Cleveland School Remembers Participates in the Youth Leadership Academy

CLEVELAND SCHOOL REMEMBERS–BRADY and the DISTRICT ATTORNEY’S OFFICE OF SAN JOAQUIN COUNTY Collaborate on the Youth Leadership Program

PART I. INTRODUCTION

Cleveland School Remembers–Brady, a non-profit organization dedicated to taking action to reduce gun violence, spent time this summer to highlight the tragedy and the aftermath of gun violence including personal long term-effects on individuals and communities. And this perspective was shared in a setting that many in the extended communities in our area may not even know about.

One of our CSR-Brady founding members, Judy Weldon participated in the summer program called Youth Leadership Academy (YLA) offered by the District Attorney’s Office of San Joaquin County. Judy is a retired teacher who taught second grade during the Cleveland School Elementary Shooting in Stockton, California on January 17, 1989. She is one of the survivors of that tragedy.

In its 21st year, the Youth Leadership Academy “is inspiring the next generation of San Joaquin County leaders by giving them a chance to explore all facets of the (Justice) system…” as reported by Melanie Wingo of KCRA Channel 3 News on June 2, 2021. Ms. Wingo added: “The five-week program also makes an impact on how students process what’s going on in their community and beyond…” Find out more from this link .

This summer’s Academy ran from June 14 through July 16, 2021. Each year, the program accepts about 50 high school students. Those who applied and are accepted to the program participate in classroom experiences, interact with guest speakers and go on outings that shine the light on “how each justice system job plays a role in the way their community works.”

The YLA, Academy for short, exposes students to crucial conversations with local leaders on the topics on or around how justice systems work in their community. This summer, our Judy Weldon represented CSR-Brady’s work surrounding gun violence. Other community members joined in the effort.

PART II. OVERVIEW OF THE DAY AT THE ACADEMY

The teachers and organizers of the Academy planned a day that would inform students of the impact of gun violence, especially at a school. They didn’t have to look far and asked Cleveland School Remembers to participate.

CSR-Brady took on the project and Judy Weldon, represented the organization. She invited survivors to tell their stories of the tragedy of January 17, 1989. The following is an overview of what these survivors shared with the students participating in the YLA.

About The Tragic Day And The Aftermath:

Judy Weldon began with a description of the shooting at Cleveland Elementary School on Jan. 17th. Using a map to illustrate where the shooter lit his car on fire behind the school and where he stood as he opened fire with his AR-15 type weapon she explained where the students were during recess that morning.

Mike Vann, who today works in the Field Division at the Stockton Police Department (P.D.), was a second-grade student that day. He opened the session with an activity that demonstrates how each of us has difficulties and achievements throughout our lives. Focusing on the good things and achievements helps us get through the difficulties.Mike remembered that on the day of Jan. 17th he was very focused on a math test that was to be given after recess. He heard gunshots, but like many students, he thought they were firecrackers. It wasn’t until most of the students were inside the school that he realized that something was very wrong. When he came back to the playground a few days later he noticed a bullet hole right by the door where he had been standing. He thought, “I shouldn’t be here.” That bullet could have hit him.

Rob Young, who is also a Police Officer at the Stockton P.D. was a first-grader that day. He was not at the Academy to share his experience but was able to send us a YouTube video called “Now This.” We all learned from the video about Rob, his injuries, and the bullet fragments he still carries as well as the impact that day had on his life. The day of the shooting played a role in his decision to become a police officer. Today, he gives presentations around the country to share his experience of that horrific day, Jan. 17, 1989.

Samnang Leam, a realtor in the Chicago area, was a second-grade student that day. He presented at the Academy virtually via Zoom. Sam was injured on Jan. 17th. The extent of his injuries forced him to crawl the entire length of the hallway to make it back to his classroom that day. Another student saw Sam’s bloody sweater and told his teacher who carried Sam out to the front of the building where first responders were performing triage. Sam spoke of how he still suffers from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD). He knows that balloons are not bullets, but he can’t bring himself to allow his own children to play with balloons. That popping sound shatters his peace of mind and brings him back to the tragedy. Like Rob, Sam also carries shrapnel from the bullets.

