SANTEE, Calif. — Andy Williams admits that he doesn't deserve a second chance at freedom.
But on September 10, the deadliest school shooter in San Diego County history will have his chance. Williams will appear before the California Parole Board for the first time since murdering two classmates and shooting 13 others at Santana High School in Santee on March 5, 2001.
The chance at freedom for the then-15-year-old mass shooter comes after serving less than half of his minimum 50-year sentence due to a change in California law for juveniles who were tried and convicted as adults.
On September 10, Williams, 38, will explain what he's done to make amends for taking the lives of 14-year-old Randy Gordon and 17-year-old Bryan Zuckor, physically scarring 13 others that he shot, and emotionally traumatizing the City of Santee and the community at large.
For the past year, CBS 8 has tracked Williams's run-up to parole eligibility. During that time, we spoke to a mother whose son, Bryan, was taken from her, survivors haunted by scenes of terrified and bloodied classmates screaming for help, and former students who to this day freeze at the slightest sudden sound such as a balloon popping, the yelp from a siren, or burst from a firecracker.
CBS 8 spoke to legal experts who explained the changes in California law that afford Williams a chance at parole.
We also spoke to Williams from prison, as he prepared for a parole hearing where he will face his victims, the families of those whose lives he destroyed, and ask for forgiveness and ask parole board members for another chance at freedom.
It will also be the first time for victims, survivors, and families of survivors to confront their then-teenage tormentor, Andy Williams.
Why does parole come so early?
Facing a potential 400-year prison sentence on June 20, 2002, then-16-year-old Williams pleaded guilty to two counts of murder and 13 counts of attempted murder.
Under the plea deal, Williams was sentenced as an adult to serve 50 years to life in state prison.
A probation officer tasked with reviewing the criminal case said Williams "affected the Santee Community, the State of California, as well as the Nation with his irrational behavior."
The probation officer also said, "One has to wonder if Andy will ever realize the devastation his actions had that fateful day."
Changes to California laws
But since Williams' sentencing, state laws have changed.
In 2002, state prosecutors had the discretion to try those as young as 14 years old as adults.
In 2013, former Governor Jerry Brown signed the Youth Offender Parole Hearing Bill into law. That law requires that any person who committed a crime when they were 25 years old or younger be provided with a parole hearing no later than their twenty-fifth year incarcerated.
Frankie Guzman is the Senior Director of Youth Justice at the National Center for Youth Law. Guzman helped write the Youth Offender Parole Hearing Bill.
In a September 2023 interview, Guzman told CBS 8 the Youth Offender Parole process has been widely successful.
“This population has experienced a less than 1 percent recidivism rate, which is exceptional, I would say almost unbelievable,” Guzman said. “They do not commit new crimes, do not create new victims, and do not go back to prison. They overwhelmingly succeed on parole.”
Response from survivors
During CBS 8's investigation, we spoke to several former students, the mother of 14-year-old Bryan Zuckor who Williams shot and killed inside the bathroom that day, and parents of former students who still remember the terror inflicted on them.
Michelle Zuckor sounded as if her breath was taken from her when CBS 8 phoned her in October 2023 to inform her of Williams' looming parole hearing.
“I just can’t believe it,” she said.
“It’s not fair because Bryan will never get that chance. I’m just so surprised,” Zuckor said, “Andy Williams should never have that chance. It’s not like I am not a forgiving person but he took my son and he took my son’s future from him.
“At times all I can see in my mind is the image of Andy Williams pulling the trigger while Bryan was walking towards the door. I see that and I feel that pain. I shouldn’t have to feel this. I shouldn’t have that vision. I would do anything to save Bryan that day.
“It just really hurts. It just hurts for someone to be gone in an instant and to never come back. Bryan was such a nice boy. He loved life. He loved his family. He wanted a future. He looked forward to his future. He gave one hundred percent to everything he did. He just wanted the best,” said Zuckor.
Former students who witnessed the carnage on March 5, 2001, and ran for their lives were also taken aback upon learning Williams was eligible for parole.
Kristen Dare, Phil Ortiz, and Lauren Gaines were in the school quad or walking towards it when sounds of gunfire raced down the hallways and bounced off of classroom doors. The three say they ran for their lives after seeing Williams emerge from the bathroom where he began his shooting spree.
