The San Diego State University shooting was a school shooting that occurred at the San Diego State University (SDSU) engineering building on August 15, 1996 in San Diego, California, United States. [1][2] Three professors were killed by masters degree student Frederick Martin Davidson.[3] Three months later, a copycat threat flier was sent, with threats against professors and racial insults.[4]
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The perpetrator was 36-year-old SDSU mechanical engineering graduate student Frederick Martin Davidson. He was to defend his master's thesis in front of his graduate advisor, Assistant Professor Chen Liang, 32, and two other faculty members, Associate Professors Constantinos Lyrintzis, 36, and D. Preston Lowrey III, 44, at 2:00 p.m. on Thursday, August 15, 1996.[5] San Diego Police investigations after the shooting determined that Davidson made advance plans for the shooting by slipping into the room where he was to defend his thesis at 10:00 a.m., and hiding a handgun and five extra magazines of ammunition in a first aid kit. Each magazine contained 15 rounds of ammunition.[6]
Davidson believed that the three professors and in fact the entire engineering department were involved in a conspiracy against him.[7] Davidson's thesis had been rejected once already, and he may have believed that the faculty would reject his thesis again. Davidson also mentioned to his landlord of two years, Charles Brashear, that he was resentful towards Liang, his graduate advisor, for working long hours in the laboratory with little credit,[6] and receiving busy work that had nothing to do with his thesis.[8] Davidson's lack of employment was also a motive, as he felt Lyrintzis was preventing him from finding work. Lowrey had seen Davidson with old notes that a student should not have, and Lowrey considered that cheating.[8]
Davidson, the three faculty members, and three other engineering students assembled in the classroom shortly before 2:00 p.m. The three students were there to support Davidson, and to witness a Master's thesis defense. Liang stood, formally introduced Davidson, stated the purpose of the meeting, and sat back down.[5][6] Davidson then handed Liang a printout of an e-mail, from a prospective employer who was interested in hiring Davidson, that stated that his future employment with the company hinged on a successful Master's thesis defense.[8] Without time for comment from Liang, and without saying anything himself, Davidson turned to the first aid box on the wall, removed the 9mm semiautomatic handgun, and immediately started firing, hitting Liang first, and killing him while still seated at the faculty table. Lowrey and Lyrintzis were also hit. However, Lowrey tried to escape out the only main access door to the room. There were other doors in the room, but only one door led out to the hallway, and other parts of the 3rd floor of the Engineering building. Davidson was between the main door and the faculty table, and shot Lowrey several times, and he died on the floor in the main doorway. Lyrintzis fled away from the main door and Davidson, into an adjoining classroom, and hid under a table. After killing Lowrey, Davidson reloaded another clip into the handgun, and pursued Lyrintzis into the other room. Davidson shot and killed Lyrintzis while still under the desk.[8] Overall, Davidson fired 23 rounds, with 16 rounds hitting the professors.[8]
The three students attending the thesis defense were not shot, and escaped without injury. One of the students did make it out the main doorway, and notified the 3rd floor students and faculty to evacuate.[5] Davidson later commented that he was not angry at the students, and had no intention of killing them.[8]
After the shooting, Davidson himself called 9-1-1.[9] Police arrived to find Davidson in the 3rd floor hallway still holding the handgun. He was reportedly sobbing and begging for police to kill him.[9] He soon surrendered to police without further incident. Davidson had intended to kill himself after the shootings, but could not due to "pure cowardice". Davidson had left a murder suicide note in the hallway for the police to find, detailing the location of evidence and computer files in his house.[8]
On July 19, 1997, Davidson was convicted under a plea bargain which spared him from the death penalty. He was sentenced to three consecutive life sentences without the possibility of parole.[10]
"L3 Memorial Park", dedicated on August 25, 2003, is located on the San Diego State University campus, near the engineering building, as a memorial to the slain professors.[11] Also, the "Preston Lowrey III memorial scholarship fund" was established at the university shortly after the shooting.[12]