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William Speer

Case from South-pasadena, CA dated May 06, 1940

Victim Details

Name

William R Speer

Gender

Male

Race

White / Caucasian

City

South-pasadena

State

CA

Date Of Death

1940-05-06

Age At Death

52

First Name

William

Last Name

Speer

Last Updated

07/13/2026

Case Description

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On May 6, 1940, William Speer, aged 52, was tragically murdered in South Pasadena, California. Speer, who served as the Business Manager for South Pasadena Schools, was one of the victims in a deadly shooting spree carried out by Verlin Spencer, the principal of South Pasadena Junior High School. The incident occurred during a meeting of school administrators, which included Superintendent George C. Bush, high school principal John Alman, and Speer himself. The meeting took place in a second-flo ...

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Links to Additional Sources (2)

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William R Speer, age 52 - National Gun Violence Memorial

JUSTICE STORY: Paranoid principal goes on deadly shooting spree

Forum Posts (2)

I've been diving into the 1940 shooting spree in South Pasadena and came across something intriguing... ...Read More
06/10/2023

Has anyone here looked into the background of Verlin Spencer before the tragic events unfolded? It's... ...Read More
02/20/2023

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