Dare, Ortiz, and Gaines joined to create a petition asking the parole board to deny Williams an early release.
“It's an atrocity to imagine him out in such a short time. I haven't healed from what had happened,” Gaines said.
All three victims said each day the trauma still weighs heavy.
"[Williams] is just a year younger than I am," said Gaines. "He was old enough to know that he was taking a life. Sure, your brain may not be fully formed but that's not an excuse to take another life and to traumatize an entire community, essentially stealing our childhoods. You don't get a hall pass for that."
The petition aims to provide a platform for the victims who for more than two decades, have been largely silent.
"If our voices aren't heard then that means that the victims' voices aren't heard and that's not a balanced approach," Ortiz said. "After 20 years, Randy and Bryan don't get to come back from the dead. The psychological effects just don't magically wipe away after 20 years. And so people have to be held accountable for their actions."
'A high likelihood that the parole board will grant his suitability'
In her first and only interview ahead of the Sept. 10 parole hearing, CBS 8 sat down with Williams' attorney, Laura Sheppard to discuss his chance at parole, the process and his plans if he is released.
Sheppard, who has represented hundreds of youth offender parole cases, including high-profile clients such as former professional skateboarder Mark Anthony "Gator" Rogowski and former Mexican Mafia member-turned-informant Rene Enriquez, told CBS 8 that she is confident the parole board will weigh the facts and recommend parole.
“Over the past 24 years, he's experienced a lot of treatment, a lot of accountability, a lot of punishment also, and he is genuinely remorseful,” Sheppard said. "He's 38 years old, and I think he's undergone more self-reflection than most of us do in our lifetimes. He knows the names of every person he hurt that day, not just the two that were killed, but every person who was shot and he's moved to tears when he thinks about what they endured."
Sheppard said Williams has worked to make amends for the shooting. She said Williams has made amends by becoming a licensed drug and alcohol counselor, helping other inmates through their substance abuse battles.
Sheppard said Williams has also worked with law enforcement to understand school shooters to prevent future massacres from happening.
More importantly, said Sheppard, Williams, "has done everything in [his] power to make up for [his] crime," and is "as incapable as you and I of picking up a gun and hurting someone."
Parole hearing | What comes next?
Sheppard, who has attended hundreds of hearings, explained how the September 10 parole hearing will unfold.
The hearing begins with the San Diego County District Attorney’s office giving their recommendation, followed by Sheppard, then Williams, and lastly the victims.
A spokesperson for the district attorney's office told CBS 8 that it opposes Williams' release.
The decades that Williams has spent incarcerated will be judged in its totality by a pair of parole commissioners, who will ultimately determine whether or not he’s suitable for release.
If the parole board denies parole, the officer will inform Williams of how long he has until his next review. If the parole board votes to release Williams then California Gov. Gavin Newsom has 150 days to overturn that decision.
Attorney Sheppard told CBS 8 that if Williams is granted parole, then Williams plans to continue his work as a drug and alcohol counselor likely in Northern California.
In his own words | Excerpts from Williams's interview with CBS 8
WARNING: The following clips feature Andy Williams's voice and his recollections and may be disturbing to some.
During CBS 8's investigation into Williams' parole eligibility, we asked former students, victims, and family members of victims if they were interested in hearing from Williams and what he has done to make amends for the unforgivable act he committed.
While many expressed strong opinions against his release, all said they wanted to hear from him in his words.
In a series of phone interviews with CBS 8 from the California Institute for Men in Chino, before his transfer to another facility, Williams discussed the days leading up to the shooting and the years inside state penitentiaries trying to come to terms with it.
During the interview, interrupted every few minutes by an automated message that the caller is from a state prison, Williams says he can never defend his actions that day.
"What's your reaction when you find out that upon immediately hearing your name in this region some people automatically say, 'Monster'?," CBS 8 asked Williams.
"It's 100% fair," answered Williams. "My actions on March 15, 2001, were monstrous, they were cruel, they were callous. It was vicious. It was violent. That is a 100% accurate description. I am not the victim here."
