Rich Haskell: Sure. Rich Haskell: I took pictures of it. It was a great movie, very well directed and acted. Where's he running? ", Mark Junge: So it took you three days, three and a half days. Accessed May 17, 2013, at, Wyoming Horror: A Fiery Schoolhouse Bomb., A 1986 Hostage Event at a Cokeville, Wyoming Elementary School., Jarvik, Elaine. I just stayed right there and we processed the scene and did the scene. I know it is real. The wire was cut. Have you had anything like this, anything close to this happen? 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. They did a good job telling this story. Words emphasized by the speaker are italicized.~Transcribed by Russ Sherwin, Feb. 27, 2011. It's just something that you just have to stay on top of. From Tragedy To Triumph- Talking To A Cokeville Bombing Survivor. They were sitting out across the fence with scopes on their rifles just ready to shoot until the sheriff went out and said, "No. Recording and transcription by Wyoming State Archives. And they had practiced how to get out of that building. Used with permission and thanks. A Project of the Wyoming Historical Society. Many of the children who stated they saw angels were of various faiths. Yeah. When I arrived I could see out on the lawn, there was a black object laying out on the grass. Carbon County School District No. Rich Haskell: Well, I got a lot of it while I was in the Marine Corps and in the Army National Guard. He had just big rings of perspiration. Debbie Sparks and Steven Moore, both EMTs, discuss on May 9 the elementary school bombing. 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. If you are interested in seeing the film, theaters are listed here. David set himself near the center of the room with the grocery cart bomb nearby, as Doris went from room to room rounding up people. Rich Haskell: I don't think that they were planningor David was planning on the ceiling tiles in the school. 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. What did you find out about them? Mark Junge: Oh, really! By Deseret News. I'm portrayed as the little red haired kid with glasses that asks about the AK-47. Both men were handcuffed in a van outside the school.[1]. 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. A compilation project by the Cokeville Miracle Foundation, a 501(c) (3) charity. So if the state didn't pay him, he figured the Mormon church would pay him because the Mormon church has money also. Associated Press. Mark Junge: Well, and it burned some of the kids. This is actually the first time I have heard of this. Witnesses later testified that just before the explosion David Young had connected the explosive to his wife. Mark Junge: And you're sheriff in Sweetwater? I was still trying to make sense of it all! Rich Haskell: Well, by none of the kids bein' hurt that was supposed to be hurt. Mark Junge: Are you one of the most experienced people in the area? Guys like you have to go and search every corner. As long as that piece of wood was in there to keep those separated, it would not detonate. I have no doubt about my friends witness testimonies - even though I saw or heard nothing such as they did. And I didn't know about the angel thing comin' to the kids until many days later. Rich Haskell: That's my oldest boy, Steven. Rich Haskell: Yes, absolutely. The two brought in a bomb attached to themselves with a lanyard. The blasting cap in the gasoline jug functioned properly, initiating the explosion. Because of the tiles and the window? 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! On May 16, 1986, a man and his wife with a bomb took . Reddit and its partners use cookies and similar technologies to provide you with a better experience. Eventually Doris lifted her arm sharply and the bomb went off prematurely, injuring Doris while David was out of the room. Read more Had a small pin-hole leak in it and it dripped into both containers and they both became paste. [10][2][3] The injured were triaged to several area hospitals in Wyoming and Idaho.[2][3][11]. Mark Junge: In fact, didn't you say you burned up your engine? Mark Junge: Why do you think that God chose Cokeville to save? One thing to mention is that the tension in real life seemed much more present at first, and then once prayers were said the mood really lifted. He shot and killed her. The two died after the bomb. She was on fire! Doris accidently triggered the bomb by motioning to her hostages with her arms. One teacher was shot when he tried to flee,. Mark Junge: How many actual bombs have you had experience with? 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 . Cokeville officially has only536 people in it and two LDS wards that meet in the same chapel. 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. Now you are a bomb technician. [4], Prior to the hostage crisis, David had tested a similar bomb in a sealed school bus in Arizona, destroying it.