He hadn't had anything to eat and she finally convinced him to get something to eat, and he let her be in charge of that bomb. 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. May 24, 1986 12 AM PT. Rich Haskell: Well, you know, that's a really good question. Wyoming State Parks and Cultural Resources, Cheyenne. (Laughs) But as I was passing through Kemmerer I stayed in radio contact. We're in a conference room here on the main floor. The explosion engulfed her in flames and burned many nearby children. 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. You can ask me anything about this today between 1-2pm. After being fired for misconduct, he moved to Tucson, Arizona, where he married Doris Young. "If you can see the bomb, the bomb can see you," an officer shouted. Some of them believed the assembly was about weapons; others began realizing something was seriously wrong. Cokeville Miracle Marking 25 Years.. You could see that the roof tiles had been lifted out of their brackets. Twenty-five years ago on Monday, a man and his wife pushed a homemade gasoline bomb into Cokeville's sole elementary school and demanded $300 million in ransom. 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. On May 16, 1986, an elementary school in Cokeville, Wyoming, was held hostage by a couple with a bomb. I said, "What on earth happened there?" Ahntastic Adventures in Silicon Valley Sept. 21, 2010. 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? She acknowledges these students for assisting her in researching her contributions to the WyoHistory.org web site. Recording and transcription by Wyoming State Archives. Wyoming has a lot of money as far as the state is concerned. Story: Witness who ran toward marathon bomb 'saw bodies flying' "The death of any child shatters us all,'' Barnicle said. TC, I think, saw it the same way. 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. Teachers were confused and baffled by Young's nonsensical, strange writing. Healing will come Slowly From Within a Wounded Cokeville. This is not a Mormon film it is more of an inspirational film. Rich Haskell: I don't know. [13], Coordinates: .mw-parser-output .geo-default,.mw-parser-output .geo-dms,.mw-parser-output .geo-dec{display:inline}.mw-parser-output .geo-nondefault,.mw-parser-output .geo-multi-punct{display:none}.mw-parser-output .longitude,.mw-parser-output .latitude{white-space:nowrap}420457N 1105719W / 42.08250N 110.95528W / 42.08250; -110.95528. A quarter of a century later, Williams can still vividly recall the chaotic scene following the explosion. Rich Haskell: Yep. 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." And I think that these people actually thought that they could start another world. Have you seen the Unsolved Mysteries episode that had a segment on this? 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. Cokeville had so little crime that many folks didn't bother to lock their doors. Mark Junge: And what happened? I've got a couple of questions. I contacted my sheriff, and that was Jim Stark at the time, and he said, "Definitely! I remember seeing the wide eyes on my band teacher as he collapsed with the EMTs afterward. Rich Haskell: Well, I did learn later that the kids saw the angels. We didn't know if the blasting caps were in therejust exactly what was in there. And he had to defuse bombs. They do now - ever since the Youngs barged in on the Cokeville Elementary School with guns and a bomb to demand . Do you ever think about that? And what happens if they trigger something accidently?" And they had trouble keeping people away from the building. I don't know ifI just felt an emptyactually I could just see a hundred-sixty people dead! Rich Haskell: I sometimes do, but you can't let yourself think about it. 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. 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. [7] Geography [ edit] Others miracles were reported and some of those are recorded in this compilation.." Shortly after their wedding, David and Doris left Cokeville and headed to Tucson, Ariz. During their time in Tucson, according to Doris daughter Bernie Petersen, David became increasingly reclusive, focusing on his philosophical readings and writings. David went to the school office, handing out a manifesto titled "ZERO EQUALS INFINITY" and announcing "This is a revolution!" I was literally blown out the door when the bomb went off , and i remember how time slowed down in those seconds. Jessica Clark, Ph.D., is an assistant professor of history and political science at Western Wyoming Community College in Rock Springs, Wyo. 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. Sue Castaneda: Where did you get your training for that? 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. I know it is real. Guys like you have to go and search every corner. [7][5] The reason for the wire cuts are so far unexplained. Had a small pin-hole leak in it and it dripped into both containers and they both became paste. On May 16, 1986, David and Doris Young entered Cokeville Elementary School with a gasoline bomb, a variety of rifles and handguns, David's philosophical writings and demands for $300 million in ransom. You know their names but not their birthdays. Dr. Clark is the faculty advisor of the Sweet Memories: Research Group at Western. Eventually Doris lifted her arm sharply and the bomb went off prematurely, injuring Doris while David was out of the room. It killed her instantly. 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. Thank you for doing this! 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. Rich Haskell: Yeah. Rich Haskell: Well, run fordo another term as sheriff and then retire, and my wife and I are going to doshe loves genealogy. One of the miracles that day was that not a single person was lost. I'm not saying all of 'em were bombs, but why did God cut out Cokeville and say nobody's going to get hurt in this? The circuit was powered by a 9-volt lantern battery. These are designed to just spread out the particles all over the air. It brings back lots of memories but it doesn't hurt because actually it was a positive experience. I've got to get back to work now! This all happened about 8 months after the bombing. The device was set up on afor lack of a better word, I call it a shopping cart. 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. it is VERY LDS, and yet there are at least 3 other churches in town: Episcopal, Catholic, Baptist (and sometimes a non-denominational church). The kids couldn't have done it. My name is Kamron Wixom, I was a 12 year old 6th grader in 1986 when a mad man took over my school (Cokeville Elementary) with a bomb and his guns. You can check out [CokevilleMiracle.com] (http://www.cokevillemiracle.com/movie.html). And then what? So many of 'em thatI don't know. A Project of the Wyoming Historical Society. Returning to the scene, David shot his wife, a teacher, then himself. He still needed to tell it to his parents though, and that's basically what you see in the movie. Well, you know how fine that dust is. [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. New comments cannot be posted and votes cannot be cast. Okay? And my children. Parentheses ( ) are used for incidental non-verbal sounds, like laughter. In 1986 , 154 children and teachers survived the bombing of Cokeville Elementary School. WyoHistory.org welcomes the support of the following sponsors. 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. Cokeville Recollects Miracle of 1986: Hostage Survivors, Town Residents Compile Book, ________. A compilation project by the Cokeville Miracle Foundation, a 501(c) (3) charity. In a May 16, 1986 photo, the body of Doris Young is removed by officials after the Cokeville Elementary hostage situation in Cokeville, Wyo. On May 16, 1986, former town marshal David Young and his wife Doris Young took 167 children and adults hostage at Cokeville Elementary School. No need to troll. What is the LDS population of the town and how big was your school? On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. 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. Jessica Clark, Ph.D., is an assistant professor of history and political science at Western Wyoming Community College in Rock Springs, Wyo. Mark Junge: And you're sheriff in Sweetwater? Now you are a bomb technician. Both David and Doris had ties to white supremacist groups, including the Posse Comitatus and the Aryan Nations. That's my lucky miracle. Also, how long was it before the kids started talking about seeing angels? 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.] Unexplained Mysteries: Angel Files. Season 1, Episode 20. Mark Junge: And that's the lesson we learn. 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. Well, when I arrived and saw that body layin' on the front lawn, I was told that was Doris. And I'm sure that that made him very nervous. Sue Castaneda: Did you look at (unintelligible). The detonation didn't do it, it was cut. Mark Junge: Do you think you've taken more joy out of life because of it? I absolutely have. And I think it's made me a stronger person. And afteryou look in there and you could see little pockmarks all through on the walls, and after we finished with our investigationit took us three days to totally do the whole entire sceneyou could tell where those pockmarks were bullets from the heat had gone off. 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 can see what's happening in the world today. Below the jug in the bottom basket were two tuna fish cans filled with a mixture of aluminum powder and flour meant to aerosolize and deflagrate following detonation, each with its own blasting cap. Mark Junge: In fact, didn't you say you burned up your engine? On May 16, 1986, an elementary school in the tiny town of Cokeville, Wyoming, was held hostage by a married couple with a bomb. The top basket contained a gallon milk jug of gasoline, wired with a blasting cap. It was within the first few weeks that the Hartley boy was explaining his witness. The hostage takers took part in the singing. Then he went to the restroom, which was attached to the classroom. I can't explain it. Mark Junge: Well, what do you think would cause two people like this to do this? Rich Haskell: You walk into the door, and I don't know if you got to go into the classroom, but you walk into that door and it opens up into the whole thing. It packed the brute force of twenty-five sticks of dynamite. I later learned he'd been shot in the back. But I know that, well, I'll just be quite frank. I don't think that they were planningor David was planning on the ceiling tiles in the school. Doris accidently triggered the bomb by motioning to her hostages with her arms. "[6] The two men eventually refused to participate in the event. This did, in fact, happen in Wyoming! [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. She lifted her hand up to rub her forehead and when she did that pulled the pin out and detonated the bomb. But it still sent flames all over in the room and you can see where all the flames were in that room. Because in the bus, everything was solid in the school bus. Mark Junge: Did you help bring the body out? 1 of 7. There was no give in the school bus. I can understand that. Associated Press. No, this is something that people need to know about. But everything was black, like you had gone in there with a flamethrower and just torched everything inside there. After a two-and-a-half hour standoff, the children were becoming restless, so the teachers preoccupied the kids in the form of movies, games, prayer, and books. David had the makeshift bomb attached to his body and housed inside a grocery cart, while Doris and Princess carried an arsenal of rifles, handguns and ammunition, as well as the Zero Equals Infinity handouts. His fever broke within minutes of getting it off his chest. 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. SHARE Cokeville recollects 'miracle' of 1986. [10][2][3] The injured were triaged to several area hospitals in Wyoming and Idaho.[2][3][11]. The couple corralled a large group of students and teachers into a single classroom. Virginia Tech, it wasn't that way. Mark Junge: We were worried, Sue and I, that people would take offence, right? "Move!" At about 9:30 a.m., the bomb disposal squad used a robotic device to shoot out the end caps of the device, remove the . Rich Haskell: Were above the level of the kids, yeah. Mark Junge: With bombs? On May 16, 1986, David and Doris Young entered Cokeville Elementary School with a gasoline bomb, a variety of rifles and handguns, David's philosophical writings and demands for $300 million Well, he had put wooden shelves for layers. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. Is there a news article that I could read to get a better idea of what happened? He had tried this deviceand they were designed tothat it would be a delayed explosion. David returned to the restroom and killed himself, ending the hostage crisis. As I sat there and watched him, I could feel he was becoming agitated. But shortly after entering the school, Princess decided to rebel. AP file. Kind of a synopsis of what they were going to do and what their plans were and the whole thing. How did you determine how everything looked when this went up in smoke itself. Angelic Intervention save all 153 in bomb blast - Cokeville Wyoming - Unexplained Mysteries - Angels Brain Boyle 2.05K subscribers Subscribe 928 158K views 11 years ago All 153 Children &. The mood did not lift with the singing and teachers quickly negotiated with the hostage takers to get items from the library to help the kids get their minds off the siege,[8] and help to pass the time. One hostage observed a birthday on that day and songs were sung in his honor. I believe there was a hundred-and-sixty-plus people involved that was being held. 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. Maybe writing that up 2 years ago when this came along was more healing for me than for him, but I gave it all to him! I don't know what. SHARE Cokeville miracle marking 25 years. Cokeville Elementary School is located at 205 N. Sage St. in Cokeville. Sue Castaneda: Which is the son who is also running for sheriff? 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. Only the man and his wife, who accidentally detonated the bomb, died that day in 1986. WyoHistory.org welcomes the support of the following sponsors. They feel that it was a positive experience for them. They messed with the kids and that brought a whole communityin fact, it brought the whole western half of the state all together. Mark Junge: So it would have gone upward, but would it have killed the kids? [4], Prior to the hostage crisis, David had tested a similar bomb in a sealed school bus in Arizona, destroying it.[5]. The kids couldn't have cut it. And if I had been a little less of a jokester I may have seen something in that strange light. I actually have a pretty clear memory of the events that day, being 12 years old. With the explosionwhat occurred? I believe a presence was entering the room at about that time. the children began describing things more specifically and that is when the mom was prompted to find the photograph of their grandmother. Were you portrayed in the movie at all? Mark Junge: Well, yes. Mark Junge: Well, you've been blessed in a lot of ways. Rich Haskell: Yes, I did. Certified Bomb Technician. You should also know that TC basically just wove a storyline into and between the facts and witness testimonies. Rich Haskell: I was cookin' right along, yes I was! Rich Haskell: Well, I like to think I'm a better person because of it. I know that for a fact! Dr. Clark is the faculty advisor of the Sweet Memories: Research Group at Western. A Project of the Wyoming Historical Society. What had happenedI can't explain it. That's why I have a computer. She is one of the survivors whose story has become a part of The Cokeville Miracle. Rich Haskell: Well, I got a lot of it while I was in the Marine Corps and in the Army National Guard. And they had practiced how to get out of that building. There were plenty who opposed this from Cokeville, not a majority, maybe, but they were vocal and raw with feelings. You just do whatever you have to do and get up there." 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. Rich Haskell: Pretty sophisticated guy is what he was. 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. She was totally burned. But I walked up to the window and looked inside the window and didn't hardly see anything out of the ordinary except it was all black inside. Where's he running? Rich Haskell: I think it could be a spiritual experience that I have with church, or being around the kids, I don't know. And it burned some children. Encircled it. The subsequent police report states that David opened the door from the connecting bathroom, shot his injured wife in the head and killed her,[9] shot and wounded John Miller, a music teacher who was trying to flee, then closed the bathroom door and killed himself with a shot from a .45 pistol to the head. Mark Junge: Do you think you were cut out to do this job? Lota, Louinn. 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. Rich Haskell: No. Many recalled praying silently, forming prayer circles and seeing angels during the crisis. On that Friday afternoon in their quiet, rural town, a deranged couple entered the communitys elementary school, took those inside hostage and detonated a bomb in a first grade classroom. As time progressed, however, a different story emerged in this highly religious and largely Mormon community. The windows had been knocked outhad been blown out. I don't know how many people under the age of 35 know about the Chicago Tylenol murders, but for a few weeks in 1982, it was a national news sensation. Kameron Wixom, son of Hartt and Judene Wixom, writes a childlike faith saved us. In his contribution to the Witness to Miracles book, Kameron writes: I didnt have to see angels, hear them, or even think that their presence might be required that day. I had the chance to watch the pre-screening of the film and it was very emotional. Wyoming State Parks and Cultural Resources, Repanshek, Kurt J. We know for a fact that he had tried that device because he did it in Arizona and totally destroyed a school bus. David and Doris both returned to Cokeville on May 16, 1986. [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. Current students at Cokeville Elementary School aren't taught about the '86 bombing, but most know the general story. That's what David Young forgot to realize just how important families were. What did you find out about them? Flipboard. Because they refused to participate, Princess, Deppe, and Mendenhall were never charged in relation to this crime. I do think the key is talking about it often and early. results in the deaths of perpetrators David and Doris Young; 154 hostages survive. And he didn't even ask me if I wanted to do that. In addition, national reporters began arriving within hours of the explosion. She lured them by telling them there was either an emergency, a surprise, or an assembly there. 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. It was cut. I went from within two feet of the bomb to right near the door within ten minutes before the bomb went off. The Youngs both died that day. http://www.cokevillemiracle.com/movie.html, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cokeville_Elementary_School_hostage_crisis. In Cokeville, Nowhere, Wyo. 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. In 2006, the Cokeville Miracle Foundation compiled a book of recollections about the day from parents, emergency workers and former hostages. Rich Haskell: No. May 16, 1986, will never be forgotten by the residents of Cokeville, Wyo. ", 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. Rich Haskell: I'm Rich Haskell. Contact us at [email protected] for information on levels and types of available sponsorships. It was perfect!
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