Wednesday, May 18, 2016

89 Years Ago: Remembering The Deadliest School Massacre In America

The deadliest attack on a school in the United States took place eighty-nine years ago here in the state of Michigan.

Bath disaster: 89th anniversary of deadliest school attack

On May 18, 1927, in Bath, a town near Lansing, Michigan, a deranged farmer, school board member, and caretaker of the Bath Consolidated Schools committed the worst school massacre to date. He planned the attack after losing an election for township clerk and facing financial difficulties some of which he blamed on school property taxes. After killing his wife and setting fire to his house and barn, he went to the school as the timer had had set detonated bombs he had planted inside the school. He then set off explosives in his truck blowing himself up outside the school, killing the school superintendent in that blast.

44 people not including the perpetrator were killed, including 38 children who died in the blasts, and 58 were injured. Luckily one of the two bombs, with over 500 pounds of dynamite, failed to go off in the north wing of the school, or the carnage would have been worse.

Evil and insane people unfortunately existed in this world then, and still do now. Hopefully we're getting better at identifying and interdicting them before they do evil acts like these, but there are no sure methods to stop every such person in the free society we live in, and even unfree societies find they cannot prevent such acts either. Sadly there are not pat or easy answers for dealing with those intent on creating mayhem without regard for their own lives or consequences.

1 comment:

Monsoon Matriarch said...

No wonder most of us have never heard of this horrific event -- no gun used in the major event. If he had killed fewer, but used a firearm, it would certainly be part of the repetitive narrative. As many have asserted, it's not the weapon, it's the crazy person. Those who want to kill lots of folks will find a way, firearm or not. Thanks for the graphic reminder.