[5]. Mark Junge: This was a life-changing event. Box 37, Cokeville, Wyoming 83114. [7] The mechanism was triggered by a dead man's switch, consisting of a wooden piece separating two metal connectors within the jaws of a clothespin, forming an incomplete circuit. The bomb did detonate and fire, thick black smoke and toxi fumes filled the room. A Project of the Wyoming Historical Society. The timelines of some events are fuzzy Its hard to nail down what stands out the most, there were a LOT of crazy things I'd never seen before then, or since really. I didn't look at the speedometer, I was just kind of watchin' for animals and everything else. Rich Haskell: Approximately an hour and ten, hour and fifteen minutes. Lenita's father Rocky was a fifth grade teacher at Cokeville Elementary School at the time of the bombing, Lenita was a seventh grader. 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. Audio/Video Recording. I received a telephone call from my dispatcher informing me that an incident had taken place up in Cokeville and they were requesting me to drive to Cokeville for assistance. Rich Haskell: Yep. Cokeville Elementary School teachers and staff tried to keep kindergarteners through sixth graders calm and entertained. And, then, shortly after 4 p.m., the bomb exploded. In their minds they could start another world. The children and adults escaped after the bomb exploded. Mark Junge: So it would have gone upward, but would it have killed the kids? David and Doris Young took 167 hostages (150 children, 17 adults and one unlucky UPS driver) at the elementary school. They forget about what happened in Cokeville with a lot more people and the potential of what was there. She has published several articles in peer-reviewed journals on the history and heritage of Germans from Russia on the Northern Plains. Cokeville Miracle Marking 25 Years.. It has shaped me to know that God is real. They increasingly spoke about their memories in public with professional psychologists, church officials and community counselors. She acknowledges these students for assisting her in researching her contributions to the WyoHistory.org web site. I remember watching that when I was a younger kid, and when they were interviewing the witnesses, I remember several of them referencing "Heavenly Father " instead of "God," and I knew immediately they were LDS. Rich Haskell: Uh, I can understand that. Students, teachers, staff and visitors frantically exited the building, with teachers helping many of the children escape through the windows. ", All told, 79 of the hostages suffered injuries, mostly second-degree burns, smoke inhalation, and other injuries from the exploding bomb. She was totally burned. No need to troll. Interview by Mark Junge. The Cokeville hostage crisis began the afternoon of May 16, 1986, when David and Doris Young took 154 children and adults hostage at the Cokeville Elementary School in tiny Cokeville, Wyo. Mark Junge: Yeah, my brother-in-law worked in the Navy as a chief petty officer and he worked with what they called EOD. David, Doris and Princess proceeded to the elementary school and entered the building shortly after 1 p.m. that Friday. Both hostage takers died, while 79 hostages were wounded. They had written the manuscript, ready for publication, when the Walkers contacted them as family friends and said you may want to come ask our daughters some questions. I called back to my dispatcher and they did inform me that the school in Cokeville was being held hostage by two individuals and there was bombs involved. And if I had been a little less of a jokester I may have seen something in that strange light. TC (the director) also worked incredibly hard to make this a story that can be widely appreciated by members of all faiths. Rich Haskell: Yeah, there was some people ready to just shoot him right where he was sitting. I actually hadn't thought of doing that, yet. Others miracles were reported and some of those are recorded in this compilation.." That's my lucky miracle. And screaming, I can't imagine the screams that she was making. Returning, David Young shot his wife, then himself. 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. Peterson, Carol. He had been aware of above-average achievement scores from Cokeville's education system. Used with thanks. 2 Recreation Board, Indigenous People in Wyoming and the West, 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, Lead Investigator Ron Hartley, Father of Four Student Survivors, 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, 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, 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, Casper Chapter, Wyoming Archaeological Society, June Frison chapter, Wyoming Archeological Society. Mark Junge: Do you think you've taken more joy out of life because of it? 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. By rejecting non-essential cookies, Reddit may still use certain cookies to ensure the proper functionality of our platform. 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. After being fired for misconduct, he moved to Tucson, Arizona, where he married Doris Young. (Laughs) Yeah, I understand what you're saying, but it was. We're in a conference room here on the main floor. 