With the explosionwhat occurred? Mark Junge: Oh, really! I contacted my sheriff, and that was Jim Stark at the time, and he said, "Definitely! Educated at Chadron State College in Nebraska, he had earned a degree in criminal justice, and was hired as Cokevilles town marshal in the 1970s. On May 16, 1986, David Young, Cokeville's former town marshal, and his wife, Doris, carried five rifles, five handguns and a "dead man's bomb" into the elementary school. The mood did not lift with the singing and teachers quickly negotiated with the hostage takers to get items from the library to help the kids get their minds off the siege,[8] and help to pass the time. So you got that and you got the flour and the gasoline and that's what it was all designed to do in millisecond delays. Cokeville Bombing: Two Powell residents reflect on 1986 tragic event The photo of Rich Haskell is by Wyoming State Archives. While David and Doris Young were not involved in an organized religion, both were deeply spiritual. Mark Junge: Do you think you've taken more joy out of life because of it? She was on fire! What is your assessment of these two people who did this? All the kids were saved. I think I made it there in record timeI'm not sure. Associated Press. So I went to Huntsville, Ala., to Redstone Arsenal. Mark Junge: Well, what do you think would cause two people like this to do this? The Cokeville Miracle - Was It Angels? | Light Force Network So if it can happen there it can happen anywhere in the United States. Either way, right after my joke is about when David excused himself from the room. Virginia Tech, it wasn't that way. Cokeville survivors relive school bombing for film Personally I gave him 17 pages of journal notes! Angelic Intervention save all 153 in bomb blast - Cokeville Wyoming Cokeville Elementary School Explosion - Unsolved Mysteries Wiki the children began describing things more specifically and that is when the mom was prompted to find the photograph of their grandmother. Mark Junge: You'd been tested, though. It packed the brute force of twenty-five sticks of dynamite. You could walk across the street and get run over as far as that's concerned, but I don't know if my wife has any more gray hairs because I've chosen this profession. And then what? On May 16, 1986, when former town marshal David Gary Young and his wife Doris Young took 154 children and thirteen teachers hostage at Cokeville Elementary school in Wyoming and kept them at bay with a shopping-cart sized bomb attached to five hairpin-trigger blast caps, it should have ended in great tragedy - one of the worst in American history. ", All told, 79 of the hostages suffered injuries, mostly second-degree burns, smoke inhalation, and other injuries from the exploding bomb. These are designed to just spread out the particles all over the air. Students, teachers, staff and visitors frantically exited the building, with teachers helping many of the children escape through the windows. Mark Junge: Had you seen anything like what took place in this classroom before? P. O. I went from within two feet of the bomb to right near the door within ten minutes before the bomb went off. COKEVILLE, Wyo. Mark Junge: Well, yes. I think you should know that it can be difficult to watch - but that it has a very rewarding outcome. It was in their Tucson home that David came up with what he considered the Biggie, a plan to get rich quick and create a Brave New World. This plan involved Davids longtime friends, Gerald Deppe and Doyle Mendenhall, who believed by investing in Davids scheme they would get rich. This can, the aluminum powder, never went off. Mark Junge: They don't want it brought up again. A Project of the Wyoming Historical Society. Because in the bus, everything was solid in the school bus. Because in the bus, everything was solid in the school bus. Accessed May 17, 2013, at, Wyoming Horror: A Fiery Schoolhouse Bomb., A 1986 Hostage Event at a Cokeville, Wyoming Elementary School., Jarvik, Elaine. It was cut. Well, when I arrived and saw that body layin' on the front lawn, I was told that was Doris. They feel that it was a positive experience for them. In the West? That's why I have a computer. Some of the children just sat right all around and just watched him. Trauma is trauma and everyone deals with it differently. I was frightened and felt that we needed to do something to try to calm down or to be careful, because he was so agitated. As I sat there and watched him, I could feel he was becoming agitated. (Laughs) But as I was passing through Kemmerer I stayed in radio contact. I had the chance to watch the pre-screening of the film and it was very emotional. In 2006, the Cokeville Miracle Foundation compiled a book of recollections about the day from parents, emergency workers and former hostages. Everyone else survived, including the injured John Miller. But I know that, well, I'll just be quite frank. The Cokeville hostage crisis began the afternoon of May 16, 1986, David and Doris Young took 154 children