For instance, The Cokeville Miracle Foundations 2005 book Witness to Miracles: Remembering the Cokeville Elementary School Bombing and the Wyoming State Archives oral history project called Survivor is My Name both focused on the reconstructing of this narrative as a miracle instead of a tragedy. But David refused to reveal his plans entirely until moments before they unfolded. Rich Haskell: No, it's not. By Deseret News. Rich Haskell: Well, I did learn later that the kids saw the angels. The bomb did detonate and fire, thick black smoke and toxi fumes filled the room. #TodayInHistory: Today in 1986, The Cokeville Elementary School crises happened. I absolutely have. But I walked up to the window and looked inside the window and didn't hardly see anything out of the ordinary except it was all black inside. The miraculous events that followed transformed the lives of hundreds of people, including many who witnessed angels or received heavenly help from deceased ancestors. But it still sent flames all over in the room and you can see where all the flames were in that room. Rich Haskell: Yes, I did. Mark Junge: And that's the lesson we learn. When I looked up to see if David had heard me (which he had, and scowled down at me) I noticed that the florescent white light overhead was not white, but a yellow hazy light. Amy Bagaso Williams with her husband and four children. I certainly enjoy my grandkids a lot more. It has shaped me to know that God is real. I've got to get back to work now! I actually have a pretty clear memory of the events that day, being 12 years old. Box 37, Cokeville, Wyoming 83114. My husband and I are looking forward to seeing the movie, as we weren't around when it happened and have just recently learned about it. Mark Junge: Do you think David or Doris would have cut it? Used with permission and thanks. Several other survivors were there. it is VERY LDS, and yet there are at least 3 other churches in town: Episcopal, Catholic, Baptist (and sometimes a non-denominational church). Also, how long was it before the kids started talking about seeing angels? Mark Junge: And what happened? And that's what we in this country have that these other fanatics or whatever is the family is the import factor. One thing to mention is that the tension in real life seemed much more present at first, and then once prayers were said the mood really lifted. Rich Haskell: No, I don't think it exited. This can, the aluminum powder, never went off. For more information about our sponsors and the people behind WyoHistory.org, visit our About Us page: Hostage crisis at the elementary school in Cokeville, Wyo. In the classroom, David held the gasoline bomb, with the triggering mechanism attached to a string tied around his wrist. A quarter of a century later, Williams can still vividly recall the chaotic scene following the explosion. In the days and weeks immediately after this event, most accounts focused on the horrors of the day. So if the state didn't pay him, he figured the Mormon church would pay him because the Mormon church has money also. Casper Chapter, Wyoming Archaeological Society, June Frison chapter, Wyoming Archeological Society. But I know that, well, I'll just be quite frank. 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. David was a diabetic. [7][5] The reason for the wire cuts are so far unexplained. Have you had anything like this, anything close to this happen? Because it was sittin' low enough and the kids were low enough that it would have done it. The Power of Faith: 25 Years After School Bombing, Town Remembers Story of Survival., Mitchell, Ruth Ann. Sue Castaneda: Carla said that some people were mad that we were there. Because in the bus, everything was solid in the school bus. Chalkboards andwhat do they call those?whiteboards, I think they are, along the walls. They lived in a mobile home with Princess, Davids youngest daughter from his first marriage. Cook, the school's secretary and the first person taken hostage, could tell Young's threats were serious. The tuna fish cans, if you can imagine, here's two tuna fish cans sittin' here like this, and a gallon jug of gasoline sittin' above it. I don't think that they were planningor David was planning on the ceiling tiles in the school. David had also sent a copy of the manifesto to Reagan. Dr. Clark is the faculty advisor of the Sweet Memories: Research Group at Western. Survivor is my Name: Voices of the Cokeville Elementary School Bombing. Produced by Wyoming State Archives for Wyoming State Parks and Cultural Resources, the package includes interviews with 14 people about the events of May 16, 1986. One of the miracles that day was that not a single person was lost. Rich Haskell: I was cookin' right along, yes I was! We figured that he had dropped down on his knee, took his pistol and shot her to put her out of her misery, because when we went out and looked at her, there was a hole up through the bottom of her chin, and it came out the top of her head. Carbon County School District No. You know their names but not their birthdays. You know something about bombs. Young was a former Cokeville town marshal who had been living in Arizona for several years. She was a total torch! This significantly mitigated the explosive power of the bomb. Mark Junge: You'd been tested, though. Rich Haskell: I am. Rich Haskell: And fourteen and a half great-grandchildren. There are some survivors that couldn't believe how accurate much of it was. Returning, David Young shot his wife, then himself. I