In the quiet town of Samson, Alabama, a day of unimaginable horror unfolded on March 10, 2009, forever marking the life and tragic death of Virginia Ett Wise White. At 74 years old, she was a beloved grandmother and a respected member of the community. Her life, however, was cut short in a brutal act of violence that shattered the peace of her neighborhood and tore her family apart.
On that Tuesday afternoon, a wave of violence was unleashed by her own grandson, Michael Kenneth McLendon. After killing his mother at their home in Kinston and setting the house ablaze, McLendon drove to Samson with a deadly intent. His next stop was the home of his uncle, which was next door to his grandmother's residence. There, he opened fire on family members gathered on the porch, killing five people, including his uncle and two cousins.
Hearing the commotion next door, Virginia White opened the door to her home on Pullum Street. It was in that doorway that she was confronted by her grandson and fatally shot. A neighbor described her as a 'real nice person, really easy going, just an all around good person,' a testament to the life she lived before it was so violently taken.
The rampage did not end with Mrs. White's death. McLendon continued his shooting spree, killing several other people in Samson and the surrounding Geneva County before leading law enforcement on a chase. The tragic chain of events concluded when McLendon took his own life during a standoff with police at a local business. In the end, ten innocent lives were lost at the hands of a troubled young man, leaving a deep and lasting scar on the community and on the memory of those, like Virginia Ett Wise White, who were tragically caught in the path of his rage.
