Essex shooting rampage

On August 24, 2006, at 1:55 pm Chris Williams, the boyfriend of an Essex Elementary School teacher, went looking for his girlfriend for revenge from a previous incident. He went to his girlfriend's mother's house on Stannard Drive in Essex looking for her. He did not find her, but found her mother (Linda Lambesis) and shot her a point blank range twice, killing her. He then took his vehicle and drove it to Essex Elementary School.

Elementary school shooting
He got to the school at about 1:58 pm, just about when police were arriving at Stannard Drive. He proceeded to walk into Essex Elementary School with his friend's Handgun. Teachers were told to get in their classrooms and lock the doors. As teacher Alicia Shanks was locking her door, she was shot by Williams, falling to the floor, fatally wounded. Williams then proceeded to another part of the school where he shot teacher Mary Snedecker in the back. It is believed that Williams fired up to 5 rounds while he was in the school. No students where injured because school was not yet in session. After shooting at the Elementary school, Williams proceeded to exit the school just before police arrived and disappeared into the woods nearby. Police never saw him leave because they arrived just minutes later.
As police started to arrive, they thought that the shooter was still inside, so they notified Vermont State Police Tactical Team of the situation and started their response. The Tac Team was training at the nearby Air Guard base, so they got to the scene within 20 minutes. The Tac Team entered the school at 2:35 pm, wearing bullet proof vests, helmets, goggles and carrying rifles. A few minutes later, a few police officers came out of the building carrying Mary Schnedeker to a nearby police car. Then the police car proceeded in reverse down the road to a waiting ambulance. Those officers then went back inside the school.

Jericho Road shooting

At 3:00 pm, about an hour after the first shots were fired at Essex Elementary School, police recieved reports of shots fired at a residence about 1 mile away. Officers jumped into their cruisers and headed for the home on nearby Jericho Road. When they got there they found Chad Johansen, friend of Williams and the one who loaned him the gun, lying on his doorstep with a gunshot wound. They then proceeded around the building where they found Williams standing there with the gun to his neck. As officers drew close, Williams tried to commit suicide by shooting himself in the neck, but failed the first time and grazed his neck the second time. Police took him into custody after rescue transported Johansen and then rushed Williams to the hospital.

Police and rescue response

The whole shooting spree lasted over an hour. When it was all over, two people were dead and two were injured. Between 50 and 100 officers responded from various deartments, along with Essex Fire, Essex Rescue, Saint Michael's College Rescue, Colchester Rescue, Cambridge Rescue, Richmond Rescue, Milton Rescue and UVM Rescue. Police departments that responded were Essex Police, Colchester Police, Williston Police, Milton Police, Burlington Police, South Burlington Police, Richmond Police, UVM Police, Hinesburg Police, Winooski Police, Vermont State Police Williston Barracks, St. Alban's Barracks and Middlesex Barracks, along with Vermont state police Tac Team, incident Command and other units. The Chittenden and Franklin County Sheriff offices also responded with officers. ATF agents were also reported on the scene.

The wounded

Mary Snedecker, 52 of Essex Junction/
Chad Johansen, 26 of Essex/
Chris Williams, the shooter

The deceased

Alicia Shanks, 56 of Essex/
Linda Lambesis, 57 of Essex

Jail

Williams has been in jail since being arrested and is still waiting to be tried. He was recently going to plead guilty to the charges, but changed his mind and pleaded not guilty, making the trial go on. While in prison he has picked up two new sentences, two for biting prison guards and another for assaulting a prison guard.

Effect

The Elementary School remained closed for two weeks after school was scheduled to start on the 29th or 30th. Teachers in other schools were shocked by the news. Linda Lambesis was a teacher in St. Alban's, Vermont at an Elementary School. Mary Snedeker made a full recovery after being shot in the back and returned to work at the start of the 2007 to 2008 school year. Chad Johansen also made a recovery, though no more details were released on his condition.

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