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He still needed to tell it to his parents though, and that's basically what you see in the movie. School Bombing Survivor Converted after Priesthood Blessing #TodayInHistory: Today in 1986, The Cokeville Elementary School crises happened. The bomb was an improvised explosive device constructed in a small two-wheeled shopping cart with two baskets, one on top of the other. On May 16, 1986, a man and his wife with a bomb took . Mark Junge: Do you think he took up thatwanted to take that up because of you? Is there a news article that I could read to get a better idea of what happened? The Cokeville Elementary School hostage crisis occurred on May 16, 1986, in Cokeville, Wyoming, United States, when former town marshal David Young 44, and his wife Doris Young 47, took 136 children and 18 adults hostage at Cokeville Elementary School . But it still sent flames all over in the room and you can see where all the flames were in that room. I knew fairly quickly that he would be the best chance we had at this. Rich Haskell: That's my oldest boy, Steven. Educated at Chadron State College in Nebraska, he had earned a degree in criminal justice, and was hired as Cokevilles town marshal in the 1970s. One teacher was shot when he tried to flee,. This wasn't a pipe bomb. This can, the aluminum powder, never went off. Mark Junge: You had some bullets in the ceiling that you had to investigate, too. Thus, when David and Doris Young entered the towns only elementary school with an arsenal of weapons and a gasoline bomb in a grocery cart, no one saw it coming. Because of the tiles and 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. 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. A Project of the Wyoming Historical Society. Had a small pin-hole leak in it and it dripped into both containers and they both became paste. I'm portrayed as the little red haired kid with glasses that asks about the AK-47. We know he built two of 'em. No, not at all. New comments cannot be posted and votes cannot be cast. She is a trained rural historian who specializes in oral history, childhood history and memory studies. Throughout both baskets were chain links, gunpowder, and boxes of ammunition acting as shrapnel. It was a great movie, very well directed and acted. 2 Recreation Board, Indigenous People in Wyoming and the West, http://news.google.com/newspapers/p/deseret_news?id=nz1TAAAAIBAJ&sjid=BYQDAAAAIBAJ&pg=4165,3587249&dq=cokeville+bombing&hl=en, http://archive.org/details/SurvivorIsMyName-VoicesOfTheCokevilleElementarySchoolBombing, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=udNB_xdPiYE, http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=mz1TAAAAIBAJ&sjid=BYQDAAAAIBAJ&pg=6656,2193766&dq=cokeville+trying+to+rebuild&hl=en, http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=oD1TAAAAIBAJ&sjid=BYQDAAAAIBAJ&dq=cokeville&pg=7027%2C3851642, http://wyospcr.state.wy.us/MultiMedia/Display.aspx?ID=86&icon=1, http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1928&dat=19870529&id=-AogAAAAIBAJ&sjid=c2UFAAAAIBAJ&pg=1067,6238243, http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1499&dat=19870521&id=w4sfAAAAIBAJ&sjid=zH4EAAAAIBAJ&pg=4596,6209063, https://www.deseret.com/2006/5/15/19953524/cokeville-recollects-miracle-of-1986, http://www.denverpost.com/news/ci_18072820, http://trib.com/news/state-and-regional/article%E2%80%943077bf4a-a45e-5dad-ae3a-a99aa8fcf3aa.html, http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=336&dat=19960515&id=Ke5LAAAAIBAJ&sjid=fuwDAAAAIBAJ&pg=5227,9406392, http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=336&dat=19940404&id=GoQwAAAAIBAJ&sjid=iuwDAAAAIBAJ&pg=2778,1992787, http://www.deseretnews.com/article/705372484/Cokeville-miracle-marking-25-years.html, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qe_ZX4Qbsi4, Emergency Management Coordinator Kathy Davison on the 1986 Bombing of Cokeville Elementary School, EMT Glenna Walker, Mother of Three Young Children, on the 1986 Bombing of Cokeville Elementary School, Public Works Director and Fireman Kevin Walker, Father of Three Young Children, on the 1986 bombing of Cokeville Elementary School, Lead Investigator Ron Hartley, Father of Four Student Survivors, on the 1986 Bombing of Cokeville Elementary School, Certified Bomb Technician Rich Haskell on the 1986 Bombing of Cokeville Elementary School, Secretary Tina Cook on the 1986 Bombing of Cokeville Elementary School, First grade teacher Janel Dayton on the 1986 bombing of Cokeville Elementary School, Second grade teacher Carol Petersen on the 1986 bombing of Cokeville Elementary School, Third grade student Rachel Walker Hollibaugh on the 1986 Bombing of Cokeville Elementary School, Third grade student Jamie Buckley King on the 1986 Bombing of Cokeville Elementary School, Fourth grade teacher Kliss