SAN DIEGO COUNTY, Calif. — March 5, 2024, marked 23 years since Charles "Andy" Williams took his father's .22 caliber revolver to Santana High School in Santee and opened fire.
Williams shot indiscriminately inside the bathroom: First hitting an eleventh grader at the urinal; then 14-year-old Bryan Zuckor as Zuckor fled towards the door, another student at the urinal, and a student-teacher at the sink.
Williams fired outside of the bathroom at a janitor and 10 students.
That day, March 5, 2001, 17-year-old Randy Gordon and 14-year-old Bryan Zuckor died, 13 others were wounded, and countless others were forever impacted by the decision of then 15-year-old Williams.
On September 10, 2024, after serving less than half of a 50-year-to-life prison sentence, Williams will tell California Parole Board commissioners why he should be released from prison and why he should go free.
Williams's chance at parole is due to a change in state laws that alters parole eligibility guidelines for juveniles who were tried as adults.
In Williams's case, the law requires that any juvenile who was charged as an adult and received a life sentence has a chance at parole no later than 25 years into their sentence.
Over the past year and a half, CBS 8 has followed the lead-up to Williams' parole eligibility. During that time, CBS 8 spoke to victims and the mother of slain 14-year-old Bryan Zuckor as well as conducted several interviews with Williams from prison.
'A high likelihood that the parole board will grant his suitability' | Andy Williams' attorney
Ahead of Williams' September 10 parole hearing, CBS 8 sat down with his attorney, Laura Sheppard to discuss Williams' chance at parole, the process and his plans if he is released.
Sheppard 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.
In an interview ahead of the parole hearing, Sheppard told CBS 8 that she is confident the parole board will weigh the facts and recommend Williams' 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 countless hours to make amends for the shooting. He's done so, says Sheppard, by trying to help others through drug and alcohol counseling. Sheppard said Williams has helped law enforcement understand school shooters to prevent future massacres from happening.
According to 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."
How has Williams made amends?
Sheppard said by the work he's done on himself and to help others. After becoming a licensed counselor and while attending college, Williams has helped inmates who struggle with drug and alcohol addiction get clean.
Sheppard says Williams’ years-long work as a drug and alcohol treatment specialist is one way he is focusing on making amends and helping the community.
“If they get that addiction treatment, the risk of them going out and committing new crimes drops tremendously,” Sheppard said. "Prison inmates have, on average, a 40% recidivism rate, and if they get that addiction treatment, the risk of them going out and committing new crimes drops tremendously. So [Williams] is helping prevent new crime on the streets by the work that he's doing
Williams has also become a resource for the FBI and law enforcement agencies that look to him for insight into school shootings and how to prevent them.
Parole hearing | What comes next?
Sheppard, who attended hundreds of hearings, laid out the process set to take place on September 10 when Williams appears before the parole board.
On that day, he’ll be asked about the shooting, what he's done with his time while incarcerated, what he’s done to rehabilitate himself and what his plans are if he’s released.
The hearing will begin with the San Diego County District Attorney’s office giving their recommendation, followed by attorney Sheppard, then Williams, and lastly the victims.
During the hearing victims, as well as family members of victims, will read victim impact statements to the board and will share their position on Williams' parole. Parole Board Commissioners will then review Williams' disciplinary record, which according to Sheppard consists of minor infractions such as having too many photos on his wall.
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.
Community opposition
As Williams' parole hearing nears, former students both for and against Williams' parole are making their voices heard.
In October 2023, CBS 8 spoke to three former Santana High School students who were united against Williams’ upcoming chance at parole.
Kristen Dare, Phil Ortiz, and Lauren Gaines called on other Santee community members to join them and ensure that Williams serves out his sentence and pays for killing two innocent teens, wounding 13 others and altering the lives of an entire community and region.
“It's an atrocity to imagine him out in such a short time. I haven't healed from what had happened,” Gaines said.
The three former students began a petition that aimed to provide a platform for the victims of the shooting.
But Sheppard said despite the community opposition, she’s confident that the board will recommend Williams’ release.
“I think the parole board will base their decision solely on the evidence in front of them,” Sheppard said. “I would say he has an excellent chance and there's a high likelihood that the parole board will grant his suitability.”
If the parole board grants Williams’ release, the recommendation will go to Gov. Gavin Newsom’s desk where he has the option to approve, veto or send the recommendation to California’s Parole Board for review.
If Williams is ultimately released he will join only a few known convicted school shooters who are no longer incarcerated.
WATCH RELATED: CBS 8 speaks to former Santana High students
