On a tragic day in Greenwood, South Carolina, eight-year-old Shequila Bradley's life was cut short. On September 26, 1988, a gunman, 19-year-old James William Wilson Jr., entered Oakland Elementary School and opened fire in the cafeteria and a third-grade classroom. Shequila was in her classroom when she was fatally shot and died at the scene. Another eight-year-old student, Tequila Thomas, was also shot and succumbed to her injuries a few days later. The attack, carried out with a.
22-caliber revolver stolen from his grandmother, also left nine others wounded, including students and staff.
Wilson, described as a troubled young man with a history of mental health issues, had no direct connection to the school. Reports from the time indicate he may have been motivated by the ridicule he faced from classmates at other schools for his appearance. Following the shooting, Wilson was apprehended.
James William Wilson Jr. was charged with two counts of murder, nine counts of assault and battery with intent to kill, and one count of carrying a firearm. He was found guilty of murder but mentally ill. In May 1989, Wilson was sentenced to death. He has remained on death row at the Broad River Correctional Institution in Columbia, South Carolina, for the past several decades as his attorneys have pursued appeals. The community of Greenwood continues to remember the devastating loss of Shequila Bradley and Tequila Thomas, with a memorial garden erected at the school, now renamed Eleanor S. Rice Elementary School, in their honor.
