly Happens", List of school shootings in the United States by death toll, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Cokeville_Elementary_School_hostage_crisis&oldid=1139490391, Improvised explosive device bombings in the United States, Short description is different from Wikidata, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 15 February 2023, at 11:55. By rejecting non-essential cookies, Reddit may still use certain cookies to ensure the proper functionality of our platform. I can't explain it. I cannot tell you what happened. They just didn't let it die out. And that's exactly what took place in Cokeville. He was dismissed, however, from this position shortly after his six-month probationary period. When I looked at everyone looking at me (as if I should call on someone to say it) I realized I should call on Allyson Cornia - literally because she was the smartest kid in the class! Too many of 'em to try to remember their birthdays. Cokeville had so little crime that many folks didn't bother to lock their doors. Here is a local story from the 20 year anniversary (we are at the 29th year now), What's your side of the story? Doris had a migraine headache that day, in talking with the other folks, and she was complaining about that, and asked David if she could open the windows because the gas fumesevidently the gas was leaking from the incendiary and he finally consented to let 'em open the window. Rich Haskell: If it would have went off like it was supposed to have gone off, it would have lifted the roof off of that school. Ronald DeFeo Jr., the convicted killer whose 1974 murders spawned the "Amityville Horror" franchise, died last week while serving a 25 years-to-life prison term, officials said Monday . You just do whatever you have to do and get up there." Go to their hands and knees and crawl out. Rich? I was later told that everybody had been taken to different hospitals, ambulance services from all over, from Utah, from Idaho, from Wyoming was transporting people all over the place and there was only two fatalities. With fear that David might become unhinged, the teachers decided to make an ~8-foot square of masking tape for his own personal space. Whether or not you believe in God or miracles, show some respect. 96 views, 2 likes, 0 loves, 0 comments, 2 shares, Facebook Watch Videos from J.Cano: Law & Order: SVU - Best Episode On that Friday afternoon in their quiet, rural town, a deranged couple entered the communitys elementary school, took those inside hostage and detonated a bomb in a first grade classroom. So he did try that device. Only the man and his wife, who accidentally detonated the bomb, died that day in 1986. I contacted the dispatch up in Kemmerer to get firsthand information as to having second- and third-hand information and they informed me that the school indeed had been taken hostage. Rich Haskell: I was cookin' right along, yes I was! First grade teacher Janel Dayton on the 1986 bombing of Cokeville Elementary School Published: November 8, 2014 Janel Dayton, Wyoming State Archives photo. People who had guns! The two brought in a bomb attached to themselves with a lanyard. . "We could tell that he was becoming very nervous. David and Doris both returned to Cokeville on May 16, 1986. Im living proof.. It's a continuous training thing and years and years and years of continuous training with the Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, with the fire marshals and now that it has come into it with the hazardous materials and everything else. Lenita's father Rocky was a fifth grade teacher at Cokeville Elementary School at the time of the bombing, Lenita was a seventh grader. I was literally blown out the door when the bomb went off , and i remember how time slowed down in those seconds. Mark Junge: to go through all this? The story was also featured on Unsolved Mysteries, Unexplained Mysteries, and I Survived A movie about the incident, The Cokeville Miracle, was made by filmmaker T. C. Christensen and released on June 5, 2015. Jessica Clark, Ph.D., is an assistant professor of history and political science at Western Wyoming Community College in Rock Springs, Wyo. . And the bathroom was off to the side of it because it was the kindergarten class. Where's he running? The gasoline bottle was leaking. NOTE: Witness to Miracles was published in 2006 by Pronghorn Press, www.pronghornpress.org . Many of the children who stated they saw angels were of various faiths. This allowed gasoline to drip into the tuna fish cans, turning the aluminum-flour mixture into paste, unable to aerosolize. You have to think about what you're doing right at that particular time so you can stay focused on what you have to deal with. A quarter of a century later, Williams can still vividly recall the chaotic scene following the explosion. She is one of the survivors whose story has become a part of The Cokeville Miracle. The bomb did detonate and fire, thick black smoke and toxi fumes filled the room. Of course, most children were elated by the prospects of an assembly. I actually have a pretty clear memory of the events that day, being 12 years old. Rich Haskell: No. Dr. Clark is the faculty advisor of the Sweet Memories: Research Group at Western. He was so open to their input, and feelings. I've got to get back to work now! 10 Years Later, Cokeville Just Says: Let Us Be., Pierce, Scott D. Save the Children is Shallow, Exploitative: Focus is on Wacko Bomber Instead of 167 Cokeville Students and Teachers., Troone, Trent. And they had trouble keeping people away from the building. I can understand that. During the chaos, Doris' burnt body was expelled through a window, and left lying on the front lawn. AP file. Because they refused to participate, Princess, Deppe, and Mendenhall were never charged in relation to this crime. Have you had anything like this, anything close to this happen? Mark Junge: Well, and it burned some of the