and adults hostage at the Cokeville Elementary School in tiny Cokeville, Wyo. Of course, I can imagine the noise that it made. His fever broke within minutes of getting it off his chest. Rich Haskell: Well, after I arrived it took probably three to four hours to make sure everything was neutral and everything was not going to be a threat any longer. I don't think that they were planningor David was planning on the ceiling tiles in the school. Rich Haskell: I don't know the birthdates but I know the names. On May 16, 1986, David and Doris Young took 154 people hostage at the Cokeville Elementary School in tiny Cokeville www.wyohistory.org 25 years after school bombing, Wyoming town remembers the . And that's exactly what took place in Cokeville. As long as that piece of wood was in there to keep those separated, it would not detonate. By the people that was the bad folks, they're the only ones that got really hurt. Mark Junge: Curious, Rich. Rich Haskell: Were above the level of the kids, yeah. As well as I can. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. My name is Mark Junge and I'm here at the Hiltonis it the Hilton Hotel? What stands out in your mind the most, looking back? Peterson, Carol. Mark Junge: Today is the 23rd of September, 2010. I don't know. I walked into the bathroom and there was the suspect that had started this whole mess, layin' there on the floor with ahe had a pistol in his hand and you could tell he had shot himself in the head. NOTE: Witness to Miracles was published in 2006 by Pronghorn Press, www.pronghornpress.org . I did open that briefcase remotely like I was taught in school to do. I was still trying to make sense of it all! Sue Castaneda: Where did you get your training for that? That much I know. AN EXPLOSION of vapors, resultLing from a combination of circumstances at the Kearney, N. J., plant of the Koppers Coke Company, on May 17, 1948, resulted in the death of ten men and started a . He had tried this deviceand they were designed tothat it would be a delayed explosion. David, who dared not risk their reporting him to the authorities, responded by holding them at gunpoint. Rich Haskell: Well, run fordo another term as sheriff and then retire, and my wife and I are going to doshe loves genealogy. Mark Junge: That's a mighty powerful gun! Mark Junge: So it would have gone upward, but would it have killed the kids? It just embedded into the walls from the ammunition from the heat. At least 74 people, most of them children, suffered second-degree burns when the bomb went off at about 4 P.M. at the Cokeville Elementary School. Cokeville Public Library. I was later told that everybody had been taken to different hospitals, ambulance services from all over, from Utah, from Idaho, from Wyoming was transporting people all over the place and there was only two fatalities. Doris developed a headache from the gasoline fumes, and raised her hand to her forehead. From Tragedy To Triumph- Talking To A Cokeville Bombing Survivor. No, this is something that people need to know about. I think it's because of the ages of the kids, to start with. This significantly mitigated the explosive power of the bomb. 1 of 7. It's a little basket that has different layers on it. Cokeville miracle marking 25 years - Deseret News results in the deaths of perpetrators David and Doris Young; 154 hostages survive. There was no give in the school bus. In the classroom, David held the gasoline bomb, with the triggering mechanism attached to a string tied around his wrist. Mark Junge: And your great-grandkids? During the chaos, Doris' burnt body was expelled through a window, and left lying on the front lawn. Mark Junge: to go through all this? Rich Haskell: Uh, I can understand that. Thank you for doing this! Rich Haskell: Absolutely. So many of 'em thatI don't know. Sue Castaneda: Did you look at (unintelligible). http://www.cokevillemiracle.com/movie.html, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cokeville_Elementary_School_hostage_crisis. Upon entering the classroom, children saw an arsenal of weapons, a grocery cart and an unfamiliar manDavid Young. I later learned he'd been shot in the back. Dr. Clark is the faculty advisor of the Sweet Memories: Research Group at Western. Wyoming Town Still Healing a Year After School Bombing., Schoolhouse Blast Still Felt a Year Later., Survivor is My Name: Cokeville Elementary School Bombing1986 News Report Audio. Audio Recording. You can ask me anything about this today between 1-2pm. Rich Haskell: If it would have went off like it was supposed to have gone off, it would have lifted the roof off of that school. David had the makeshift bomb attached to his body and housed inside a grocery cart, while Doris and Princess carried an arsenal of rifles, handguns and ammunition, as well as the Zero Equals Infinity handouts. The only two fatalities were David and Doris Young. I knew fairly quickly that he would be the best chance we had at this. The Power of Faith: 25 Years After School Bombing, Town