Sparks on the 1986 bombing of Cokeville Elementary School, Fourth grade student LeaKae Roberts on the 1986 Bombing of Cokeville Elementary School, Law and Order in Cokeville: A Woman Mayor and Prohibition, Green River Historic Preservation Commission, Natrona County Board of Cooperative Educational Services, Natrona County Recreation Joint Powers Board, Sublette County Historical Preservation Board, University of Wyoming School of Energy Resources, A Projectile Killed Doris Young, Not Bomb Blast, Police in Cokeville Say., Castaneda, Sue and Mark Junge. Cokeville, Wyoming - Wikipedia It was there for a long time, all that support. They had to come and get my car and get me another one. David had also sent a copy of the manifesto to Reagan. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. Mark Junge: So it would have gone upward, but would it have killed the kids? Also, how long was it before the kids started talking about seeing angels? Do you think this is a historical event? Had a gallon milk jug full of gasoline on one level, had aluminum powder, flour and those two components was in tuna fish cans directly under the gasoline bomb. He was in high fevers until the therapist allowed him to speak openly. And that's what we in this country have that these other fanatics or whatever is the family is the import factor. 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. They were sitting out across the fence with scopes on their rifles just ready to shoot until the sheriff went out and said, "No. Mark Junge: What's been your experiences since then? Everyone else survived, including the injured John Miller. [T]rust is big here youngsters grow up knowing they can turn to many other members of the community with confidence, write Hartt and Judene Wixom in Trial by Terror: The Child-hostage Crisis in Cokeville, Wyoming. Cokeville had so little crime that many folks didn't bother to lock their doors. She has published several articles in peer-reviewed journals on the history and heritage of Germans from Russia on the Northern Plains. Contact us at editor@wyohistory.org for information on levels and types of available sponsorships. And that's exactly what took place in Cokeville. Bomber's body removed - Billings Gazette We know for a fact that he had tried that device because he did it in Arizona and totally destroyed a school bus. There are several great resources out there. Rich Haskell: Well, I got a lot of it while I was in the Marine Corps and in the Army National Guard. Many of the children who stated they saw angels were of various faiths. In most cases I have deleted redundant ands, ers, uhs, buts, false starts, etc. Mark Junge: Curious, Rich. He knew it was a predominantly Mormon [The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints] community. And what happens if they trigger something accidently?" He did it right. 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. Is that morbid thinking on my part? Meanwhile, police and parents gathered out of sight of the school room where hostages were gathered. Davids writings reveal that he hoped life would be better for him and Cokevilles children in this imaginary place. David became increasingly agitated, and decided to leave the room. Sue Castaneda: Carla said that some people were mad that we were there. Mark Junge: What do you want to do with the rest of your life? Rich Haskell: Well, run fordo another term as sheriff and then retire, and my wife and I are going to doshe loves genealogy. The woman who died with her husband as they held an elementary school hostage with a gasoline bomb last week was not killed by the . Lenita's father Rocky was a fifth grade teacher at Cokeville Elementary School at the time of the bombing, Lenita was a seventh grader. NOTE: Witness to Miracles was published in 2006 by Pronghorn Press, www.pronghornpress.org . Ahntastic Adventures in Silicon Valley All the kids were saved. The jug of gasoline had a pinhole-sized leak on its bottom. Two of the three blasting caps on the bomb failed to detonate; the wires to each tuna can had been reportedly cut. So if the state didn't pay him, he figured the Mormon church would pay him because the Mormon church has money also. They believed in reincarnation, which probably led, in part, to the creation of Davids Brave New World idea. Mark Junge: Okay. [8] This unintentionally activated the triggering mechanism and the bomb exploded, severely injuring Doris, and filling the room with black smoke and pockets of fire. I think it's because of the ages of the kids, to start with. It is a touchy topic for us, and could come across the wrong way. According to survivor accounts, Doris enticed many into the first grade room by announcing that their presence was required for a school assembly. A quarter of a century later, Williams can still vividly recall the chaotic scene following the explosion. 