Weston High School shooting
Encyclopedia
The Weston High School shooting was a school shooting that occurred on September 29, 2006, in Weston High School in Cazenovia
, Wisconsin
, United States
. The gunman, 15-year-old Eric Hainstock, that day entered the school's main hallway and fatally shot principal John Klang. He is serving a life sentence.
Klang was treated at Reedsburg Area Medical Center where he underwent surgery, and was then flown to the University of Wisconsin Hospital in Madison
, where he died shortly after 3 p.m. Klang was the only one shot in the shooting. For his actions in wrestling away the gun and subduing Hainstock, Klang was posthumously awarded the Carnegie Medal by the Carnegie Hero Fund
.
The high school students were initially taken to the elementary school gym, where they had the option to talk to a crisis counselor or go home. The elementary students were taken home by bus or by their parents. The homecoming events were canceled.
in La Valle
located on a hill surrounded by farm land. Eric Hainstock was born on April 4, 1991 in La Crosse, Wisconsin
to Shawn Hainstock and Lisa Marie Buttke. His parents divorced when he was two years old, and in December 1995 went to court to seek custody of Eric. When Hainstock was nine, his mother's parental rights were terminated by court-order after she failed to pay child support.
His father remarried and Eric was adopted by his stepmother. Hainstock's father was unemployed and received disability pensions. In September 2001, the Sauk County Department of Children and Families were called to the residence after he had allegedly kicked his son. By court-order, Eric was forced to live with his paternal grandmother, before he returned to his father's care in April 2002. In a letter he submitted to Madison
based newspaper Isthmus
, Eric claimed he was treated like a slave by his father, having to do all of the cleaning, even having to clean past midnight. He claimed to have been severely disciplined by his father. He claimed that his father would make him stand in his bedroom corner with his nose touching a wall and holding one of his legs in the air for long periods.
At Weston High School, Eric claimed that about 25 to 30 students bullied him. When he complained to the faculty at the school, Eric claims that nothing was done to prevent the bullying. In early 2006, Hainstock had started his fifth year at Weston High School where he had transferred in 6th grade, after having behavior problems and relatively poor test scores at his previous school. On one occasion shortly before the shooting, Eric and his stepmother were involved in a physical confrontation and Eric was left with human bite marks on him. After Eric shot John Klang, he told police that he didn’t mean to hurt him, that his goal was to face him and "make him listen" about his being bullied. He reported that he was only allowed to shower once a week, which left him with poor hygiene. The clothes and shoes that his father bought for him were in poor condition and were not the right size. While in prison, Michael Caldwell from Middleton, Wisconsin
diagnosed Eric with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.
Hainstock is currently serving his sentence at the Green Bay Correctional Institution
in Green Bay, Wisconsin
. While in prison, he has allowed Isthmus to share his story. He has written a ten-page letter with the help of his cell-mate. According to Hainstock, he has gained 50 pounds, his reading went from a fourth grade level to a tenth grade level, and he is working on his GED. Hainstock's father and stepmother Priscilla drive 160 miles to visit him about every month . In his letter, Hainstock takes total responsibility for what he did. However he believes that he is not to blame for everything. As of October 2008, Hainstocks' supportive cellmate situation was reassigned without any official explanation.
Cazenovia, Wisconsin
Cazenovia is a village in Richland and Sauk Counties in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. The population was 326 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Cazenovia is located at ....
, Wisconsin
Wisconsin
Wisconsin is a U.S. state located in the north-central United States and is part of the Midwest. It is bordered by Minnesota to the west, Iowa to the southwest, Illinois to the south, Lake Michigan to the east, Michigan to the northeast, and Lake Superior to the north. Wisconsin's capital is...
, United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. The gunman, 15-year-old Eric Hainstock, that day entered the school's main hallway and fatally shot principal John Klang. He is serving a life sentence.
Details
Eric Hainstock, a freshman at Weston High School, entered the main hallway of the school with a .22 caliber revolver and a 20-gauge shotgun taken from his father's locked gun cabinet. After arriving at school around 8:00 a.m., he aimed the shotgun at a social studies teacher. The school custodian, Dave Thompson, wrestled the shotgun away from Hainstock. Principal John Alfred Klang then entered the hallway and confronted Hainstock, who was still armed with the handgun. Hainstock grabbed the revolver from inside his jacket and fired several shots. Klang then grabbed Hainstock, wrestled him to the ground and swept away the gun. Klang was on top of Hainstock, a pool of blood by Klang's leg. Staff and students apprehended Hainstock, holding him until the police arrived.Klang was treated at Reedsburg Area Medical Center where he underwent surgery, and was then flown to the University of Wisconsin Hospital in Madison
Madison, Wisconsin
Madison is the capital of the U.S. state of Wisconsin and the county seat of Dane County. It is also home to the University of Wisconsin–Madison....
, where he died shortly after 3 p.m. Klang was the only one shot in the shooting. For his actions in wrestling away the gun and subduing Hainstock, Klang was posthumously awarded the Carnegie Medal by the Carnegie Hero Fund
Carnegie Hero Fund
The Carnegie Hero Fund Commission, also known as Carnegie Hero Fund, was established to recognize persons who perform extraordinary acts of heroism in civilian life in the United States and Canada, and to provide financial assistance for those disabled and the dependents of those killed saving or...