cannot explain it! You can check out [CokevilleMiracle.com] (http://www.cokevillemiracle.com/movie.html). Rich Haskell: I don't know the birthdates but I know the names. She lifted her hand up to rub her forehead and when she did that pulled the pin out and detonated the bomb. And what happens if they trigger something accidently?" Mark Junge: Curious, Rich. 1 of 7. The Cokeville hostage crisis began the afternoon of May 16, 1986, when David and Doris Young took 154 children and adults hostage at the Cokeville Elementary School in tiny Cokeville, Wyo. And it burned some children. They believed in reincarnation, which probably led, in part, to the creation of Davids Brave New World idea. Rich Haskell: No. [13], Coordinates: .mw-parser-output .geo-default,.mw-parser-output .geo-dms,.mw-parser-output .geo-dec{display:inline}.mw-parser-output .geo-nondefault,.mw-parser-output .geo-multi-punct{display:none}.mw-parser-output .longitude,.mw-parser-output .latitude{white-space:nowrap}420457N 1105719W / 42.08250N 110.95528W / 42.08250; -110.95528. As well as I can. . And screaming, I can't imagine the screams that she was making. ", Mark Junge: So it took you three days, three and a half days. It'sI'm still doing that kind of thing because whenever they hold General Conference in Salt Lake City I go to Salt Lake City to be part of the bomb team for the church while they have General Conference. I can understand that. I gathered up some of the equipment that I would need and a change of clothes and proceeded to Cokeville. the children began describing things more specifically and that is when the mom was prompted to find the photograph of their grandmother. David went to the school office, handing out a manifesto titled "ZERO EQUALS INFINITY" and announcing "This is a revolution!" It killed her instantly. Had a small pin-hole leak in it and it dripped into both containers and they both became paste. Rich Haskell: Yes. Rich Haskell: I did not. And if I had been a little less of a jokester I may have seen something in that strange light. Mark Junge: That's a record of all the people we've talked to! He was the father of two, but was estranged from his elder daughter. The Youngs both died that day. I mean, not everybody would do this. The bomb did detonate and fire, thick black smoke and toxi fumes filled the room. Survivors began to tell their stories through a spiritual lens. Words emphasized by the speaker are italicized.~Transcribed by Russ Sherwin, Feb. 27, 2011. Whether or not you believe in God or miracles, show some respect. What should people know going into the film? Don't go past this square. [8] This unintentionally activated the triggering mechanism and the bomb exploded, severely injuring Doris, and filling the room with black smoke and pockets of fire. I have given that some thought. Peterson, Carol. Press question mark to learn the rest of the keyboard shortcuts. Twenty-five years ago on Monday, a man and his wife pushed a homemade gasoline bomb into Cokeville's sole elementary school and demanded $300 million in ransom. results in the deaths of perpetrators David and Doris Young; 154 hostages survive. One of 'em was in Cokeville and one was in the bus that he did the experiment with. By accepting all cookies, you agree to our use of cookies to deliver and maintain our services and site, improve the quality of Reddit, personalize Reddit content and advertising, and measure the effectiveness of advertising. [5], "You could see that the roof tiles had been lifted out of their brackets. There are a select number of people that would do this, so thank you. Vengeance for having been fired did not seem to have been the motive, but rather a philosophy recorded in journal entries referring to a Brave New World where he wanted to reign over intelligent children. Both men were handcuffed in a van outside the school.[1]. Totally destroyed it! Mark Junge: Well, I want you to know that we think you're courageous for doing this with us. As I got closer to it I could tell it was a body, and of course, you just start thinking about what took place. Mark Junge: What's been your experiences since then? David's youngest daughter from his first marriage, Princess, entered the elementary school with David and Doris, but refused to carry out the plan, leaving to report the incident at the town hall. Mark Junge: Do you still think about this? All the hostages escaped, though 79 were hospitalized with burns and injuries. Mark Junge: What were they designed to do? WyoHistory.org welcomes the support of the following sponsors. Had a gallon milk jug full of gasoline on one level, had aluminum powder, flour and those two components was in tuna fish cans directly under the gasoline bomb. New comments cannot be posted and votes cannot be cast. 