2010 Panama City school board shootings
Encyclopedia
The 2010 Panama City school board shootings occurred on December 14, 2010 in Panama City, Florida
. In the attack, a disgruntled individual, Clay Allen Duke, fired more than a dozen shots at six Bay District School
board members, but missed them all, including the superintendent
. Duke was then shot several times by security guard Mike Jones, a former policeman; shortly afterward Duke killed himself with a shot to the head.
Much of the episode and its immediate aftermath were recorded by local television news stations WMBB
and WJHG-TV
. The video was subsequently uploaded to video sharing sites
, including YouTube.
. Duke was a 56-year-old ex-convict on probation for aggravated stalking
charges. He said "I have a motion.", then promptly pulled out a can of red spray paint and sprayed a "V" in a circle, seen in the film V for Vendetta
. He then produced a 9mm Smith & Wesson
automatic pistol, causing other staff near the bench and audience members to duck for cover. He aimed the gun at the board members and used it to point to two women, saying "You may leave, and you may leave...the women can leave...The six men stay, everyone else leave." After the room was evacuated, Duke told the board members he was upset that his wife had been fired from her job as an English teacher in the Panama City district. The superintendent
, Bill Husfelt, after an approximately four minute discussion, tried to negotiate with Duke, saying "I'm the only one who signs[the papers] , will you let them go?" referring to the other board members. Duke denied his requests to allow the other board members to leave saying "They're part of it". Husfelt then argued with Duke about his threat, saying,"For what? [Referring to Duke's threat to kill himself] This isn't worth it." Duke raised the pistol and leveled it at the superintendent. Husfelt started to hold his arms to his chest, saying, "Please don't, please don't, please..." Duke fired, hitting the table in front of Husfelt. The board members dove to the ground behind the desk. Duke accidentally fired a second shot into the floor of the room, then, after being hit by one of Mike Jones' [The school police officer's] rounds, fired two or three more times behind the table. Despite four or five shots being fired from Duke's gun, no board members were hit. He was shot again by Jones, fell to the ground, blindly fired a few more shots at Jones, then put the gun to his head and committed suicide. Jones was not injured. According to his wife, Duke was an excellent marksman
and likely missed his targets intentionally. Jones later stated, “I thought I'd let them down. I opened the door with one hand and was firing with the other. … I don’t know how I survived with all those shots fired,” adding “I’m not a hero folks.”
Minutes after the shooting, WMBB
uploaded the video to YouTube and other sites, where it received more than 1,000,000 views in less than a week.
Described by the Associated Press
as a "troubled, broke ex-con with bipolar disorder
, an interest in anarchy
, a wife whose unemployment benefits had run out and frustrations that reached their boiling point on a day circled on his calendar at home," Clay Duke was a 56-year-old unemployed Floridian who was apparently disgruntled over the firing of his wife by the school board. Duke had previously been convicted of aggravated stalking and attempted ambush with a rifle in 1999 and 2000, respectively. While in prison, Duke was diagnosed with bipolar disorder
but was unable to afford treatment after his release. Although Duke was sentenced to five years in prison in 2000, he was released in January of 2004 at which point he became a licensed massage therapist according to state
records.
families more than the wealthy. Prior to the shooting, Duke spray-painted a red circle with a 'V' inside it [Ⓥ] --an allusion to the film, V for Vendetta
.
Duke left something of a farewell note on his Facebook page a week before the shootings:
Duke was noted several times as saying that he planned to die in the shooting.
. The attempt failed and Littleton was knocked to the floor; Duke did not shoot, he simply threatened her inaudibly (She later said he called her a "stupid bitch"), and made her leave the room at gunpoint.
A week after the shootings, the purse that Littleton used to hit Duke sold on the online auction site eBay
for $13,000.
Panama City, Florida
-Personal income:The median income for a household in the city was $31,572, and the median income for a family was $40,890. Males had a median income of $30,401 versus $21,431 for females. The per capita income for the city was $17,830...