The Reading of Short Anecdotal Notes

Later, the Academy students read short anecdotal notes, statements from staff and students about the shooting. The following are some of those notes:

“The air was filled with white dust as the bullets pierced the plaster in the wall.” (Kindergarten Teacher)
“We had to use our hands (as tourniquets) to apply pressure to gunshot wounds in children.” (A First-grade Teacher)
“Some bullets went through the outside wall, two inside walls, and the outside wall to the street.” (A Custodian)
“Many months later a teacher found a bullet hole all the way through a stack of books…in a crate…on top of a cabinet.” (A Teacher)
“We hid under our desks, but my students could feel the vibrations of the gun as the shooter stood on the porch of our portable.” (Teacher of the deaf students)
“I walked on the playground and I saw a bullet hole in one of those tetherball posts. They’re thick metal, almost four inches in diameter, and the bullet almost cut it in half.” (First Responder)
“I can’t tell if that is Oeun. She looks different. But there are her little red shoes.” (Oeun Lim’s Teacher)
“Every time I walk out of the house, I put on this big, heavy armor of protection, because I may never know when a stray bullet may come and hit me.” (Writing as an adult, a student who saw Rathanar Or die)

The Aftermath

One of the driving forces in creating CSR as an organization against gun violence was to keep alive the memories of the five students who lost their lives that day:

Thuy Tran, just a sweet little girl, was a first-grader.
Ram Chun, who loved to jump rope, was a first-grader who died in the arms of her teacher.
Sokhim An, another innocent child was also a first grader.
Oeun Lim, smart, bright-eyed, and curious, was a second-grader.
Rathanar Or, a shy, sweet third-grade boy who was like a big brother to all his cousins. His teacher held him as he passed.

Judy shared that she and others experienced survivor’s guilt, PTSD, and other difficulties during the rest of the year after that January day.

After the shooting, students, both injured and deceased, needed to be identified. Many of the younger students who were shot could not give first responders their names because they spoke so little English. It was necessary to find their teachers

to get the names and spell them correctly.

Teachers filled out student roll sheets so that responders could tally the ones missing from each room. Mrs. Julie Schardt, a second-grade teacher was missing one student, Oeun Lim.

Julie was asked by the Police and the Principal to accompany them to try to identify Oeun who was deceased on the playground. Julie could not positively identify Oeun because she looked different in death.

The Principal then asked Judy to identify the student because Oeun also attended her classroom for reading and she would surely recognize Oeun. She gave the same reply as Julie. “I can’t be positive. She looks like Oeun, but I don’t know for sure.”

Sothea Ung, Program Manager at the Asian Pacific Self-development and Residential Association (APSARA), shared stories of the Cambodian refugee families. Sothea is not a survivor of the Cleveland School shooting, but he works with the same affected families and now the grown children of the refugees who first arrived in Stockton in the 1980s who were at Cleveland School on Jan. 17th.

We learned from Sothea that as these Cambodian families fled the Khmer Rouge through the jungles of Cambodia food was scarce. Many children died of starvation and parents were forced to choose which child to save and which to leave behind. They expected that when they arrived in America, the child they saved would thrive and prosper. But instead, several were shot at school. Four died that day in January 1989.

Sothea is also a member of EMAC, Empowering Marginalized Asian Communities. He invites everyone to check out their website. www.emacstockton.org. Their mission is to support and inform Southeast Asian families; to “encourage equity and a robust future.”

PART III. PERSPECTIVES FROM FIRST RESPONDERS AND MORE

After a break, during which the presenters had a few moments to chat with some of the students, the last session of the morning began.

Officer Dave Duley & Officer Robert Faine

Retired Stockton Police Officer Dave Duley was one of the first officers on the scene the morning of January 17th. He arrived at the south (back) of the campus where he heard gunshots. Officer Robert Faine, who now works for the District Attorney’s Office, arrived at the door of the school office on the north side of the campus. He was asked by the Principal to go to the back of the schoolyard where someone was shooting. Officer Faine and Officer Duley got to the gunman just after he had shot himself and died.

Both officers performed the routine police protocol of securing the scene.

The unusual part of this story is that Officer Faine did not remember who joined him that morning to stop the shooter. Thirty years later at a memorial anniversary for law enforcement personnel who were involved in the aftermath of the Cleveland School shooting, he found out that Officer Duley was the one who assisted in securing the scene. Officer Faine shared his surprise and the fact that he had worked with Officer Duley for those thirty years and didn’t know that they were together on Jan. 17th. He realized then that his mind had shut out that detail of the horrible incident.