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 that's where the bomb sat and that's where they sat. You HAVE to find the positives or the negatives can eat you up the rest of your life. On May 16, 1986, an elementary school in Cokeville, Wyoming, was held hostage by a couple with a bomb. And my children. and detonated a bomb inside. I did not have to imagine how God would move that day when I said my little prayer just hours before, I simply knew he would. Amy Bagaso Williams was a fifth-grader when a couple used a bomb while taking hostages at her Wyoming school on May 16, 1986. You should also know that TC basically just wove a storyline into and between the facts and witness testimonies. 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. Windows were opened to rid the room of gasoline fumes, and prayers were offered in small groups among the children. I was one of 154 survivors in the Cokeville bombing, ask me - Reddit 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. Amy Bagaso Williams with her husband and four children. They lived in a mobile home with Princess, Davids youngest daughter from his first marriage. Cokeville Recollects Miracle of 1986: Hostage Survivors, Town Residents Compile Book, ________. Im living proof.. But we knew what our story was, and that it could help offer hope. 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 . While he was writing his philosophy, Zero Equals Infinity, Doris took part-time jobs including housekeeping and waitressing to support their meager lifestyle. So we took the tiles off and went up into the ceiling and crawled up into the upper space up there and found a .45 slug up embedded into the iron girders up in the wall, and thought, okay, where did that come from? Rich Haskell: I don't think that they were planningor David was planning on the ceiling tiles in the school. It was not a teacher, but her ancestor. Have you had anything like this, anything close to this happen? I believe a presence was entering the room at about that time. The Cokeville Town Hall is located at 110 Pine St. For more information, visit the website of the Cokeville Chamber of Commerce at http://www.cokevillewy.com or call (307) 459-4195. Mark Junge: That's a record of all the people we've talked to! On May 16, 1986, when former town marshal David Gary Young and his wife Doris Young took 154 children and thirteen 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. The explosion engulfed her in flames and burned many nearby children. Rich Haskell: There was a reason I was there for some reason. Cokeville Elementary School Bombing | WyoHistory.org All the hostages escaped, though 79 were later hospitalized with burns and injuries, the majority of which were severe.[3][2]. One of 'em was in Cokeville and one was in the bus that he did the experiment with. Healing will come Slowly From Within a Wounded Cokeville. Mark Junge: With bombs? 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." 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. To go off to the side? Mark Junge: And the explosion went straight up? In the tiny classroom, they watched movies, played games, prayed. Rich Haskell: Not really that often, but every time I think about it I get very emotional. I never did get to see that untilI think it was two days lateractually what they had taken as far as the paperwork was concerned. [7] Geography [ edit] His fever broke within minutes of getting it off his chest. By rejecting non-essential cookies, Reddit may still use certain cookies to ensure the proper functionality of our platform. On May 16, 1986, former town marshal David Young and his wife Doris Young took 167 children and adults hostage at Cokeville Elementary School. Then, several years later, Jennie Sorensen identified what she thought was a teacher who led her out of the building after the blast. 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. Mark Junge: Do you still think about this? She tied the string around her wrist. The only two fatalities were David and Doris Young. The hostage takers took part in the singing. Because they weren't in a gun, the pressure wasn't chambered enough to where you could direct it. 'Amityville Horror' killer dies in prison at 69 - NBC News I did open that briefcase remotely like I was taught in school to do. Some of them believed the assembly was about weapons; others began realizing something was seriously wrong. I just stayed right there and we processed the scene and did the scene. Mark Junge: Which means you had to be doing over a hundred miles an hour! David Young had initially planned to involve longtime friends Gerald Deppe and Doyle Mendenhall, who had invested money with him in a get-rich-quick scheme that he had called "The Biggie. How did it affect your family long-term? Flipboard. Survivors shared their stories with each other, investigators, family members, and hospital personnel. 