Cleveland Elementary School shooting (San Diego)
| Cleveland Elementary School shooting | |
|---|---|
Spencer's home, where she fired the shots | |
| Location | 32°47′47″N 117°00′44″W / 32.7964°N 117.0123°W San Diego, California, US |
| Date | January 29, 1979 |
| Target | Students and faculty at Grover Cleveland Elementary School |
Attack type | Mass shooting, school shooting, double-murder, attempted pedicide |
| Weapons | Ruger 10/22 rifle |
| Deaths | 2 |
| Injured | 9 |
| Perpetrator | Brenda Spencer |
| Verdict | Pleaded guilty |
| Convictions | First-degree murder (2 counts), assault with a deadly weapon |
| Sentence | Life imprisonment with the possibility of parole after 25 years |
The Cleveland Elementary School shooting took place on January 29, 1979, at Grover Cleveland Elementary School in San Diego, California, United States. The principal and a custodian were killed; eight children and a police officer were injured. A 16-year-old girl, Brenda Spencer, who lived in a house across the street from the school, was convicted of the shootings. Charged as an adult, she pleaded guilty to two counts of murder and assault with a deadly weapon, and was sentenced to life in prison with a chance of parole after 25 years. As of 2026, she is still in prison.
A reporter spoke to her by phone while she was still in the house after the shooting, and asked her why she committed the crime. She reportedly answered: "I don't like Mondays. This livens up the day."