Lorenzo Kneeland, a 15-year-old student at O. D. Wyatt High School in Fort Worth, Texas, tragically lost his life on April 12, 1976. He was fatally shot by his classmate, 15-year-old Ronald Allridge, outside the boys' restroom at the school. Another student, James Christian, was also shot but survived. The motive behind the shooting was reportedly unclear, although there were rumors of a dispute between Lorenzo and Ronald over a girl or a burglary.
Ronald Allridge was arrested shortly
after the shooting while still in possession of the gun. He was diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia while in custody. In 1977, Ronald pleaded guilty to the crime and received a 10-year imprisonment sentence at the Texas Department of Corrections Ferguson Unit. After serving his sentence, Ronald was released in 1983.
Years later, Ronald Allridge, along with his younger brother James Allridge, gained notoriety for a series of violent holdups and murders in the Fort Worth area between January and March 1985. The brothers were eventually caught and sentenced to death for their crimes. Ronald was executed by lethal injection in 1995, and James followed in 2004.
The tragic death of Lorenzo Kneeland and the subsequent criminal activities of Ronald and James Allridge left a lasting impact on the Fort Worth community and highlighted the importance of addressing mental health issues and providing support to at-risk youth.