We learned from Dave Duley and Robert Faine that police officers and first responders did not receive counseling or any time off for debriefing. At that time, in 1989, those services were not provided after a traumatic event like a mass shooting. Officer Faine informed us that today, counseling and debriefing are required after an extraordinary event. First responders and law enforcement personnel may take advantage of whatever service is needed for their well-being.

Diane Batres

Diane Batres, who was the Director of the Victim Witness office, under the jurisdiction of the District Attorney, helped us understand the multitude of tasks that come to light after a mass shooting. Her office became a hub for information, assistance to families for funeral preparation, transportation to hospitals, food, and basic necessities. Diane and her staff organized counseling services for students and staff at the school. They were also instrumental in disbursing charitable funds that were sent to Stockton for the benefit of the students enrolled at Cleveland. It would be hard to quantify all the tasks and actions that the Office of Victim Witness accomplished that year.

Reflections

It is important to reflect upon and evaluate the content and the presentation of material for every lecture.

Some of the presenters had never shared their story with others in a setting such as this, a specific class about gun violence on a school campus. That meant that even those of us who were present at this horrible event are still learning about its effects, some thirty-two years later.

It is crucial to gain an understanding of the individual experiences of several different survivors. Each story is from a particular viewpoint. If it was possible to invite other survivors to share their stories, we would learn so much more.

Why is it necessary to hear about this event, to learn about gun violence in the specific setting of an elementary school? Hearing these stories helps each of us understand the impact of gun violence, not just at the time of the incident, but for years later. We begin to grasp how this shooting affected the children on campus, the staff, and the first responders who came to the aid of so many.

Even as an adult, Officer Robert Faine did not remember that Officer Dave Duley was with him as they secured the scene of the crime.

Now, as Samnang Leam states, he is unable to allow his own children (a generation later) to play with balloons.

As we learned from Officer Rob Young, this event impacted his life to the extent that his chosen profession (as a police officer) is to always be ready to help others.

Sothea Ung, who works at APSARA, hears stories of the families who escaped the Khmer Rouge only to face gunfire at a school in America. He is a listener who works to make social justice a reality in Stockton.

Mike Vann, who works for the Stockton Police Department, survived the playground massacre, now also works for social justice. He remembers the day of Jan. 17th, 1989, and many of the details. We have more to learn from Mike Vann.

The Takeaways

With the closing activity Mike Vann shared with us, we learned that although we have experienced a horrific event, we are not broken. We can move on, find purpose and happiness in life. We will carry the scar of this tragedy, but we can choose to find a way to create change in our community and to improve life for others.

When we share the pain of awful experiences, we find out we are usually not alone. Each of us carries an awful experience somewhere deep in our hearts. As we learn from these recollections, our empathy for others grows and we are able to understand what is required to make our world a better place.

For More Information

For an in-depth account of the shooting at Cleveland School, you can find the most complete coverage of the incident on our Website, Clevelandschoolremembers.org. The story The Trigger Effect was written by Stu Van Airsdale, at Sactown Magazine.

How you Can Help

If you are inclined, Cleveland School Remembers is always looking for new members. We work to reduce gun violence in any setting. You can find out some of what we do by going to our website, Clevelandschoolremembers.org. And our Facebook page, Clevelandschoolremembers, keeps us up to date on the latest activities and upcoming events.

Don’t forget that the organization Empowering Marginalized Asian Communities, EMAC, is a group that works to improve social justice and works to create equality for all in our community. You can reach them by connecting with Sothea Ung at unghengsothea@gmail.com.

We hope this summary offers a clearer picture of the impact of gun violence for all who experience this kind of traumatic event.

In Closing

In closing, Mike Vann focused our attention again on the opening activity. He helped us understand that no matter how difficult our bad times are, we can move on.

Although these trying times will imprint on our hearts, forever staying with us, we can choose to follow a more positive path. The takeaways are that “we are not broken,” we can choose positivity and purpose. Each of us can make a difference so that everyone in our community is able to flourish and succeed.

Credits:

Intro By: Lu Sobredo

Content By: Judy Weldon

Photo from the 2021 Academy—L-R: Niki Smith (Chair of CSR-Brady), Tori Verber Salazar (District Attorney), Mike Vann (Field Division, Stockton P.D), Judy Weldon (CSR-Brady founder), and Sothea Ung (Program Manager for APSARA).

Drawings are by the surviving school children done weeks and months after the tragedy during counseling time.