SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — The woman who killed two people and injured nine others in a mass shooting at a San Diego elementary school in 1979 has been denied parole for the sixth time, according to the San Diego County District Attorney's Office.
Brenda Spencer, who was 16 at the time of the shooting, was denied release after a Board of Parole hearing Friday that included three victim statements and perspective from the DA's Office.
“The shock of this brazen crime rippled through the community in San Diego at the time and it continues to hold a place of infamy in the history of mass shootings in our nation,” said DA Stephan. “ While new laws are in place that can potentially speed up releases for individuals who were convicted as minors, as well as inmates who are over 50 years old, our position is that the totality of the horrific circumstances of this crime and this case do not warrant release and we are gratified that the Parole Board agreed with our position.”
The DA's Office says Spencer, who is 62 now, fired at children waiting for principal Burton Wragg to open the gates of Grover Cleveland Elementary School on the morning of Jan. 28, 1979. Her home, where she was shooting from, was across the street from the school.
She injured eight children in the process, starting with 9-year-old Cam Miller, since he was wearing blue, Spencer's favorite color, the press release states.
Spencer killed Wragg as he and a teacher, Daryl Barnes, tried to help the children. She also shot and killed custodian Mike Suchar, 56, when he rushed to bring a student out of the gunfire.
The DA's Office also says Robert Robb, a 28-year-old police officer, responded to the call about the shooting and was wounded in the neck as he got to the scene.
Spencer fired 36 shots, then barricaded herself inside her home for several hours. She spoke to a reporter over the phone during the standoff.
"Spencer told the reporter she had shot at the school children and adults because 'I don't like Mondays. This livens up the day,'" the release states.
Spencer was charged as an adult and later pleaded guilty to two counts of first-degree murder and assault with a deadly weapon. She was sentenced to concurrent terms of 25 years to life in prison on April 4, 1980, a day after she had turned 18.
Based on the terms of her sentencing, she was eligible for hearings to consider parole in 1993.
Since then, she's been denied parole six times: in 1993, 2001, 2005, 2009, 2022 and Friday, Feb. 21, 2025. Spencer is incarcerated at the California Institution for Women in Chino.
Through decades, Spencer has maintained she had been hallucinating after a week of drinking and drugs. During a 1993 jailhouse interview, she said, "I was hallucinating. Saw commandos in camouflage."
During Friday's hearing, she said she was suicidal, wanted to die by cop and apologized to victims in a letter.
"I never considered you would die or anyone would get hurt," she wrote.
Several survivors testified in the hearing, including Cam Miller, who was shot in the back.
"Spencer decided to hunt for humans because she was bored," Miller said. "The lasting tragedy playing in my mind every day.
Another victim, Crystal Hardy, said "There is solace in knowing she is in prison."
"Spencer is often regarded as the first modern high-profile school shooter. She is eligible for parole again in 2028," the release states.
The DA's Office says its Lifer Unit handles parole hearings for inmates serving life sentences in state prisons. That unit advocates against the release of dangerous offenders when appropriate, representing the interests of victims, impacted families, and public safety along the way.
Haley Wragg, the granddaughter of Burton Wragg, said, "Huge, huge relief for many entire family and all the victims ... She is risk to the public."
The parole board said Spencer will be eligible for to appeal for parole in 3 years.
"That is too soon. As a family, we have to live the trauma again and again and again," said Wragg. "For school shooters like her, there needs to be a longer term."