. In the attack, a disgruntled individual, Clay Allen Duke, fired more than a dozen shots at six Bay District School
Bay District Schools
Bay District Schools is a school district headquartered in Panama City, Florida, United States.The district serves all of Bay County except for Mexico Beach, which is served by Gulf County Schools.-School uniforms:...
board members, but missed them all, including the superintendent
Superintendent (education)
In education in the United States, a superintendent is an individual who has executive oversight and administration rights, usually within an educational entity or organization....
. Duke was then shot several times by security guard Mike Jones, a former policeman; shortly afterward Duke killed himself with a shot to the head.
Much of the episode and its immediate aftermath were recorded by local television news stations WMBB
WMBB
WMBB is the ABC-affiliated television station for the Florida Panhandle that is licensed Panama City. It broadcasts a high definition digital signal on VHF channel 13 from a transmitter in Youngstown along the Bay and Calhoun County line. Owned by Hoak Media Corporation, the station has studios on...
and WJHG-TV
WJHG-TV
WJHG-TV, channel 7 is the NBC affiliate for Panama City, Florida. Owned by Gray Television, its studios are located in Panama City Beach while its transmitter is located in Youngstown.-History:...
. The video was subsequently uploaded to video sharing sites
Video hosting service
A video hosting service allows individuals to upload video clips to an Internet website. The video host will then store the video on its server, and show the individual different types of code to allow others to view this video...
, including YouTube.
Incident
At 2:00 pm on December 14, 2010, Clay Duke stood up during a school board meeting in Panama City, FloridaPanama City, Florida
-Personal income:The median income for a household in the city was $31,572, and the median income for a family was $40,890. Males had a median income of $30,401 versus $21,431 for females. The per capita income for the city was $17,830...
. Duke was a 56-year-old ex-convict on probation for aggravated stalking
Stalking
Stalking is a term commonly used to refer to unwanted and obsessive attention by an individual or group to another person. Stalking behaviors are related to harassment and intimidation and may include following the victim in person and/or monitoring them via the internet...
charges. He said "I have a motion.", then promptly pulled out a can of red spray paint and sprayed a "V" in a circle, seen in the film V for Vendetta
V for Vendetta (film)
V for Vendetta is a 2005 dystopian thriller film directed by James McTeigue and produced by Joel Silver and the Wachowski brothers, who also wrote the screenplay. It is an adaptation of the V for Vendetta comic book by Alan Moore and David Lloyd...
. He then produced a 9mm Smith & Wesson
Smith & Wesson
Smith & Wesson is the largest manufacturer of handguns in the United States. The corporate headquarters is in Springfield, Massachusetts. Founded in 1852, Smith & Wesson's pistols and revolvers have become standard issue to police and armed forces throughout the world...
automatic pistol, causing other staff near the bench and audience members to duck for cover. He aimed the gun at the board members and used it to point to two women, saying "You may leave, and you may leave...the women can leave...The six men stay, everyone else leave." After the room was evacuated, Duke told the board members he was upset that his wife had been fired from her job as an English teacher in the Panama City district. The superintendent
Superintendent (education)
In education in the United States, a superintendent is an individual who has executive oversight and administration rights, usually within an educational entity or organization....
, Bill Husfelt, after an approximately four minute discussion, tried to negotiate with Duke, saying "I'm the only one who signs
Marksman
A marksman is a person who is skilled in precision, or a sharpshooter shooting, using projectile weapons, such as with a rifle but most commonly with a sniper rifle, to shoot at long range targets...
and likely missed his targets intentionally. Jones later stated, “I thought I'd let them down. I opened the door with one hand and was firing with the other. … I don’t know how I survived with all those shots fired,” adding “I’m not a hero folks.”