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. Rich Haskell: The bullet in him was in the bathroom. The couple corralled a large group of students and teachers into a single classroom. To go off to the side? 2 Recreation Board, Indigenous People in Wyoming and the West, http://news.google.com/newspapers/p/deseret_news?id=nz1TAAAAIBAJ&sjid=BYQDAAAAIBAJ&pg=4165,3587249&dq=cokeville+bombing&hl=en, http://archive.org/details/SurvivorIsMyName-VoicesOfTheCokevilleElementarySchoolBombing, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=udNB_xdPiYE, http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=mz1TAAAAIBAJ&sjid=BYQDAAAAIBAJ&pg=6656,2193766&dq=cokeville+trying+to+rebuild&hl=en, http://news.google.com/newspapers?id=oD1TAAAAIBAJ&sjid=BYQDAAAAIBAJ&dq=cokeville&pg=7027%2C3851642, http://wyospcr.state.wy.us/MultiMedia/Display.aspx?ID=86&icon=1, http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1928&dat=19870529&id=-AogAAAAIBAJ&sjid=c2UFAAAAIBAJ&pg=1067,6238243, http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=1499&dat=19870521&id=w4sfAAAAIBAJ&sjid=zH4EAAAAIBAJ&pg=4596,6209063, https://www.deseret.com/2006/5/15/19953524/cokeville-recollects-miracle-of-1986, http://www.denverpost.com/news/ci_18072820, http://trib.com/news/state-and-regional/article%E2%80%943077bf4a-a45e-5dad-ae3a-a99aa8fcf3aa.html, http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=336&dat=19960515&id=Ke5LAAAAIBAJ&sjid=fuwDAAAAIBAJ&pg=5227,9406392, http://news.google.com/newspapers?nid=336&dat=19940404&id=GoQwAAAAIBAJ&sjid=iuwDAAAAIBAJ&pg=2778,1992787, http://www.deseretnews.com/article/705372484/Cokeville-miracle-marking-25-years.html, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qe_ZX4Qbsi4, Emergency Management Coordinator Kathy Davison on the 1986 Bombing of Cokeville Elementary School, EMT Glenna Walker, Mother of Three Young Children, on the 1986 Bombing of Cokeville Elementary School, Public Works Director and Fireman Kevin Walker, Father of Three Young Children, on the 1986 bombing of Cokeville Elementary School, Lead Investigator Ron Hartley, Father of Four Student Survivors, on the 1986 Bombing of Cokeville Elementary School, Certified Bomb Technician Rich Haskell on the 1986 Bombing of Cokeville Elementary School, Secretary Tina Cook on the 1986 Bombing of Cokeville Elementary School, First grade teacher Janel Dayton on the 1986 bombing of Cokeville Elementary School, Second grade teacher Carol Petersen on the 1986 bombing of Cokeville Elementary School, Third grade student Rachel Walker Hollibaugh on the 1986 Bombing of Cokeville Elementary School, Third grade student Jamie Buckley King on the 1986 Bombing of Cokeville Elementary School, Fourth grade teacher Kliss Sparks on the 1986 bombing of Cokeville Elementary School, Fourth grade student LeaKae Roberts on the 1986 Bombing of Cokeville Elementary School, Law and Order in Cokeville: A Woman Mayor and Prohibition, Green River Historic Preservation Commission, Natrona County Board of Cooperative Educational Services, Natrona County Recreation Joint Powers Board, Sublette County Historical Preservation Board, University of Wyoming School of Energy Resources, A Projectile Killed Doris Young, Not Bomb Blast, Police in Cokeville Say., Castaneda, Sue and Mark Junge. Students, teachers, visitors, staff who survived the ordeal and bystanders began recounting their memories of this event as it was still unfolding. [7] Geography [ edit] 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. 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? The only thing I bristle at is that TC has me suggesting that we say a prayer. Davids writings reveal that he hoped life would be better for him and Cokevilles children in this imaginary place. For more information about our sponsors and the people behind WyoHistory.org, visit our About Us page: Hostage crisis at the elementary school in Cokeville, Wyo. So we took the tiles off and went up into the ceiling and crawled up into the upper space up there and found a .45 slug up embedded into the iron girders up in the wall, and thought, okay, where did that come from? So timelines and characters may be switched up, but the overall spirit of it and the facts are laid out true to witness testimonies. There was no give in the school bus. We had people from ATFAlcohol, Tobacco and Firearmsand there was another bomb technician that came up from Evanstonhe was studying to be a bomb technicianand we all looked at that and said, "That wire's been cut." On May 16, 1986, an elementary school in the tiny town of Cokeville, Wyoming, was held hostage by a married couple with a bomb. Healing will come Slowly From Within a Wounded Cokeville. When the children became increasingly loud, Doris Young began begging the teachers to settle the group down. results in the deaths of perpetrators David and Doris Young; 154 hostages survive. A new movie is coming out on Friday called "The Cokeville Miracle" that depicts not just this terrible event, but the various miraculous stories that emerged afterward. This narrative was perpetuated in many publications and productions. But he knew the culture, he knew the type of people, and I'm not sayin' that Mormon people are better than anybody else, but their way of life is family is first. Also, what do you want us to know about it that isn't covered in the film? At that time all of the different agencies was pretty much on the same radio frequency and I was stayin' in touch with them, lettin' them know what my location was and they were in turn telling me what was taking place. As time progressed, however, a different story emerged in this highly religious and largely Mormon community. Mark Junge: What do you want to do with the rest of your life? One teacher was shot when he tried to flee,. This did, in fact, happen in Wyoming! On May 16, 1986, David and Doris Young took 154 people hostage at the Cokeville Elementary School in tiny Cokeville, Wyo. In addition, national reporters began arriving within hours of the explosion. Davids friends did not know that the Biggie was a plan to take over Cokeville Elementary School, hold each of the children hostage for $2 million dollars apiece and then detonate the bomb, transporting the money and children to his Brave New World, where he