On March 5, 2001, at Santana High School, 15-year-old Charles Andrew Williams shot and killed two students and injured thirteen other people — eleven students and two staff members. Students and faculty were evacuated to a nearby shopping center, and local businesses and churches helped to handle students and parents. Some students said that they heard him saying, weeks before the shootings, that he was "going to pull a Columbine". Retreating to a bathroom, he was apprehended by police. On June 20, 2002, Williams pleaded guilty to all charges against him in an effort to avoid trial. He was sentenced to 50 years to life in prison. He was eligible for a first youth offender parole in September 2024. Parole was not granted, resulting in a three year waiting period until his next parole hearing.
