On May 20, 1998, William Philip "Bill" Kinkel, a 59-year-old White male, was killed in his home near Springfield, Oregon. A retired Spanish teacher, he lived with his wife, Faith, and their 15-year-old son, Kipland "Kip" Kinkel. The day of the murder, Kip had been suspended from Thurston High School after a handgun was found in his locker. His father was reportedly "terrified" and had run out of ideas on how to help his son, who had been diagnosed with clinical depression.
That
afternoon, while his father was in the kitchen, Kip retrieved his. 22-caliber semi-automatic rifle. He then shot his father once in the back of the head. After the shooting, he dragged his father's body into a bathroom and covered it with a sheet. Later that evening, when his mother, Faith, arrived home, Kip met her in the garage. He shot her multiple times, killing her as well. He then covered her body with a sheet.
The following morning, May 21, 1998, Kip drove his mother's car to Thurston High School armed with the rifle, a pistol, and a handgun, hiding them under a trench coat. He opened fire in the school's cafeteria and patio area, killing two students and wounding 25 others before being subdued by other students. When police investigated the Kinkel home later that day, they discovered the bodies of Bill and Faith Kinkel. Kip Kinkel was arrested and subsequently confessed to the murders of his parents and the school shooting. He pleaded guilty to four counts of murder and 26 counts of attempted murder and was sentenced to 111 years in prison without the possibility of parole. During his confession and sentencing, it was revealed that he had been struggling with mental health issues, including hearing voices that told him to kill.
