Evan Ramsey

Case record: Evan Ramsey

Background

Evan Ramsey perpetrated a school shooting at Bethel Regional High School in Bethel, Alaska on February 19, 1997. He was 16 years old and a sophomore at the time.

Evan Ramsey’s father was imprisoned when Evan was 7, and Evan’s mother became an alcoholic. Evan and his siblings were then sent to foster homes. In at least one foster home, Evan was sexually abused. Evan suffered from depression from as young as 10 and had attempted suicide when he was 10 years old. He was contemplating suicide five years before the shootings.

Evan Ramsey lived in eleven foster homes between 1988 and 1991 and was separated from his older brother, John. Evan was adopted with his brother at age 10 and settled in Bethel, Alaska with their foster mother. Evan’s younger brother William claimed that foster brothers would pay other children to beat Evan as a sick game. Evan and his younger brother were allegedly abused by several foster parents.

Evan Ramsey had frequently been picked on at school. Friends described him as not very smart and said he was often called names such as “retard”, “spaz” or “braindead”. He was also nicknamed “Screech”, a character from the TV series Saved by the Bell. He complained of being harassed and teased by other students.

Evan Ramsey was interested in the violent video game Doom and played it frequently. After the shootings, his father told the press he believed his son may have been imitating Doom. In a later interview, Evan blamed Doom for the school shooting. Evan also said that one of his motivations was “to commit suicide”.

Evan Ramsey later gave an interview with Anderson Cooper titled “In The Mind of a Killer”. His crime was also profiled on the Court TV series Anatomy of a Crime.

The offence

On Wednesday, February 19, 1997, Evan Ramsey arrived at Bethel Regional High School by school bus and armed himself with a Mossberg 12-gauge shotgun.

Reports said over 15 students knew of Evan Ramsey’s intention to commit a school shooting in the two weeks prior to the incident, and two actually assisted him. One student named James Randall taught Evan Ramsey how to use a shotgun. Another student named Matthew Charles told him about the infamy that would come. Reports also said several students brought cameras to school on the day of the shooting, and many students were watching the shooting from a library balcony overlooking the student commons area. A group of students gathered in the second-floor library overlooking the lobby because they were told by Evan and his accomplices that something big was going to happen, and no adult was warned.

Evan Ramsey entered the school lobby brandishing a shotgun. He shot student Josh Palacios, who was 15 years old, in the abdomen. The wound was described as immediate fatal. He then shot the principal Ron Edwards twice, with Ron Edwards being fatally shot. Evan Ramsey also wounded two other students.

After shooting, Reyne Athanas, an art teacher, entered the student commons area after hearing the gunshots. Athanas said she tried and failed to convince Evan Ramsey to surrender. Athanas entered the main lobby, where Evan Ramsey twice fatally shot principal Ron Edwards.

Evan Ramsey later retreated to the student commons area and shot once at police. He then placed the shotgun barrel under his chin. It was reported that he said, “I don’t want to die,” and laid the shotgun on the ground and surrendered without further incident when police arrived.

Following his arrest, Evan Ramsey claimed he did not understand his actions would kill anyone. After the killings, Evan Ramsey said he felt “good,” as if he had solved his problems. He also said: “Through my crime, I released hate and pain.” He later said: “There were a couple of people I wanted to kill,” and “At the time there was two people that I hated, hate as in the way Hitler hated the Jews.”

Investigation and arrest

After hearing gunshots, Reyne Athanas tried and failed to convince Evan Ramsey to surrender. When police arrived, Evan Ramsey surrendered.

Following his arrest, Evan Ramsey’s trial was delayed as prosecutors discussed whether he should be tried as a juvenile or as an adult. The decision was that Ramsey would be tried as an adult, with his trial held in Anchorage.

Trial

On December 2, 1998, Evan Ramsey was found guilty of:

• two counts of first-degree murder
• three counts of first-degree attempted murder
• fifteen counts of third-degree assault

Judge Mark Isaac Wood sentenced Evan Ramsey on December 2, 1998.

Sentencing

Judge Mark Isaac Wood sentenced Evan Ramsey to 210 years in prison. On appeal, his sentence was reduced to two 99-year prison sentences. The Court of Appeals of the State of Alaska issued the opinion described as opinion 1832.

Evan Ramsey is serving his sentences at Spring Creek Correctional Center in Seward. He is eligible for parole in 2066, when he will be 85 years old.

Victims and casualties

During the shooting, two people were killed and two others were wounded.

The record named the deceased student Josh Palacios and the principal Ron Edwards.

Related individuals and assistance

Reports said Evan Ramsey had assistance from two students:

• James Randall, who taught him how to use a shotgun
• Matthew Charles, who told him of the infamy that would come

Matthew Charles later pleaded guilty to criminally negligent homicide. Randall was convicted of second-degree murder. Both boys were tried as juveniles and could only be held until age 19.

Evan Ramsey’s foster mother was identified as Sue Hare.

Evan Ramsey later shared a cell with Shawn Aldridge, 20, who was serving 20 years for the beating and knifing death of a cab driver.

Other details

Evan Ramsey’s father was identified as Don Ramsey. In 1986, Don Ramsey was nicknamed “Rambo of Alaska” after an incident in which a newspaper refused to publish his letter. Don Ramsey went to the newspaper’s office armed with an .223 semi-automatic assault rifle and a .44 magnum revolver and over 200 rounds of ammunition. After a short stand-off, Don Ramsey surrendered and was imprisoned. Reports said Don Ramsey was released from prison in February 1997. Two weeks later, Evan Ramsey perpetrated the school shooting.

It was reported that Evan Ramsey stole the shotgun from the home of his foster mother.

Evan Ramsey later discussed life in prison. He said: “I would tell them the situation they' re in now is not half as bad as the situation they' re going to be in if they do something similar to what I did.” He added: “It will only get worse.” He also said: “I'm dead to the world,” and “If a few months, nobody will really remember me. There will be other people that will commit other offenses and I'll be considered yesterday's news.” He later said: “I’m going to do everything I’m able to do to take the right steps to make my chances of getting out increase,” and “Prisons are very hard on people. They grow old faster.” Another quoted statement about the harsh reality was: “The harsh reality is he will never get out.”

Evan Ramsey said in the context of his actions: “My main objective of going into the high school was to check out.” He also said: “To commit suicide.”

During the incident, Athanas said Evan looked very angry and out of control, and she told him to put the gun down.

Evan Ramsey said during his surrender sequence: “I don' t want to die” and later: “I don’t want to die” is also presented as the reported statement when the police closed in.

The record included an Anderson Cooper interview titled “In The Mind of a Killer” and said Evan blamed the video game Doom for the shooting. The record also said his crime was profiled on Court TV’s Anatomy of a Crime.

Evan Ramsey reported listening to heavy-metal bands Korn or Cradle of Filth on a portable CD player and said he had trouble sleeping. He made $21 a month from a job in prison. He reread letters from a fiancee named Whitney from Greenville, N.C. The record said Alaska does not permit conjugal visits. The record stated that Whitney would be his first visitor since New Year’s Day, 2000, when his mother surprised him. Evan Ramsey’s mother was described as drunk when he called her, and he said: “She happened to be drunk,” adding: “She told me she was feeling sad, like nobody cared about her.” It was reported that Evan Ramsey takes anti-depressants.