On a tragic day, March 21, 2005, the life of 15-year-old Thurlene Marie Stillday was cut short in a devastating act of violence at Red Lake Senior High School in Red Lake, Minnesota. Thurlene, a member of the Ojibwe tribe, was known for her vibrant personality and her gift for storytelling. She came from a large family in Ponemah, the most traditional community within the Red Lake Nation, and had a passion for riding her snowmobile.
She was a happy teenager with many friends, looking forward to the experiences high school had to offer.
The ordinary school day turned into a scene of horror when a 16-year-old student, Jeff Weise, entered the school armed with his grandfather's police weapons. Before arriving at the school, Weise had already killed his grandfather, a tribal police officer, and his grandfather's companion at their home. Once inside the high school, he began shooting indiscriminately. Thurlene was one of the students fatally wounded in the attack. In the chaos, a teacher, a security guard, and four other students also lost their lives, and several others were injured.
The rampage ended when police arrived and exchanged gunfire with Weise. Wounded, he retreated into a vacant classroom where he took his own life. The investigation identified Jeff Weise as the sole perpetrator of the killings at the school and at his grandfather's home. As he died by suicide, there were no arrests to be made in connection with the massacre that claimed the life of Thurlene Marie Stillday and eight others, leaving a community to grapple with an immense and sudden loss.