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. As I come to the junctionI'm sorry, I don't know what the road is that goes over to Bear Lakebut as I was passing that intersection, they did inform me that the bomb had exploded. Cokeville Elementary School is located at 205 N. Sage St. in Cokeville. Sept. 21, 2010. It's a little basket that has different layers on it. Accessed May 28, 2013 at. There was no give in the school bus. Rich Haskell: Yes, there was a briefcase in the hallway, and we were toldbefore I had gotten there they had gotten papers from his daughter. I was, and I still am, a certified bomb technician at the time, and I was, as far as I know, the only bomb technician in the southern half of the state of Wyoming. ITT: people who want to pick a fight with someone who survived an incredible experience. These are designed to just spread out the particles all over the air. The bomb did detonate and fire, thick black smoke and toxi fumes filled the room. I know it is real. The two brought in a bomb attached to themselves with a lanyard. She lifted her hand up to rub her forehead and when she did that pulled the pin out and detonated the bomb. So you got that and you got the flour and the gasoline and that's what it was all designed to do in millisecond delays. Students, teachers, visitors, staff who survived the ordeal and bystanders began recounting their memories of this event as it was still unfolding. He listened so well, so patiently. Mark Junge: But all of these holes were above the level of the children. I remember seeing the wide eyes on my band teacher as he collapsed with the EMTs afterward. On one hand people didn't want money to be made off of suffering, but on the other hand it felt ungrateful to not share it in the way that TC would or could. He knew what the community was all about. Rich Haskell: Absolutely. Of course, most children were elated by the prospects of an assembly. I think it was still in his body. A look back at the bombing of Cokeville Elementary School Rich Haskell: I think it could be a spiritual experience that I have with church, or being around the kids, I don't know. Also, what do you want us to know about it that isn't covered in the film? Two Powell residents, Lenita Moore (a science teacher at Powell High School) and John Miller (a longtime choir director at Powell High School who retired in 2020), remember being in Cokeville during the bombing. She was a divorce who earned money working as a waitress and singer in a local bar. Cokeville miracle marking 25 years - Deseret News Because in the bus, everything was solid in the school bus. Rich Haskell: Uh, I can understand that. Journal entries also indicate that he saw opportunity in the close-knit community; he wrote, "Threaten one and all are at your mercy." Because of the experience and the different classes that I've attended, I know what bombs do to people, to buildings and to all kinds of structures. 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? P. O. Rich Haskell: Approximately an hour and ten, hour and fifteen minutes. Mark Junge: Why do you think that God chose Cokeville to save? Did this shake the faith of some people, or would you say it strengthened it in most? She is a trained rural historian who specializes in oral history, childhood history and memory studies. And I'm sure that that made him very nervous. Mark Junge: That's a mighty powerful gun! SHARE Cokeville recollects 'miracle' of 1986. The Cokeville Miracle. When faith bears a miracle. - Medium Edit: Thank you so much for your questions! Audio/Video Recording. Certified Bomb Technician. 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. He shot and killed her. 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. The photo of Rich Haskell is by Wyoming State Archives. 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 . She has published several articles in peer-reviewed journals on the history and heritage of Germans from Russia on the Northern Plains. I was up there as part of his protection team. Mark Junge: Yeah, my brother-in-law worked in the Navy as a chief petty officer and he worked with what they called EOD. Chaos ensued. [5] The wooden piece was tied to Doris' wrist by a string. So we decided to take some masking tape, and we tapedI think it was an eight-foot square in the middle of the room, right here, and he pushed the cart, the homemade bomb into this, and we told the children this was the magic square. Current students at Cokeville Elementary School aren't taught about the '86 bombing, but most know the general story. Carbon County School District No. It just embedded into the walls from the ammunition from the heat. I actually created a website knowing that people would wonder what was real and what wasn't. They're the ones that died