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. When were you satisfied that there were no more bombs? Cokeville Elementary School is located at 205 N. Sage St. in Cokeville. And you could see that she had been burning by just looking at her out on the front lawn. [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. Were you portrayed in the movie at all? He was so open to their input, and feelings. Contact us at editor@wyohistory.org for information on levels and types of available sponsorships. Wyoming State Parks and Cultural Resources, Cheyenne. She's an avid genealogist, so maybe get involved with that, and maybe go on a mission for the church. David emerged from the bathroom to find his wife in excruciating pain. You should also know that TC basically just wove a storyline into and between the facts and witness testimonies. Seven people in the Chicago area died after ingesting Tylenol capsules laced with potassium cyanide. Then when I became a deputy, Sheriff Stark says, "You know, we're going to start finding a bunch of old explosives, dynamite and things. When Deppe and Mendenhall finally got wind of his plans moments before the hostage crisis unfolded, they refused to participate. Rich Haskell: Well, I didn't know a lot about 'em and I still don't know a lot about 'em. Well, when I arrived and saw that body layin' on the front lawn, I was told that was Doris. Yeah, we didn't get a lot of sleep. It was just shootin' everywhere. The only two fatalities were David and Doris Young. Just before implementing the Biggie, David Young had also sent a copy of the document to President Ronald Reagan, the president of Chadron State College and numerous media outlets. Rich Haskell: I don't know the birthdates but I know the names. It would have killed them. Rich Haskell: No, it's not. 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. With the explosionwhat occurred? 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. How has that experience shaped your life? Mark Junge: Well, I want you to know that we think you're courageous for doing this with us. But I know that, well, I'll just be quite frank. In the days and weeks immediately after this event, most accounts focused on the horrors of the day. 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. Rich Haskell: Yes. And that was their whole intent of coming to Cokeville. He knew what the community was all about. Rich Haskell: No. Mark Junge: Do you think David or Doris would have cut it? [5][10][8], When the bomb detonated, the majority of the explosive force was channeled through loose ceiling tiles into the roof, and open windows acting as vents. Windows were opened to rid the room of gasoline fumes, and prayers were offered in small groups among the children. You know their names but not their birthdays. Cook, the school's secretary and the first person taken hostage, could tell Young's threats were serious. David Young was the only police officer in Cokeville for six months in 1979. Nobody come inside this circle." Others miracles were reported and some of those are recorded in this compilation.." May 24, 1986 12 AM PT. The detonation didn't do it, it was cut. 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. 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." I believe a presence was entering the room at about that time. You could see that the roof tiles had been lifted out of their brackets. 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. Mark Junge: And when you went into the classroom you saw holes in the walls? So I went to Huntsville, Ala., to Redstone Arsenal. Vengeance for having been fired did not seem to have been the motive, but rather a philosophy recorded in journal entries referring to a Brave New World where he wanted to reign over intelligent children. 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. Although many were burned, some severely, only the perpetrators of this horrible incident died. I think it's because of the ages of the kids, to start with. [5], "You could see that the roof tiles had been lifted out of their brackets. Mark Junge: What do you want to do with the rest of your life? Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. Mark Junge: Did you find the bullet that killed him, too? And knew what they could do? The couple corralled a large group of students and teachers into a single classroom. David had also sent a copy of the manifesto to Reagan. Interesting stuff to me! I cannot tell you what happened. When did Cokeville miracle happen? 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. By accepting all cookies, you agree to our use of cookies to deliver and maintain our services and site, improve the quality of Reddit, personalize Reddit content and advertising, and measure the effectiveness of advertising. Mark Junge: Okay. She has published several articles in peer-reviewed journals on the history and heritage of Germans from Russia on the Northern Plains. You'd had experience? He did it right. Rich Haskell: You know, with 33 years of law enforcement, I've seen a lot of things. I knew fairly quickly that he would be the best chance we had at this. So many of 'em thatI don't know. David became increasingly agitated, and decided to leave the room. 