De Anza College - Averted Shooting

Averted Shooting

On January 29, 2001, San José police arrested De Anza College student Al DeGuzman who planned a Columbine style school shooting at the school. At his home, police found bags filled with homemade explosives including Molotov cocktails and pipe bombs. They also discovered numerous guns, including a semi-automatic rifle and a cut-down 12-gauge pump-action shotgun. There were also plans for a noon attack at De Anza College.

Kelly Bennett, an employee at a Longs Drugs store in San Jose, developed pictures of DeGuzman posing with his guns and homemade bombs. She and a coworker called police, who arrived at the drugstore and waited for DeGuzman. He was arrested when he returned for his photos.

De Anza evacuated over 10,000 students the next day in fear that DeGuzman may have planted bombs at the college, though no bombs were ever found. In the following weeks, Kelly Bennett was praised and credited with averting a tragedy. She appeared on local news, Good Morning America, and The Today Show.

Some critics believe that DeGuzman had no intention of following through with the plan and that he intentionally photographed himself with his arsenal as a cry for help because of years of depression. He was sentenced to serve time in prison, but shortly after took his own life by hanging himself in his cell.