Minutes after the shooting, WMBB
WMBB
WMBB is the ABC-affiliated television station for the Florida Panhandle that is licensed Panama City. It broadcasts a high definition digital signal on VHF channel 13 from a transmitter in Youngstown along the Bay and Calhoun County line. Owned by Hoak Media Corporation, the station has studios on...
uploaded the video to YouTube and other sites, where it received more than 1,000,000 views in less than a week.
Clay Duke
Described by the Associated Press
Associated Press
The Associated Press is an American news agency. The AP is a cooperative owned by its contributing newspapers, radio and television stations in the United States, which both contribute stories to the AP and use material written by its staff journalists...
as a "troubled, broke ex-con with bipolar disorder
Bipolar disorder
Bipolar disorder or bipolar affective disorder, historically known as manic–depressive disorder, is a psychiatric diagnosis that describes a category of mood disorders defined by the presence of one or more episodes of abnormally elevated energy levels, cognition, and mood with or without one or...
, an interest in anarchy
Anarchy
Anarchy , has more than one colloquial definition. In the United States, the term "anarchy" typically is meant to refer to a society which lacks publicly recognized government or violently enforced political authority...
, a wife whose unemployment benefits had run out and frustrations that reached their boiling point on a day circled on his calendar at home," Clay Duke was a 56-year-old unemployed Floridian who was apparently disgruntled over the firing of his wife by the school board. Duke had previously been convicted of aggravated stalking and attempted ambush with a rifle in 1999 and 2000, respectively. While in prison, Duke was diagnosed with bipolar disorder
Bipolar disorder
Bipolar disorder or bipolar affective disorder, historically known as manic–depressive disorder, is a psychiatric diagnosis that describes a category of mood disorders defined by the presence of one or more episodes of abnormally elevated energy levels, cognition, and mood with or without one or...
but was unable to afford treatment after his release. Although Duke was sentenced to five years in prison in 2000, he was released in January of 2004 at which point he became a licensed massage therapist according to state
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
records.
Motivation for school board shootings
Duke was reportedly unhappy with the school board for terminating his wife's teaching job in the Panama City district. In addition, Duke felt a particular sales tax was unfair because it hurt lower-incomePoverty
Poverty is the lack of a certain amount of material possessions or money. Absolute poverty or destitution is inability to afford basic human needs, which commonly includes clean and fresh water, nutrition, health care, education, clothing and shelter. About 1.7 billion people are estimated to live...
families more than the wealthy. Prior to the shooting, Duke spray-painted a red circle with a 'V' inside it [Ⓥ] --an allusion to the film, V for Vendetta
V for Vendetta (film)
V for Vendetta is a 2005 dystopian thriller film directed by James McTeigue and produced by Joel Silver and the Wachowski brothers, who also wrote the screenplay. It is an adaptation of the V for Vendetta comic book by Alan Moore and David Lloyd...
.
Duke left something of a farewell note on his Facebook page a week before the shootings:
Duke was noted several times as saying that he planned to die in the shooting.
Ginger Littleton
Duke removed the gun from his pocket and told everyone in the room to leave, aside for the male board members seated at the elevated podium. On her way out, female Board member Ginger Littleton turned back into the room and attempted to disarm Duke by whacking his pistol with her purseHandbag
A handbag, or purse in American English, is a handled medium-to-large bag that is often fashionably designed, typically used by women, to hold personal items such as wallet/coins, keys, cosmetics, a hairbrush, pepper spray, cigarettes, mobile phone etc....
. The attempt failed and Littleton was knocked to the floor; Duke did not shoot, he simply threatened her inaudibly (She later said he called her a "stupid bitch"), and made her leave the room at gunpoint.
A week after the shootings, the purse that Littleton used to hit Duke sold on the online auction site eBay
EBay
eBay Inc. is an American internet consumer-to-consumer corporation that manages eBay.com, an online auction and shopping website in which people and businesses buy and sell a broad variety of goods and services worldwide...
for $13,000.