2013 Sparks Middle School shooting

Shooting in Sparks, Nevada, on October 21, 2013

2013 Sparks Middle School shooting
Location	Sparks Middle School, Sparks, Nevada, US
Coordinates	39°33′6″N 119°46′6″W / 39.55167°N 119.76833°W / 39.55167; -119.76833
Date	October 21, 2013 (2013-10-21)
Attack type	School shooting, murder–suicide
Weapons	Ruger SR9C 9 millimeter semi-automatic handgun
Deaths	2 (Landsberry and the perpetrator)
Injured	2
Perpetrator	Jose Reyes
Defender	Michael Landsberry
Motive	Bullying and mental illness

The Sparks Middle School shooting occurred in Sparks, Nevada, United States, on October 21, 2013. Two people, including the perpetrator, were killed, and two others were injured. Sparks Middle School is part of the Washoe County School District.

Shooting

List of victims

Killed:
School personnel
Michael Landsberry, 45, teacher

Perpetrator
Jose Reyes, 12 (suicide)

Wounded:

K.J. Kersey, 12, student

Mason Davis, 12, student

On October 21, 2013, Jose Reyes, a 12-year-old student in seventh grade, opened fire with a handgun at the basketball courts of Sparks Middle School. He injured a 12-year-old student, KJ Kersey, in the shoulder. Michael Landsberry, a 45-year-old math teacher who was trying to intervene with Reyes, was shot and killed in the playground. Reyes proceeded to fire two shots at teacher Mr. Perez, missing both, and then shot and wounded a 12-year-old student, Mason Davis, who tried to come to Landsberry's assistance. Davis suffered an injury to his abdomen. Reyes then committed suicide by shooting himself in the head. He had two magazines, one with 17 rounds, and another with 10 rounds, although neither were filled to capacity. shooting happened before classes, and the school was evacuated and was closed for the week. Details of the shooting emerged in the report issued the following spring.

Perpetrator

Jose Horacio Reyes (July 2, 2001 – October 21, 2013), was born in Reno, Nevada, to parents from Mexico. He had two younger sisters, and grew up partially in Arizona where his father found a construction job, but later moved with his family back to Nevada. Reyes's parents owned a restaurant in Sparks. In early 2012, Reyes's father was charged with and pleaded guilty to misdemeanor child abuse for an incident involving his son. Reyes left two suicide notes claiming he was bullied, and had taken the antidepressant Prozac and an antipsychotic drug.

Aftermath

The incident has been a continuing subject of public concern and discussion. In November 2015, Hillary Clinton discussed the shooting at Sparks during her campaign for the presidency, as part of her campaign for gun control.

References

Staff reports (May 13, 2014). "Police: Sparks Middle School shooter said he was teased". Reno Gazette-Journal. Retrieved October 24, 2014.
"Schools Directory - Detail Page".
Staff report. "Sparks Middle School shooting: Text of police statement". Reno Gazette Journal. Retrieved November 10, 2024.
"Nevada school shooting: Teacher killed, two students wounded". CNN. October 21, 2013. Retrieved October 21, 2013.
"Day 1 updates from the Sparks Middle School shooting". RGJ.com. October 21, 2013. Retrieved October 21, 2013.
"Two Dead and Two Injured in Shooting at Sparks Middle School". Washoe County School District. Retrieved October 21, 2013.
"Nevada school shooting: Teacher killed, two students wounded". CNN. October 21, 2013. Retrieved October 21, 2013.
McAndrew, Siobhan (May 14, 2014). "Chilling details, no motive in Nev. school shooting". USA Today. Reno Gazette Journal. Retrieved November 27, 2014.
Staff reports. "Sparks Middle School shooting: report highlights". Reno Gazette Journal. Retrieved November 10, 2024.
"Sparks school shooting". Reno Gazette-Journal.
Harris, Paul (December 2, 2015). "Police Warn Public To Be Prepared During Active Shooter Situations". ABC News. Retrieved December 2, 2015.
"Community marks 2 years since deadly Sparks Middle School shooting". News 4. October 21, 2015. Retrieved December 2, 2015.
"Wife of Teacher Slain in Sparks School Shooting Receives Settlement". CBS News. AP. August 12, 2015. Retrieved December 2, 2015.
Ritchey, Julie (November 23, 2015). "Clinton Cites Sparks Middle Shooting In Push For Gun Control". KUNR. Retrieved December 2, 2015.

