Santana High School Shooter Who Killed 2, Wounded 13 Could Soon Go Free

SANTEE, CA — Charles Andrew "Andy" Williams, who was 15 years old in 2001 when he opened fire inside a San Diego County school, could soon go free.

A Superior Court judge Tuesday granted a resentencing for Williams, now 39, who was originally sentenced in 2002 to 50 years to life in prison for killing two students and wounding 13 other victims at Santana High School in Santee.

The "recall" of the original sentence means that his case will be transferred to the juvenile court system since he was 15 years old at the time of the March 5, 2001 shooting that killed 14-year-old Bryan Zuckor and 17-year-old Randy Gordon. Eleven other students and two school staff members were also wounded.

Williams, now 39, was denied parole in September 2024, when he first became eligible for youth offender parole.

Against the protest of the San Diego County District Attorney's Office, Superior Court Judge Lisa Rodriguez granted Williams' petition to have his sentence recalled under a state law that allows for the resentencing of juvenile cases that were tried in adult court.

The District Attorney's Office said it would immediately file an appeal to the Fourth District Court of Appeal, Division One, to try to stop Willliams' release. Should the case remain in juvenile court for a resentencing, Williams would be expected to be released from prison and face a new sentence that includes no further custody and two years of juvenile probation.

"This defendant carried out a calculated, cold-blooded attack during which he executed two young students and shot 11 other students and two school officials, forever traumatizing a community," San Diego County District Attorney Summer Stephan said in a statement released Tuesday.

"As prosecutors, our duty is to ensure justice for victims and protect public safety, and the defendant's cruel actions in this case continue to warrant the 50-years-to-life sentence that was imposed," Stephan said. "We respectfully disagree with the court's decision and will continue our legal fight in the Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court if need be."

Williams is due before a San Diego County juvenile court judge next month for a status conference, during which a resentencing hearing date could be set.

Williams is currently incarcerated at the California Institution for Men in Chino. He became eligible for parole in September 2024. His first parole request was denied by the state parole board, which found that he was still a public safety risk and lacked insight into the reasons why he committed the shooting.

At the time of the parole hearing, Williams issued a statement through his attorney that called the shooting "violent and inexcusable."

"I am sorry for the physical scars and for the psychological scars I created, and for the lives and families that I ripped a hole in," he said at the time. "It is my intention to live a life of service and amends, to honor those I killed and those I harmed, and to put proof behind my words of remorse. I wish so badly that I could undo all the hurt and terror I put you through. With the deepest remorse, I am forever sorry."

City News Service contributed to this report.