This story is a little different than the normal self defense stories we publish here. This one is over 14 years old. However, I feel that it’s important that we not lose track of the older stories that often times provide prime examples of what guns in the hands of law abiding citizens are capable of. I know many people that have followed the gun rights community for any amount of time may have seen this story, but I encourage you to share it now, in the age of social media so that more may understand.

This story focuses on the Pearl High School Shooting of 1997, possibly one of the earliest mass murders committed by a student at a school in the US.

Sixteen year old Luke Woodham was distraught due to the fact that his girlfriend of the time had broken up with him, so he started by beating and stabbing his mother to death at their home. Woodham then took a lever action .30-30 hunting rifle with him to his school, Pearl High. He made no attempt to hide or conceal the rifle. He entered the school and began shooting students. Two people were killed and seven others wounded. The first person killed was Woodham’s ex-girlfriend. After she was shot Woodham began shooting indiscriminately at anyone in the area.

Woodham knew that the police would soon be on their way, but he had no plans to allow himself to be captured or kill himself (as is popular with many mass murderers). Woodham had planned to drive to nearby Pearl Junior High School and continue his shooting spree while police were occupied with the confusion at Pearl High.

Woodham successfully made his way to his car well before police arrived. However, Woodham would never make it to Pearl Junior High.



Assistant Princiapl Joel Myrick heard the shooting when it began and immediately went into action. After getting several students to safety and figuring out what was going on Myrick knew what he had to do. Myrick had a Colt .45 handgun in his truck. Due to gun laws Myrick was not allowed to carry his gun on his person. Myrick ran to his vehicle, retrieved the gun, loaded it, and headed back to the school.

Woodham was already in the parking lot, getting into his car. Myrick confronted Woodham in the parking lot, held his gun to the boy’s head and managed to subdue Woodham until police arrived.

There is simply no telling how many lives were saved by this educator who took steps to make sure that he was prepared for any situation and to use a weapon when it was necessary to save the lives of others.

Source Articles: