It was a great movie, very well directed and acted. Mark Junge: Well, yes. And what happens if they trigger something accidently?" The kids could just go to the bathroom right from their classroom. The hostage takers took part in the singing. I can't explain it. 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. [7] Geography [ edit] I walked into the bathroom and there was the suspect that had started this whole mess, layin' there on the floor with ahe had a pistol in his hand and you could tell he had shot himself in the head. 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. According to survivor accounts, Doris enticed many into the first grade room by announcing that their presence was required for a school assembly. Also, how long was it before the kids started talking about seeing angels? It's made me, I think, more open-minded to things and don't take so much for granted anymore. Mark Junge: This was a life-changing event. It was suggested we say a group prayer and I thought it was a great idea, so I helped gather a group of us together. #TodayInHistory: Today in 1986, The Cokeville Elementary School crises happened. Oral histories, memoirs and drawings began to reveal a narrative of fortune rather than misfortune. Rich Haskell: Well, you know, that's a really good question. 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. Where's he running? One hostage observed a birthday on that day and songs were sung in his honor. They were sitting out across the fence with scopes on their rifles just ready to shoot until the sheriff went out and said, "No. I went from within two feet of the bomb to right near the door within ten minutes before the bomb went off. Mark Junge: And the explosion went straight up? He still needed to tell it to his parents though, and that's basically what you see in the movie. What should people know going into the film? All the hostages escaped, though 79 were hospitalized with burns and injuries. David attached the bomb trigger to his wrist and threatened the group that he might, at any time, move his arm and ignite the bomb. Meanwhile, Doris went from classroom to classroom, luring 136 children, six faculty, nine teachers, and three other adults, including a job applicant and a UPS driver, into a first-grade classroom for a total of 154 hostages. Rich Haskell: Were above the level of the kids, yeah. Mark Junge: Okay. One of 'em was in Cokeville and one was in the bus that he did the experiment with. Cokeville Children Held Hostage by Bomber., Cokeville Elementary School Bombing: 25-Years Later. Accessed May 17, 2013, at, Fagg, Ellen. The Hartley story didn't come out publicly until my parents (who wrote the book in the year after the bombing) began asking questions about this kind of thing. 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. Have you had anything like this, anything close to this happen? 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. I'm currently the Sheriff of Sweetwater County. Rich Haskell: Okay, I'll buy that! On May 16, 1986, David Young, Cokeville's former town marshal, and his wife, Doris, carried five rifles, five handguns and a "dead man's bomb" into the elementary school. Although many were burned, some severely, only the perpetrators of this horrible incident died. When they asked pointed questions like "what did the angels look like?" Returning, David Young shot his wife, then himself. 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. The Wyoming History one may be the best. Whether or not you believe in God or miracles, show some respect. Mark Junge: No? Of what you would picture an angel, with the wings and, Mark Junge: Well, if I'm a skeptic, I could say, "Well, that's just the way the flames shot up.". Amy Bagaso Williams with her husband and four children. Rich Haskell: No, it's not. While David and Doris Young were not involved in an organized religion, both were deeply spiritual. It killed her instantly. That your life could change just at a blink of an eye. She was a divorce who earned money working as a waitress and singer in a local bar. In most cases I have deleted redundant ands, ers, uhs, buts, false starts, etc. So many of 'em thatI don't know. In 1986 , 154 children and teachers survived the bombing of Cokeville Elementary School. I know it is real. Rich Haskell: Not really that often, but every time I think about it I get very emotional. I certainly enjoy my grandkids a lot more. This did, in fact, happen in Wyoming! It is a touchy topic for us, and could come across the wrong way. That's a true line in the movie. 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. Create an account to follow your favorite communities and start taking part in conversations. Rich Haskell: Absolutely! It's a little basket that has different layers on it. May 12, 2011, 2:30am PDT. This significantly mitigated the explosive power of the bomb. The Cokeville hostage crisis began the afternoon of May 16, 1986, David and Doris Young took 154 children and adults hostage at the Cokeville Elementary School in tiny Cokeville, Wyo. These are designed to just spread out the particles all over the air. And I didn't know about the angel thing comin' to the kids until many days later. 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! Cokeville Elementary School is located at 205 N. Sage St. in Cokeville. Im living proof.. This narrative was perpetuated in many publications and productions. 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. I think it was still in his body. David Young entered the school with his wife transporting a large gasoline-filled device that appeared to be a bomb. Had a small pin-hole leak in it and it dripped into both containers and they both became paste. May 16, 1986, will never be forgotten by the residents of Cokeville, Wyo. Family is the most important thing in a Mormon family. I've spent many, many hours and many days with the leaders of the Mormon church, with the Prophet of the Mormon church. Current students at Cokeville Elementary School aren't taught about the '86 bombing, but most know the general story. He was the father of two, but was estranged from his elder daughter. Ahntastic Adventures in Silicon Valley Throughout the standoff, David grew increasingly agitated and irritable. I got a chance to talk to Jennie Sorensen Johnson, who was seven when David Young rolled a bomb into her first grade classroom. Mark Junge: How many actual bombs have you had experience with? So we decided to take some masking tape, and we tapedI think it was an eight-foot square in the middle of the room, right here, and he pushed the cart, the homemade bomb into this, and we told the children this was the magic square. They believed in reincarnation, which probably led, in part, to the creation of Davids Brave New World idea. 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: I did not. 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. Witnesses later testified that just before the explosion David Young had connected the explosive to his wife. Rich Haskell: Pretty sophisticated guy is what he was. A quarter of a century later, Williams can still vividly recall the chaotic scene following the explosion. 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. First grade teacher Janel Dayton on the 1986 bombing of Cokeville Elementary School Published: November 8, 2014 Janel Dayton, Wyoming State Archives photo. They feel that it was a positive experience for them. Young was a former Cokeville town marshal who had been living in Arizona for several years. Journal entries also indicate that he saw opportunity in the close-knit community; he wrote, "Threaten one and all are at your mercy." The device was set up on afor lack of a better word, I call it a shopping cart. Used with thanks. May 16, 1986, will never be forgotten by the residents of Cokeville, Wyo. Mark Junge: We were worried, Sue and I, that people would take offence, right? Rich Haskell: No, I don't think it exited. I'd like to think so. I know there's angels. Of course, most children were elated by the prospects of an assembly. Used with permission and thanks. They have a lot of first-person histories of the actual event, teachers, investigators and students. Don't go past this square. He was so open to their input, and feelings. I don't know what. Rich Haskell: Well, run fordo another term as sheriff and then retire, and my wife and I are going to doshe loves genealogy. over there. Mark Junge: One of the things that Sue and I found out is that people don't regret doing this because they think it's important for history. 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. And that's where the bomb sat and that's where they sat. I did see the lighting had changed in the room, and it was right in the same timeline as everyone else's witness. He came out of the bathroom, is what we figured. Cokeville Recollects Miracle of 1986: Hostage Survivors, Town Residents Compile Book, ________. A compilation project by the Cokeville Miracle Foundation, a 501(c) (3) charity. 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. Mark Junge: What's been your experiences since then? Rich Haskell: Yeah, there was some people ready to just shoot him right where he was sitting. COKEVILLE, Wyo. The jug of gasoline had a pinhole-sized leak on its bottom. Because it was sittin' low enough and the kids were low enough that it would have done it. (Laughs) Yeah, I understand what you're saying, but it was. And they had trouble keeping people away from the building. Returning to the scene, David shot his wife, a teacher, then himself. Rich Haskell: Well, after I arrived it took probably three to four hours to make sure everything was neutral and everything was not going to be a threat any longer. No, not at all. Survivors shared their stories with each other, investigators, family members, and hospital personnel. Certified Bomb Technician. I actually created a website knowing that people would wonder what was real and what wasn't. Cokeville Trying to Rebuild A Normal and Secure Life.. What did you find out about them? When I arrived I could see out on the lawn, there was a black object laying out on the grass. Associated Press. [5], "You could see that the roof tiles had been lifted out of their brackets. Mark Junge: Do you think you were cut out to do this job? [7][5] The reason for the wire cuts are so far unexplained. Mark Junge: And you're sheriff in Sweetwater? David, Doris and Princess proceeded to the elementary school and entered the building shortly after 1 p.m. that Friday. In the days and weeks immediately after this event, most accounts focused on the horrors of the day. We know for a fact that he had tried that device because he did it in Arizona and totally destroyed a school bus. 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. Meanwhile, police and parents gathered out of sight of the school room where hostages were gathered. David saw John Miller, the music teacher, trying to escape and shot him in the back. The woman who died with her husband as they held an elementary school hostage with a gasoline bomb last week was not killed by the . 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. 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. By Deseret News. I've been involved with law enforcement since 1977 in Sweetwater County. And he didn't even ask me if I wanted to do that. You can see what's happening in the world today. I remember seeing the wide eyes on my band teacher as he collapsed with the EMTs afterward. 96 views, 2 likes, 0 loves, 0 comments, 2 shares, Facebook Watch Videos from J.Cano: Law & Order: SVU - Best Episode (Laughs) But as I was passing through Kemmerer I stayed in radio contact. . 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. 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 windows had been knocked outhad been blown out. 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? 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. The explosion engulfed her in flames and burned many nearby children. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. To go off to the side? 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. "[6] The two men eventually refused to participate in the event. WyoHistory.org welcomes the support of the following sponsors. She is a trained rural historian who specializes in oral history, childhood history and memory studies. Mark Junge: They don't want it brought up again. Encircled it. There are some survivors that couldn't believe how accurate much of it was. Both men were handcuffed in a van outside the school.[1]. 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. New comments cannot be posted and votes cannot be cast. Both hostage takers died, while 79 hostages were wounded. I believe a presence was entering the room at about that time. You know their names but not their birthdays. Contact us at editor@wyohistory.org for information on levels and types of available sponsorships. Now you've got problems. ITT: people who want to pick a fight with someone who survived an incredible experience. Rich Haskell: I'm Rich Haskell. 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 By the people that was the bad folks, they're the only ones that got really hurt. If you are interested in seeing the film, theaters are listed here. Doris developed a headache from the gasoline fumes, and raised her hand to her forehead. Then, several years later, Jennie Sorensen identified what she thought was a teacher who led her out of the building after the blast. The miraculous events that followed transformed the lives of hundreds of people, including many who witnessed angels or received heavenly help from deceased ancestors. So if it can happen there it can happen anywhere in the United States. Mark Junge: Did you find the bullet that killed him, too? Who died in the Cokeville bombing? Doris accidently triggered the bomb by motioning to her hostages with her arms. Transcriber's notes: I have added some reference footnotes to this transcript where I thought appropriate. Mark Junge: Do you still think about this? Returning, David Young shot his wife, then himself. Yeah, we didn't get a lot of sleep. Mark Junge: Well, what do you think would cause two people like this to do this? NOTE: Witness to Miracles was published in 2006 by Pronghorn Press, www.pronghornpress.org . Thank you for doing this! [6] With permission, the teachers brought in books, art supplies and a television to help keep the children occupied. I never did get to see that untilI think it was two days lateractually what they had taken as far as the paperwork was concerned. And then what? COKEVILLE, Wyo. 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. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. It became a story of a miracle rather than a tragedy. Rich? . That's what it was designed to do was to go out and be particles and that gasoline was gonna ignite it and blow it up. 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." She lifted her hand up to rub her forehead and when she did that pulled the pin out and detonated the bomb. The first chapter is titled A Town of Trust.. 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 &. 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. So you got that and you got the flour and the gasoline and that's what it was all designed to do in millisecond delays. Welcome to /r/latterdaysaints, a sub for members and friends of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (formerly known as Mormons). But it didn't. In the tiny classroom, they watched movies, played games, prayed. The detonation didn't do it, it was cut. With the explosionwhat occurred? [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. When were you satisfied that there were no more bombs? No, we can't do this. Whenever they would come to Wyoming I would be part of their security team. "The sadness that comes with the death of an 8-year-old, you can . The bomb did detonate and fire, thick black smoke and toxi fumes filled the room. Rich Haskell: Yes, I did. It was in their Tucson home that David came up with what he considered the Biggie, a plan to get rich quick and create a Brave New World. This plan involved Davids longtime friends, Gerald Deppe and Doyle Mendenhall, who believed by investing in Davids scheme they would get rich. ", 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. [2] Before leaving the room, David attached the bomb's detonation device to his wife's wrist. It would have killed them. Rich Haskell: Sure. Yeah. During the Cokeville Elementary School hostage crisis. David went to the school office, handing out a manifesto titled "ZERO EQUALS INFINITY" and announcing "This is a revolution!" 1 of 7. 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 he had to defuse bombs. Many of the children who stated they saw angels were of various faiths. She acknowledges these students for assisting her in researching her contributions to the WyoHistory.org web site. Well, after interviewing some of the people, what had happened, the bombDavid Young had set the bomb to have what they call a dead-man switch. On May the 16th , 1986, 1 was in Rock Springs at a basketball game. The photo of Rich Haskell is by Wyoming State Archives. When you say what cut the wire? I don't think that they were planningor David was planning on the ceiling tiles in the school. Everything was blackened. Retro Report took a look back at this episode, with a focus on how Johnson & Johnson and . And the bathroom was off to the side of it because it was the kindergarten class. David, who dared not risk their reporting him to the authorities, responded by holding them at gunpoint. And my children. [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. Mark Junge: With bombs? Mark Junge: You'd been tested, though. Do you ever think about them? And knew what they could do? I immediately went into rendering safehe had brought in several devices with him to place in different places in the room, and there was a lot of ammunition, a lot of guns out in the hallway, and I immediately started rendering all those safe, making sure that those were safe and they could move them out of the building. TC is one of my heroes. You know, the kids have forgot about it, let's let 'em move on. Have you seen the Unsolved Mysteries episode that had a segment on this? Then he went to the restroom, which was attached to the classroom. I've got a couple of questions. He had tried this deviceand they were designed tothat it would be a delayed explosion. They just didn't let it die out. Dr. Clark is the faculty advisor of the Sweet Memories: Research Group at Western. Upon entering the classroom, children saw an arsenal of weapons, a grocery cart and an unfamiliar manDavid Young. Just like with a pair of pliers, pair of snips. Interview by Mark Junge. Rich Haskell: That's my oldest boy, Steven. She has published several articles in peer-reviewed journals on the history and heritage of Germans from Russia on the Northern Plains. It brings back lots of memories but it doesn't hurt because actually it was a positive experience. Rich Haskell: I am. And, then, shortly after 4 p.m., the bomb exploded. 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. The Power of Faith: 25 Years After School Bombing, Town Remembers Story of Survival., Mitchell, Ruth Ann. Wyoming State Parks and Cultural Resources, Repanshek, Kurt J. 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. 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 top basket contained a gallon milk jug of gasoline, wired with a blasting cap. On May 16, 1986, . 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. The two died after the bomb. Doris tried numerous times to calm the children by telling them to "think of it as an adventure movie," or that they "would have a great story to tell their grandchildren." Because in the bus, everything was solid in the school bus. While he was writing his philosophy, Zero Equals Infinity, Doris took part-time jobs including housekeeping and waitressing to support their meager lifestyle. [10][2][3] The injured were triaged to several area hospitals in Wyoming and Idaho.[2][3][11]. The only two fatalities were David and Doris Young. The town has worked to be as respectful as possible to the multitude of experiences that day. What had happenedI can't explain it. They had to come and get my car and get me another one. Mark Junge: And what happened? David's youngest daughter from his first marriage, Princess, entered the elementary school with David and Doris, but refused to carry out the plan, leaving to report the incident at the town hall. 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. Of course, I can imagine the noise that it made. 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. Mark Junge: Today is the 23rd of September, 2010. Excerpt from the book "On This Day In Wyoming History": David young (before I see Hollywood's version). Rich Haskell: It's a combustible. I think he went in the Marine Corps because of me and served 25 years and retired. People who had guns! One of the miracles that day was that not a single person was lost. 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. Mark Junge: Where at? Mark Junge: That's a record of all the people we've talked to! My husband and I are looking forward to seeing the movie, as we weren't around when it happened and have just recently learned about it. It just embedded into the walls from the ammunition from the heat. Mark Junge: EOD. She fled the building and drove the Youngs vanwith Deppe and Mendenhall still insideto the town hall, where she reported her fathers plan. 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. Mark Junge: Do you think he took up thatwanted to take that up because of you? We're in a conference room here on the main floor. Mark Junge: Do you think you've taken more joy out of life because of it? Rich Haskell: There was also ayou look through the ceiling and there was a bigger hole up there. And it burned some children.
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