Remembers Story of Survival., Mitchell, Ruth Ann. On one hand people didn't want money to be made off of suffering, but on the other hand it felt ungrateful to not share it in the way that TC would or could. The town has worked to be as respectful as possible to the multitude of experiences that day. [6] With permission, the teachers brought in books, art supplies and a television to help keep the children occupied. For me, what has impressed me about the film is not necessarily the story of Angels (which are remarkable), but that the majority of the 154 hostages chose to see God's hand in their lives that day. One hostage observed a birthday on that day and songs were sung in his honor. He was so open to their input, and feelings. Witnesses later testified that just before the explosion David Young had connected the explosive to his wife. Rich Haskell: Well, by none of the kids bein' hurt that was supposed to be hurt. School Bombing Survivor Converted after Priesthood Blessing Rich Haskell: Okay, I'll buy that! 154 of us were held hostage for almost 3 hours in a 30x32 room when the bomb actually detonated - all 154 hostages survived. A quarter of a century later, Williams can still vividly recall the chaotic scene following the explosion. 25 years after school bombing, Wyoming town remembers story of survival I've spent many, many hours and many days with the leaders of the Mormon church, with the Prophet of the Mormon church. Cokeville Trying to Rebuild A Normal and Secure Life.. The wire was cut. At 1:00 pm, they pulled up to the Cokeville Elementary School and unloaded a gasoline bomb, along with four rifles and nine handguns. Rich Haskell: I don't think that they were planningor David was planning on the ceiling tiles in the school. She has published several articles in peer-reviewed journals on the history and heritage of Germans from Russia on the Northern Plains. Mark Junge: Do you know the names and birthdates of all your grandchildren? The Cokeville Town Hall is located at 110 Pine St. For more information, visit the website of the Cokeville Chamber of Commerce at http://www.cokevillewy.com or call (307) 459-4195. What should people know going into the film? Cokeville Elementary School Bombing | WyoHistory.org Transcriber's notes: I have added some reference footnotes to this transcript where I thought appropriate. The Cokeville Miracle - The American Tragedy That Never Happened Amy Bagaso Williams was a fifth-grader when a couple used a bomb while taking hostages at her Wyoming school on May 16, 1986. With fear that David might become unhinged, the teachers decided to make an ~8-foot square of masking tape for his own personal space. And that was their whole intent of coming to Cokeville. Rich Haskell: Approximately three and a half days. I was up there as part of his protection team. As I come to the junctionI'm sorry, I don't know what the road is that goes over to Bear Lakebut as I was passing that intersection, they did inform me that the bomb had exploded. I do think the key is talking about it often and early. The jug of gasoline had a pinhole-sized leak on its bottom. Rich Haskell: Yeah, I think I did. First grade teacher Janel Dayton on the 1986 bombing of Cokeville Elementary School Published: November 8, 2014 Janel Dayton, Wyoming State Archives photo. Don't go past this square. Mark Junge: You think when we talk to you to bring this up againI know you're emotional about itbut does it hurt you to talk about this? David, Doris and Princess proceeded to the elementary school and entered the building shortly after 1 p.m. that Friday. They believed in reincarnation, which probably led, in part, to the creation of Davids Brave New World idea. Mark Junge: What's been your experiences since then? Interesting stuff to me! Angelic Intervention save all 153 in bomb blast - Cokeville Wyoming - Unexplained Mysteries - Angels Brain Boyle 2.05K subscribers Subscribe 928 158K views 11 years ago All 153 Children &. Audio/Video Recording. Returning to the scene, David shot his wife, a teacher, then himself. Story: Witness who ran toward marathon bomb 'saw bodies flying' "The death of any child shatters us all,'' Barnicle said. Just before implementing the Biggie, David Young had also sent a copy of the document to President Ronald Reagan, the president of Chadron State College and numerous media outlets. AP file. It has shaped me to know that God is real. Trent Toone, Mormon Times. Too many of 'em to try to remember their birthdays. And what happens if they trigger something accidently?" Certified Bomb Technician Rich Haskell on the 1986 Bombing of Cokeville Rich Haskell: You walk into the door, and I don't know if you got to go into the classroom, but you walk into that door and it opens up into the whole thing. Do you think this is a historical event? On May 16, 1986, a man and his wife with a bomb took . Doris had a migraine headache that day, in talking with the other folks, and she was complaining about that, and asked David if she could open the windows because the gas fumesevidently the gas was leaking from the incendiary and he finally consented to let 'em open the window. "If you can see the bomb, the bomb can see you," an officer shouted. Rich Haskell: Yeah. Because they refused to participate, Princess, Deppe, and Mendenhall were never charged in relation to this crime. [4], Prior to the hostage crisis, David had tested a similar bomb in a sealed school bus in Arizona, destroying it.