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. Sept. 21, 2010. the children began describing things more specifically and that is when the mom was prompted to find the photograph of their grandmother. I really did not even want to walk inside that building because I was just afraid that I'd see kids all over the place. It was perfect! And we allthere was three of us there. ITT: people who want to pick a fight with someone who survived an incredible experience. Rich Haskell: Yeah. Once the wooden piece was removed, the two metal connectors completed the circuit, detonating the bomb. I actually have a pretty clear memory of the events that day, being 12 years old. On May 16, 1986, an elementary school in Cokeville, Wyoming, was held hostage by a couple with a bomb. 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. 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. And the bathroom was off to the side of it because it was the kindergarten class. Transcriber's notes: I have added some reference footnotes to this transcript where I thought appropriate. That's why I have a computer. The Youngs both died that day. It's made me, I think, more open-minded to things and don't take so much for granted anymore. Lota, Louinn. All the kids were saved. I've spent many, many hours and many days with the leaders of the Mormon church, with the Prophet of the Mormon church. Mark Junge: No? During the Cokeville Elementary School hostage crisis. You just do whatever you have to do and get up there." In a May 16, 1986 photo, the body of Doris Young is removed by officials after the Cokeville Elementary hostage situation in Cokeville, Wyo. Also, what do you want us to know about it that isn't covered in the film? David and Doris both returned to Cokeville on May 16, 1986. Mark Junge: EOD. The only thing I bristle at is that TC has me suggesting that we say a prayer. 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. Thank you for doing this! I gathered up some of the equipment that I would need and a change of clothes and proceeded to Cokeville. Following the explosion, 79 children were taken to area hospitals, most of which were located more than an hours drive from Cokeville, for treatment for burns and smoke inhalation. No, not at all. I was a little bit nervous, of course. Where you find brackets [ ] I have added words for explanation or to complete an awkward sentence. I did open that briefcase remotely like I was taught in school to do. You start messing with the kids, now you're going to have yourself a war. Flipboard. 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. Rich Haskell: I think it could be a spiritual experience that I have with church, or being around the kids, I don't know. The kids couldn't have cut it. ", 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. He was asking large amounts of money. Did you see anything? Reporters from all the regional news outlets were on the scene by the time of the explosion or shortly thereafter. I had the chance to watch the pre-screening of the film and it was very emotional. And that's exactly what took place in Cokeville. Several other survivors were there. She was a divorce who earned money working as a waitress and singer in a local bar. No. 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." . over there. Everything was blackened. Mark Junge: We were worried, Sue and I, that people would take offence, right? May 16, 1986, will never be forgotten by the residents of Cokeville, Wyo. Jessica Clark, Ph.D., is an assistant professor of history and political science at Western Wyoming Community College in Rock Springs, Wyo. 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. We know for a fact that he had tried that device because he did it in Arizona and totally destroyed a school bus. Rich Haskell: I sometimes do, but you can't let yourself think about it. What is the LDS population of the town and how big was your school? 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. Trent Toone, Mormon Times. And what happens if they trigger something accidently?" 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. I think I made it there in record timeI'm not sure. Survivors began to tell their stories through a spiritual lens. In the tiny classroom, they watched movies, played games, prayed. Mark Junge: With bombs? I think it was still in his body. Can you describe this? They attempted to crowd 154 people into one of the two first grade classrooms, a room with a total capacity of 30 students and a teacher. There was no give in the school bus. 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. 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. Amy Bagaso Williams with her husband and four children. NOTE: Witness to Miracles was published in 2006 by Pronghorn Press, www.pronghornpress.org . In the meantime, David and Doris Young gathered children, teachers, staff and visitors in the elementary school into one central location. You know, the kids have forgot about it, let's let 'em move on. . I wondered what that was, but then immediately noticed my friends over by the door talking to Doris. Carbon County School District No. Survivors shared their stories with each other, investigators, family members, and hospital personnel. The hostage takers took part in the singing. With fear that David might become unhinged, the teachers decided to make an ~8-foot square of masking tape for his own personal space. And then what? 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.
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