.
The high school students were initially taken to the elementary school gym, where they had the option to talk to a crisis counselor or go home. The elementary students were taken home by bus or by their parents. The homecoming events were canceled.
Perpetrator
The perpetrator of the shooting was 15-year-old Eric Hainstock, a freshman at Weston High School. Hainstock lived with his father and stepmother in a two-story A-Frame farm house about four miles northwest of CazenoviaCazenovia, Wisconsin
Cazenovia is a village in Richland and Sauk Counties in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. The population was 326 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Cazenovia is located at ....
in La Valle
La Valle, Wisconsin
La Valle is a village in Sauk County, Wisconsin, United States, along the Baraboo River. The population was 326 at the 2000 census. The village is located within the Town of La Valle.-Geography:La Valle is located at ....
located on a hill surrounded by farm land. Eric Hainstock was born on April 4, 1991 in La Crosse, Wisconsin
La Crosse, Wisconsin
La Crosse is a city in and the county seat of La Crosse County, Wisconsin, United States. The city lies alongside the Mississippi River.The 2011 Census Bureau estimates the city had a population of 52,485...
to Shawn Hainstock and Lisa Marie Buttke. His parents divorced when he was two years old, and in December 1995 went to court to seek custody of Eric. When Hainstock was nine, his mother's parental rights were terminated by court-order after she failed to pay child support.
His father remarried and Eric was adopted by his stepmother. Hainstock's father was unemployed and received disability pensions. In September 2001, the Sauk County Department of Children and Families were called to the residence after he had allegedly kicked his son. By court-order, Eric was forced to live with his paternal grandmother, before he returned to his father's care in April 2002. In a letter he submitted to Madison
Madison, Wisconsin
Madison is the capital of the U.S. state of Wisconsin and the county seat of Dane County. It is also home to the University of Wisconsin–Madison....
based newspaper Isthmus
Isthmus (newspaper)
Isthmus is an alternative weekly newspaper in Madison, Wisconsin. It was founded in 1976, and has built a reputation for authoritative writing on news, arts and features. The paper prints more than 60,000 copies each Thursday, reaching an estimated 40% of all adults in Dane County, which includes...
, Eric claimed he was treated like a slave by his father, having to do all of the cleaning, even having to clean past midnight. He claimed to have been severely disciplined by his father. He claimed that his father would make him stand in his bedroom corner with his nose touching a wall and holding one of his legs in the air for long periods.
At Weston High School, Eric claimed that about 25 to 30 students bullied him. When he complained to the faculty at the school, Eric claims that nothing was done to prevent the bullying. In early 2006, Hainstock had started his fifth year at Weston High School where he had transferred in 6th grade, after having behavior problems and relatively poor test scores at his previous school. On one occasion shortly before the shooting, Eric and his stepmother were involved in a physical confrontation and Eric was left with human bite marks on him. After Eric shot John Klang, he told police that he didn’t mean to hurt him, that his goal was to face him and "make him listen" about his being bullied. He reported that he was only allowed to shower once a week, which left him with poor hygiene. The clothes and shoes that his father bought for him were in poor condition and were not the right size. While in prison, Michael Caldwell from Middleton, Wisconsin
Middleton, Wisconsin
Middleton is a city in Dane County, Wisconsin, United States. It is a western suburb of the state capital, Madison but it was actually founded before Madison. It got its name from Middletown, Connecticut; the "w" being dropped was due to a paper work error made by long time historian Edward Kromrey...
diagnosed Eric with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.
Imprisonment
Hainstock was charged with first-degree murder by the Sauk County District Attorney's office, and was found guilty on August 2, 2007. He was sentenced to life imprisonment, and will be eligible for parole in 2037 when he is 46 years old.Hainstock is currently serving his sentence at the Green Bay Correctional Institution
Green Bay Correctional Institution
Green Bay Correctional Institution, , is an adult male maximum-security correctional facility operated by the Wisconsin Department of Corrections Division of Adult Institutions in Allouez, Wisconsin. The prison is located along the east bank of the Fox River. The prison was originally known as the...
in Green Bay, Wisconsin
Green Bay, Wisconsin
Green Bay is a city in and the county seat of Brown County in the U.S. state of Wisconsin, located at the head of Green Bay, a sub-basin of Lake Michigan, at the mouth of the Fox River. It has an elevation of above sea level and is located north of Milwaukee. As of the 2010 United States Census,...
. While in prison, he has allowed Isthmus to share his story. He has written a ten-page letter with the help of his cell-mate. According to Hainstock, he has gained 50 pounds, his reading went from a fourth grade level to a tenth grade level, and he is working on his GED. Hainstock's father and stepmother Priscilla drive 160 miles to visit him about every month . In his letter, Hainstock takes total responsibility for what he did. However he believes that he is not to blame for everything. As of October 2008, Hainstocks' supportive cellmate situation was reassigned without any official explanation.
External links
- Official website of Weston High School
- Wisconsin State Journal eyewitness account
- Wisconsin State Journal article on aftermath and legal repercussions
- MSNBC Report on the event
- John A. Klang at Find A GraveFind A GraveFind a Grave is a commercial website providing free access and input to an online database of cemetery records. It was founded in 1998 as a DBA and incorporated in 2000.-History:...