would be God. Rich Haskell: Absolutely! "[6] The two men eventually refused to participate in the event. May 16, 1986, will never be forgotten by the residents of Cokeville, Wyo. I knew fairly quickly that he would be the best chance we had at this. Cokeville Bombing. Undated scrapbook. Nobody come inside this circle." I went from within two feet of the bomb to right near the door within ten minutes before the bomb went off. Rich Haskell: I took pictures of it. Meanwhile, police and parents gathered out of sight of the school room where hostages were gathered. I think it was still in his body. I believe a presence was entering the room at about that time. She was a divorce who earned money working as a waitress and singer in a local bar. And we allthere was three of us there. I contacted my sheriff, and that was Jim Stark at the time, and he said, "Definitely! I mean, okay, you lose the Twin Towers, you might get the Pentagon damaged, but if somebody's town hall or school is blown up in Star Valley [Wyo.] . It was there for a long time, all that support. The Wyoming History one may be the best. SHARE Cokeville miracle marking 25 years. She has published several articles in peer-reviewed journals on the history and heritage of Germans from Russia on the Northern Plains. Just like with a pair of pliers, pair of snips. Of course, most children were elated by the prospects of an assembly. Interview by Mark Junge. That dead-man switch is a piece of string that goes around your wrist and it's hooked into a clothespin, the other end of it. Mark Junge: Had you seen anything like what took place in this classroom before? And afteryou look in there and you could see little pockmarks all through on the walls, and after we finished with our investigationit took us three days to totally do the whole entire sceneyou could tell where those pockmarks were bullets from the heat had gone off. I think you should know that it can be difficult to watch - but that it has a very rewarding outcome. 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. 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. It just embedded into the walls from the ammunition from the heat. But everything was black, like you had gone in there with a flamethrower and just torched everything inside there. Rich Haskell: There was also ayou look through the ceiling and there was a bigger hole up there. Lota, Louinn. Mark Junge: Oh, really! Mark Junge: They weren't big enough, in a way. While David and Doris Young were not involved in an organized religion, both were deeply spiritual. They have a lot of first-person histories of the actual event, teachers, investigators and students. There were plenty who opposed this from Cokeville, not a majority, maybe, but they were vocal and raw with feelings. Rich Haskell: Well, I didn't know a lot about 'em and I still don't know a lot about 'em. Mark Junge: Well, what do you think would cause two people like this to do this? I said, "What on earth happened there?" As long as that piece of wood was in there to keep those separated, it would not detonate. It's a continuous training thing and years and years and years of continuous training with the Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, with the fire marshals and now that it has come into it with the hazardous materials and everything else. Ahntastic Adventures in Silicon Valley May 12, 2011, 2:30am PDT. I don't know. I know there's angels. How did you determine how everything looked when this went up in smoke itself. Cokeville officially has only536 people in it and two LDS wards that meet in the same chapel. David became increasingly agitated, and decided to leave the room. Mark Junge: Yeah, my brother-in-law worked in the Navy as a chief petty officer and he worked with what they called EOD. On May the 16th , 1986, 1 was in Rock Springs at a basketball game. You can see what's happening in the world today. And that's where the bomb sat and that's where they sat. No, we can't do this. Mark Junge: Are you one of the most experienced people in the area? I believe there was a hundred-and-sixty-plus people involved that was being held. It packed the brute force of twenty-five sticks of dynamite. After a two-and-a-half hour standoff, the children were becoming restless, so the teachers preoccupied the kids in the form of movies, games, prayer, and books. Shortly after their wedding, David and Doris left Cokeville and headed to Tucson, Ariz. During their time in Tucson, according to Doris daughter Bernie Petersen, David became increasingly reclusive, focusing on his philosophical readings and writings. Windows were opened to rid the room of gasoline fumes, and prayers were offered in small groups among the children. I don't know how many people under the age of 35 know about the Chicago Tylenol murders, but for a few weeks in 1982, it was a national news sensation. Doris tried numerous times to calm the children by telling them to "think of it as an adventure movie," or that they "would have a great story to tell their grandchildren." The timelines of some events are fuzzy Its hard to nail down what stands out the most, there were a LOT of crazy things I'd never seen before then, or since really. David, Doris and Princess proceeded to the elementary school and entered the building shortly after 1 p.m. that Friday. Did you see anything? Mark Junge: Okay. While he was writing his philosophy, Zero Equals Infinity, Doris took part-time jobs including housekeeping and waitressing to support their meager lifestyle.