On a tragic day in Grundy, Virginia, 33-year-old Angela Denice Dales, a promising law student and devoted single mother, had her life cut short. On January 16, 2002, the Appalachian School of Law became the scene of a horrific mass shooting that would claim three lives, including that of Dales, the school's dean, and a professor.
The quiet campus was shattered by violence when Peter Odighizuwa, a 43-year-old former student, unleashed a deadly attack. Odighizuwa, who had been struggling academically and had been dismissed from the school, returned to the campus armed with a. 380 ACP semi-automatic handgun. His first targets were Dean Anthony Sutin and Professor Thomas Blackwell, both of whom he shot and killed at point-blank range in their offices.
Continuing his rampage, Odighizuwa then opened fire, and in the ensuing chaos, Angela Dales was fatally wounded. Three other students were also injured in the attack. The terrifying ordeal came to an end when a group of students, some of whom were armed, bravely confronted and subdued Odighizuwa, holding him until law enforcement arrived.
Peter Odighizuwa was arrested at the scene and subsequently charged with multiple counts of capital murder and attempted murder. In the course of the legal proceedings, he was diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia. To avoid a potential death sentence, Odighizuwa pleaded guilty to the charges. He was sentenced to multiple life terms in prison without the possibility of parole. The senseless act of violence left the community of Grundy in mourning and sparked a national conversation about campus safety and mental health awareness. Angela Dales was remembered by hundreds at her funeral as a woman who loved to learn and who had tragically taught a final, painful lesson about the preciousness of life.
