Kip Kinkel
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Kipland Philip Kinkel (born August 30, 1982) became Oregon's youngest ever person to receive what is considered a life sentence, after killing his parents and soon afterwards killing two more people while wounding 25 at his local high school. He was 15-years old at the time of the incident, and had a history of clinical depression. He is currently serving a 111-year custodial order, and will never be eligible for parole. In 2007 when he turns 25 Kinkel will be transferred from the Oregon Youth Authority juvenile facility to an adult prison where he will spend the rest of his life.
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[edit] Expulsion
On May 20, 1998, the day before the initial shooting, Kinkel was expelled from Thurston High School for being in possession of a handgun. Korey Ewert stole a gun from Scott Keeney, the father of one of his friends, and arranged to sell it to Kinkel the night before. The next day, Kinkel bought it from him for $110, a Beretta .32 pistol loaded with a 9 round magazine. Kinkel put the handgun in a paper bag and left it in his locker.
Scott Keeney soon discovered he was missing a handgun, and called the police to report it, and gave them a list of names of students he believed might have stolen the firearm. Kinkel's name was not on the list. Eventually, the school became aware of Kip's possible involvement and sent for him. When Kip was checked for weapons on his person, he reportedly stated: "Look, I'm gonna be square with you guys; the gun's in my locker". Kinkel was then arrested along with Korey Ewert, expelled, then released from police custody and driven home by his father, Bill.
[edit] Murder of parents
Later that day late in the afternoon, Kinkel retrieved his locked up Ruger semi-automatic rifle from his parents' room, loaded it, and proceeded to the kitchen where he shot his father once in the back of the head as he was drinking coffee, killing him instantly.
He then waited for his mother to come home from work. When she did at about 6:00 p.m., Kinkel told her that he loved her then shot her a total of six times through the head and heart. Kinkel left his mother's body in the garage and dragged his father into the bathroom, where he locked the door. He also put a white sheet over both of the bodies.
His sister Kristen did not know of any of the events until after they had unfolded, as she was away at college in Hawaii at the time. She would later provide insight into the lives of the Kinkels at home.
[edit] May 21: Shooting at Thurston High
On May 21, Kinkel drove his mother's Ford Explorer to his former high school. He wore a trenchcoat to hide the four weapons he carried, including:
- Hunting Knife, strapped to his leg
- 9MM Glock 19 pistol
- Ruger .22 Semi-Automatic Rifle
- Ruger .22 pistol
He left his mother's car outside the school and carried a backpack for his ammunition. He entered the hallway and fired two shots, one killing Ben Walker and the other wounding Ryan Atteberry. Kinkel then entered the cafeteria and fired the remaining 48 rounds from the 50-round clip in his rifle. He fired from the hip, walking across the cafeteria, wounding 24 students and killing Mikeal Nicholauson.
When his rifle ran out of ammunition and Kinkel began to reload, wounded student Jake Ryker tackled Kinkel, who attempted to kill Ryker with the Glock. He only managed to fire one shot before Ryker knocked the gun out of his hand. More students, including Jake's brother Josh, helped restrain Kinkel until the police arrived and arrested him.
Nicholauson died at the scene, and Walker died after being transported to the hospital and kept on life support until his parents arrived. The other students, including Jake Ryker (who was in critical condition), were also taken to the hospital with a variety of wounds.
At the high school, he fired a total of 51 rounds, 50 being .22 bullets from the rifle, and one from the 9mm Glock.
[edit] Arrest and sentencing
Kinkel was arrested. When brought to the police station, he lunged at Al Warthen, a police officer, with his knife, screaming "Shoot me, kill me!" The officer sprayed Kinkel with pepper spray, thwarting his attack. Kinkel later said that he wanted to trick the officer into shooting him, and that he had wanted to commit suicide after killing his parents but could not bring himself to do it.
At his sentencing hearing, the defense presented a number of experts in mental health in an effort to prove that Kinkel was mentally ill. The only psychologist who had seen Kinkel before the shootings maintained that he was in satisfactory mental health. However, he had only seen the psychologist for a total of nine sessions, after which his parents felt that he had made satisfactory progress. In any event, on September 24, 1999, three days before jury selection was set to begin, Kip pleaded guilty to murder and attempted murder, forgoing the possibility of being acquitted by reason of insanity. In November, 1999, Kinkel was sentenced to more than 111 years in prison, without the possibility of parole.
In January 2000, a request for a new trial was filed based on claims that Kip's lawyers failed to properly pursue an insanity defense. A judge was expected to rule on that appeal within the year, but as of 2006 no motion has been given on the appeal.
[edit] Victims
[edit] Kinkel home
- Bill Kinkel, by a single .22 shot to the back of the head
- Faith Kinkel, by 6 .22 rounds to the head and chest
[edit] Thurston High School
- Ben Walker, by a single .22 round to the head
- Mikeal Nicholauson, injured by shots to the chest and thigh, and killed by a point blank bullet to the head.
[edit] Trivia
- Kip Kinkel is referenced in the Bizzy Bone song "Social Studies"; Bizzy admonishes him to "put these headphones on and let me murder you like you murdered your mom."
- Kinkel was apparently a fan of the 1996 film William Shakespeare's Romeo + Juliet, and had the soundtrack on repeat when police entered the house after the shooting.
- Kinkel is referenced in the controversial Super Columbine Massacre RPG!; the shooters remember his 111-year sentence shortly before deciding to commit suicide.
- In 2000, PBS aired a documentary called "Frontline: The Killer at Thurston High". The documentary looks into the life of Kinkel, including his depression and fascination with firearms.[1]
[edit] External links
- Cincinnati Post[http://www.cincypost.com/news/1998/kipsid111198.htmlbv
- [2]
- [3]