from the whole thing. She acknowledges these students for assisting her in researching her contributions to the WyoHistory.org web site. ", All told, 79 of the hostages suffered injuries, mostly second-degree burns, smoke inhalation, and other injuries from the exploding bomb. The Chicago Tylenol Murders of 1982 - Kottke.org They learned to trust in their God, the kids were healed for the most part, and they value life more now. Transcriber's notes: I have added some reference footnotes to this transcript where I thought appropriate. I was frightened and felt that we needed to do something to try to calm down or to be careful, because he was so agitated. Rich Haskell: Yes, absolutely. Both hostage takers died, while 79 hostages were wounded. 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. Eventually Doris lifted her arm sharply and the bomb went off prematurely, injuring Doris while David was out of the room. 25 years after school bombing, Wyoming town remembers story of survival ", About 2 1/2 hours into the standoff, David transferred the triggering mechanism of the bomb to Doris' wrist, and went to a small bathroom that connected the first and second grade rooms. And I think that these people actually thought that they could start another world. I had the chance to watch the pre-screening of the film and it was very emotional. Mark Junge: Okay. Rich Haskell: Okay, I'll buy that! Wyoming State Parks and Cultural Resources, Repanshek, Kurt J. Both men were handcuffed in a van outside the school.[1]. Couple in School Blast Linked to Extremist Group What is your assessment of these two people who did this? This did, in fact, happen in Wyoming! Mark Junge: You think when we talk to you to bring this up againI know you're emotional about itbut does it hurt you to talk about this? How has that experience shaped your life? Rich Haskell: The bullet in him was in the bathroom. David Young entered the school with his wife transporting a large gasoline-filled device that appeared to be a bomb. The kids could just go to the bathroom right from their classroom. I think you should know that it can be difficult to watch - but that it has a very rewarding outcome. Contact us at editor@wyohistory.org for information on levels and types of available sponsorships. Cokeville Children Held Hostage by Bomber., Cokeville Elementary School Bombing: 25-Years Later. Accessed May 17, 2013, at, Fagg, Ellen. Here is a local story from the 20 year anniversary (we are at the 29th year now), What's your side of the story? And he had to defuse bombs. 154 of us were held hostage for almost 3 hours in a 30x32 room when the bomb actually detonated - all 154 hostages survived. I can understand that. By Deseret News. Well, you know how fine that dust is. Rich Haskell: There was also ayou look through the ceiling and there was a bigger hole up there. Excerpt from the book "On This Day In Wyoming History": David young I've been involved with law enforcement since 1977 in Sweetwater County. . He was the father of two, but was estranged from his elder daughter. Some of the children just sat right all around and just watched him. A Project of the Wyoming Historical Society. When Deppe and Mendenhall finally got wind of his plans moments before the hostage crisis unfolded, they refused to participate. COKEVILLE, Wyo. It's just something that you just have to stay on top of. But he knew the culture, he knew the type of people, and I'm not sayin' that Mormon people are better than anybody else, but their way of life is family is first. [4], Prior to the hostage crisis, David had tested a similar bomb in a sealed school bus in Arizona, destroying it.[5]. The detonation didn't do it, it was cut. Both David and Doris had ties to white supremacist groups, including the Posse Comitatus and the Aryan Nations. There are a select number of people that would do this, so thank you. Rich Haskell: I'm Rich Haskell. Ten Killed in Kopper'S Blast and Fire in Kearney Many children showed signs of distress with sobs, complaining of headaches from the smell of gasoline from the bomb, or simply wanting to go home. You see the bag ladies pullin' them around behind them when they go to the store and they can put their groceries in or whatever else. Students, teachers, staff and visitors frantically exited the building, with teachers helping many of the children escape through the windows. In 1986 , 154 children and teachers survived the bombing of Cokeville Elementary School. Mark Junge: Today is the 23rd of September, 2010. You could see that the roof tiles had been lifted out of their brackets. And it was a perfect trajectory up into the ceiling where that bullet was. "We could tell that he was becoming very nervous. Rich Haskell: Oh my goodness! 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.] 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.