External links

School shootings in the United States

Prior to 2000
(full list)

1760s	Enoch Brown school massacre (1764)
1960s	University of Texas (1966) Rose-Mar College of Beauty (1966)
1970s	Kent State University (1970) Jackson State University (1970) Olean High School (1974) Computer Learning Center (1976) California State University, Fullerton (1976) Cleveland Elementary School (1979)
1980s	49th Street Elementary School (1984) Cokeville Elementary School (1986) Hubbard Woods Elementary School (1988) Oakland Elementary School (1988) Cleveland Elementary School (1989)
1990s	University of Iowa (1991) Lindhurst High School (1992) Bard College at Simon's Rock (1992) East Carter High School (1993) Wickliffe Middle School (1994) Blackville–Hilda High School (1995) Richland High School (1995) Frontier Middle School (1996) San Diego State University (1996) Bethel Regional High School (1997) Pearl High School (1997) Heath High School (1997) Westside Middle School (1998) Parker Middle School (1998) Thurston High School (1998) Columbine High School (1999)

2000 to present
(full list)

2000s	Buell Elementary School (2000) University of Arkansas (2000) Santana High School (2001) Appalachian School of Law (2002) John McDonogh High School (2003) Case Western Reserve University (2003) Rocori High School (2003) Red Lake Senior High School (2005) Campbell County High School (2005) Pine Middle School (2006) Platte Canyon High School (2006) Weston High School (2006) West Nickel Mines School (2006) Virginia Tech (2007) Delaware State University (2007) SuccessTech Academy (2007) Northern Illinois University (2008) E.O. Junior High School (2008) University of Central Arkansas (2008)
2010s	University of Alabama in Huntsville (2010) Chardon High School (2012) Oikos University (2012) Sandy Hook Elementary School (2012) Santa Monica College (2013) Sparks Middle School (2013) Marysville Pilchuck High School (2014) Umpqua Community College (2015) Northern Arizona University (2015) University of California, Los Angeles (2016) El Centro College (2016) Townville Elementary School (2016) North Park Elementary School (2017) Rancho Tehama Elementary School (2017) Aztec High School (2017) Marshall County High School (2018) Stoneman Douglas High School (2018) Santa Fe High School (2018) Noblesville West Middle School (2018) University of North Carolina at Charlotte (2019) STEM School Highlands Ranch (2019) Saugus High School (2019)
2020s	Oxford High School (2021) Liberty Point International Middle School (2022) East High School (2022) Edmund Burke School shooting (2022) Robb Elementary School (2022) Rusdale High School (2022) Central Visual and Performing Arts High School (2022) University of Virginia (2022) Richneck Elementary School (2023) Michigan State University (2023) Covenant School (2023) Virginia Commonwealth University (2023) University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (2023) University of Nevada, Las Vegas (2023) Perry High School (2024) Apalachee High School (2024) Tuskegee University (2024) Feather River School (2024) Abundant Life Christian School (2024)

In media

Film and television	The Deadly Tower (1975) Detention: The Siege at Johnson High (1997) Duck! The Carbine High Massacre (1999) Bang Bang You're Dead (2002) Bowling for Columbine (2002) Heart of America (2002) Home Room (2002) "Jimmy" (2002) Elephant (2003) Zero Day (2003) American Yearbook (2004) "Time Stands Still" (2004) The Only Way (2004) Dawn Anna (2005) All the Boys Love Mandy Lane (2006) American Gun (2006) State's Evidence (2006) The Life Before Her Eyes (2007) April Showers (2009) Beautiful Boy (2010) We Need to Talk About Kevin (2011) Hello Herman (2012) White Rabbit (2013) Rudderless (2014) Sins of Our Youth (2014) The Cokeville Miracle (2015) I'm Not Ashamed (2016) "Dead Kids" (2018) Vox Lux (2018) Safety (2019) If Anything Happens I Love You (2020) Run Hide Fight (2020) The Fallout (2021) Mass (2021) Eric Larue (2023) The Graduates (2023) The Truth vs. Alex Jones (2024)
Literature	Give a Boy a Gun (2000) Nobody Left to Hate (2001) No Easy Answers (2002) After (2003) Columbine (2009) Hate List (2009) "'No Way to Prevent This', Says Only Nation Where This Regularly Happens" (2014—) A Mother's Reckoning (2016)
Other	Pico's School (1999) Lullaby for Columbine (1999) Shoot (Hellblazer) (1999/2010) "The Nobodies" (2000) columbinus (2005) Super Columbine Massacre RPG! (2005) "Valentine's Day" (2013) The Library (2014)

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