A 15-year-old boy, Charles Andrew "Andy" Williams, allegedly opened fire in a high school bathroom Monday, killing two people and wounding 13 at Santana High School in a middle-class San Diego suburb.

Tuesday, March 06, 2001

A 15-year-old boy, Charles Andrew "Andy" Williams, allegedly opened fire in a high school bathroom Monday, killing two people and wounding 13 at Santana High School in a middle-class San Diego suburb.

The slain students were identified as Bryan Zuckor, 14, and Randy Gordon, 15.

Investigators said the boy used a .22-caliber revolver, stopping once to reload, and retreated after the shooting into the bathroom.

”This is my worst nightmare,” Santana High School Principal Karen Degiescher said.

Although the shooting occurred on the West Coast, local educators kept an eye on the event as it unfolded on national television and reflected on the situation in their own schools.

Rock Hill High School assistant principal Wes Hairston said school officials have to take steps to reduce the chances that this type of event occurs in the local schools.

"It’s a real tragedy when people have to fear something like this can occur in a school environment," he said.

South Point Principal Henry Cooke echoed Hairston’s sentiments and added "it’s always scary when something like this happens. You always get this sick feeling in the pit of your stomach when a tragedy like this happens."

Cooke also said, "You just have to keep working and putting policy in place to minimize the risk of this happening."

Symmes Valley School District Superintendent Tom Ben said, "whenever I hear of something like this, my first reaction is to the families involved. I also think of how we as a school would react and if we could be in a defensive position to prevent this type of tragedy."

The Associated Press contributed to this article.