High School Shooter Todd Cameron Smith (Born approximately 1984)

Crime took place in Taber, Alberta, Canada.

He was bullied throughout his high school attendance, he got beat up, locked in the lockers, got rejected socially, and the bullies even photographed him on the ground bleeding at a playground. The constant bullying made him decide to drop out and start a home schooling program. 

On April 20th 1999, the columbine high school massacre took place in Littleton, Colorado, USA. Smith was fixated on this new tragic event that took place. Combined with this, the bullying, and the easy access to his parent's firearms. He started to plan his attack at the high school he dropped out of. He was seen by his mother as depressed for a few weeks before April 28.

April 28th 1999:

Smith unlocked his stepdad's gun cabinet and got his .22-caliber semi-automatic rifle. He then sawed off the rifle to shorten the barrel and loaded it with 100 rounds of ammunition. Then he  brought it concealed to W. R. Myers High School. He had timed his arrival for after the lunch break, and got in with no issues since the school didn't have metal detectors or security guards. Students were heading back to their classrooms, when Smith brought out his firearm in the hallway adjacent to the cafeteria. A teacher came up to him and stated that his stunt wasn't funny, Smith then pointed it at her but didn't fire and she was able to escape. He fired 4 shots at students, killing Jason Lang and injuring Lang's friend Shane Christmas. A third unnamed student was fired upon also but escaped. A student came up to him and noticed a body on the floor, he then asked what Smith was doing with a gun and then he told the student to get lost, and then ran away. Another student said that he was spared by him after he had pointed the rifle at his head and stomach. Another student was spared after saying "this isn't going to solve anything" then the situation de-escalated. Then teacher Cheyno Finnie tackled him and restrained him. Police would then take him into custody and the shooting was over. The shooting lasted only minutes.

November 2000: Smith pleaded guilty to a first degree murder charge and two charges of attempted murder. He was sentenced to serve 3 years in secure police custody and after, 7 years of intensive community supervision, the maximum sentence under the young offenders act.

2005: Smith had served his years in police custody and was transitioned to a Toronto area half house. On August 15th of that year, Smith fled the halfway house and left a note saying "I can't be caged any more. If they find me, they'll have to kill me. I will never be caged again. Bye. Sorry.". He turned himself in the next day and was placed at an open custody treatment center in Toronto.

Further and later details are protected by the Canadian youth justice privacy provisions. 



W. R. Myers High School Shooting (April 28th 1999)