[5]. . Rich Haskell: I sometimes do, but you can't let yourself think about it. I don't know. It was not a teacher, but her ancestor. Rich Haskell: No. In the tiny classroom, they watched movies, played games, prayed. I actually have a pretty clear memory of the events that day, being 12 years old. And screaming, I can't imagine the screams that she was making. Because they weren't in a gun, the pressure wasn't chambered enough to where you could direct it. The incident was detailed in the book The Cokeville Miracle: When Angels Intervene[12] by Hartt Wixom and his wife Judene, published by Cedar Fort, Inc., which formed the basis for a CBS made-for-TV movie titled To Save the Children. David set himself near the center of the room with the grocery cart bomb nearby, as Doris went from room to room rounding up people. Were you portrayed in the movie at all? Well, he had went into the bathroom and she was out with the bomb, and they said she was complaining of a migraine headache. I certainly enjoy my grandkids a lot more. Rich Haskell: The bullet in him was in the bathroom. When I looked at everyone looking at me (as if I should call on someone to say it) I realized I should call on Allyson Cornia - literally because she was the smartest kid in the class! Returning, David Young shot his wife, then himself. Im living proof.. That's what it was designed to do was to go out and be particles and that gasoline was gonna ignite it and blow it up. In a May 16, 1986 photo, the body of Doris Young is removed by officials after the Cokeville Elementary hostage situation in Cokeville, Wyo. Cokeville recollects 'miracle' of 1986 - Deseret News Jessica Clark, Ph.D., is an assistant professor of history and political science at Western Wyoming Community College in Rock Springs, Wyo. I saw an early screening of the film and absolutely loved it. There was no give in the school bus. You just do whatever you have to do and get up there." No need to troll. Seven people in the Chicago area died after ingesting Tylenol capsules laced with potassium cyanide. 'Amityville Horror' killer dies in prison at 69 - NBC News Then when I became a deputy, Sheriff Stark says, "You know, we're going to start finding a bunch of old explosives, dynamite and things. By rejecting non-essential cookies, Reddit may still use certain cookies to ensure the proper functionality of our platform. Cokeville Elementary School hostage crisis - Wikipedia Retro Report took a look back at this episode, with a focus on how Johnson & Johnson and . WyoHistory.org welcomes the support of the following sponsors. Cokeville officially has only536 people in it and two LDS wards that meet in the same chapel. Mark Junge: And what happened? Rich Haskell: That's my oldest boy, Steven. The couple corralled a large group of students and teachers into a single classroom. Mark Junge: And you're sheriff in Sweetwater? I remember seeing the wide eyes on my band teacher as he collapsed with the EMTs afterward. Mark Junge: Okay. I've been involved with law enforcement since 1977 in Sweetwater County. There are some survivors that couldn't believe how accurate much of it was. Cokeville Elementary School hostage crisis, "Radical Right Link Suggested in Hostage Case", "Cokeville Elementary School Bombing | WyoHistory.org", "Couple take over school but die after bomb blast", "Couple in School Blast Linked to Extremist Group", "Certified Bomb Technician Rich Haskell on the 1986 Bombing of Cokeville Elementary School | WyoHistory.org", "Lead Investigator Ron Hartley, Father of Four Student Survivors, on the 1986 Bombing of Cokeville Elementary School | WyoHistory.org", "Secretary Tina Cook on the 1986 Bombing of Cokeville Elementary School | WyoHistory.org", "A projectile killed Dorris Young, not bomb blast, police in Cokeville say", "In 1986, 154 children and teachers survived the bombing of Cokeville Elementary School", "Emergency Management Coordinator Kathy Davison on the 1986 Bombing of Cokeville Elementary School | WyoHistory.org", University of North Carolina at Charlotte, Liberty Point International Middle School, Central Visual and Performing Arts High School, "'No Way to Prevent This', Says Only Nation Where This Regularly Happens", List of school shootings in the United States by death toll, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Cokeville_Elementary_School_hostage_crisis&oldid=1139490391, Improvised explosive device bombings in the United States, Short description is different from Wikidata, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 15 February 2023, at 11:55.