kids. David Youngs journals and writings reveal that he was a troubled man who spent many years grappling with deep philosophical questionsabout mans existence, the afterlife and spirituality. I mean, not everybody would do this. The only two fatalities were David and Doris Young. I absolutely have. But David refused to reveal his plans entirely until moments before they unfolded. Rich Haskell: Were above the level of the kids, yeah. And afteryou look in there and you could see little pockmarks all through on the walls, and after we finished with our investigationit took us three days to totally do the whole entire sceneyou could tell where those pockmarks were bullets from the heat had gone off. They messed with the kids and that brought a whole communityin fact, it brought the whole western half of the state all together. As I got closer to it I could tell it was a body, and of course, you just start thinking about what took place. During my years here in Wyoming I have refereed both basketball and football on the high school and the junior high school level, and I was watching the ball game at that time. What had happenedI can't explain it. They had to come and get my car and get me another one. Accessed May 28, 2013 at. They believed in reincarnation, which probably led, in part, to the creation of Davids Brave New World idea. over there. This did, in fact, happen in Wyoming! No, not at all. She acknowledges these students for assisting her in researching her contributions to the WyoHistory.org web site. Mark Junge: And what happened? Nobody come inside this circle." I know that for a fact! All the hostages escaped, though 79 were hospitalized with burns and injuries. Wyoming State Parks and Cultural Resources, Repanshek, Kurt J. Located in Lincoln County and nestled between the towns of Star Valley and Kemmerer on the Wyoming-Idaho border, Cokeville, many residents believed, was a safe place to rear children. They did a good job telling this story. David attached the bomb trigger to his wrist and threatened the group that he might, at any time, move his arm and ignite the bomb. Although many were burned, some severely, only the perpetrators of this horrible incident died. Rich Haskell: I am. [4], Prior to the hostage crisis, David had tested a similar bomb in a sealed school bus in Arizona, destroying it.[5]. This narrative was perpetuated in many publications and productions. Mark Junge: And when you went into the classroom you saw holes in the walls? It is a touchy topic for us, and could come across the wrong way. And screaming, I can't imagine the screams that she was making. He instructed Doris and Princess, by now a young adult, to handcuff them inside his van. But I know that, well, I'll just be quite frank. But it didn't. So timelines and characters may be switched up, but the overall spirit of it and the facts are laid out true to witness testimonies. When Columbine took place, it was such a big deal, and I mentioned to a couple people, "You know, Columbine wasn't the first school to have anything happen." What stands out in your mind the most, looking back? The two died after the bomb. In 2006, the Cokeville Miracle Foundation compiled a book of recollections about the day from parents, emergency workers and former hostages. I actually created a website knowing that people would wonder what was real and what wasn't. The Cokeville Elementary School hostage crisis occurred on Friday, May 16, 1986 in Cokeville, Wyoming, United States, when former town marshal David Young, 43, and his wife Doris Young, 47,[1] took 136 children and 18 adults hostage at Cokeville Elementary School. How did you determine how everything looked when this went up in smoke itself. On May 16, 1986, an elementary school in the tiny town of Cokeville, Wyoming, was held hostage by a married couple with a bomb. By Deseret News. On that Friday afternoon in their quiet, rural town, a deranged couple entered the community's elementary school, took those inside hostage and detonated a bomb in a first grade classroom. Mark Junge: Do you still think about this? TC (the director) also worked incredibly hard to make this a story that can be widely appreciated by members of all faiths. They have a lot of first-person histories of the actual event, teachers, investigators and students. SHARE Cokeville miracle marking 25 years. Returning, David Young shot his wife, then himself. It became a story of a miracle rather than a tragedy. Immediately following the detonation, the teachers started to shove children into the hallway, and through two open windows onto the grass outside the school, causing chaos as panicked parents tried to break through police lines. He used to work in Cokeville. At that time all of the different agencies was pretty much on the same radio frequency and I was stayin' in touch with them, lettin' them know what my location was and they were in turn telling me what was taking place. I later learned he'd been shot in the back. On May 16, 1986, David Young, Cokeville's former town marshal, and his wife, Doris, carried five rifles, five handguns and a "dead man's bomb" into the elementary school. On May 16, 1986, David and Doris Young entered Cokeville Elementary School with a gasoline bomb, a variety of rifles and handguns, David's philosophical writings and demands for $300 million No, we can't do this. David emerged from the bathroom to find his wife in excruciating pain. For more information about our sponsors and the people behind WyoHistory.org, visit our About Us page: Hostage crisis at the elementary school in Cokeville, Wyo. Interview by Mark Junge. The Cokeville Elementary School hostage crisis occurred on Friday, May 16, 1986 in Cokeville, Wyoming, United States, when former town marshal David Young, 43, and his wife Doris Young, 47, [1] took 136 children and 18 adults hostage at Cokeville Elementary School.
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