True Crime Friday: Tyrone Mitchell, the 49th Street Elementary School Spree Killer
Tyrone Mitchell was born October 17, 1955. He is a spree killer who shot and killed a student and another passerby. During his spree he murdered three people and injured at least twelve of which were mostly children. He then committed suicide February 24, 1984
The Early Childhood of Tyrone Mitchell
Tyrone Mitchell was born to Lee and Annie Lee Mitchell in the state of Alabama. Tyrone, however, grew up in South Central Los Angeles. The family were members of the Jim Jones infamous The People’s Temple. Jim Jones eventually moved the People’s Temple to Guyana. Mitchell and several family members followed Jones to Guyana leaving Tyrone behind in California. Tyrone’s parents and siblings all perished in the mass murder-suicide in Jonestown on November 18, 1978. It was said that Tyrone Mitchell had a mental breakdown according to Mitchell’s fiancée Marylou Hill who was also a member of the People’s Temple.Tyrone Mitchell moved to a house in his old neighbor across from the school that he would later target. The house was located near the school’s playground. It was reported that Mitchell developed a drug habit which assisted with this irrational behavior. His fiancée denied this accusation.
Mitchell was arrested at his home following a dispute with his uncle and landlord, Willie Lee Mitchell. Tyrone Mitchell got into an argument with his uncle and he was said to have threatened his uncle by firing a 30 caliber rifle into the air. The police arrived and Mitchell was arrested and place on probation regarding the incident. It was said that Mitchell used the rifle to fire shots at airliners that flew over his home. Neighbors were afraid to report these incidents to police because of Mitchell’s mental instability.
On Friday, February 24, 1984, the school children went to the playground for recess. It was at this time that Mitchell started to fire upon the school children with his rifle from a second story window of his home.
There happen to be police in the area when the shots were being fired at the school. Mitchell shot 39 rounds into the crowd of students. The Los Angeles Swat Team appeared on the scene and started to evacuate houses in the area. The SWAT team siege ended after four hours. Tear gas was shot into Mitchell's house and when the team entered Mitchell was found lying face up on the floor of his second-story bedroom, dressed in camouflage pants, a khaki shirt, and jungle-style combat boots, with an empty knife scabbard attached to his belt. He had killed himself with his rifle.
The Victims of Tyrone Mitchell
- Shala Eubanks, 10
- Albert Jones, 50
- Carlos Lopez, 24
The Survivors of Tyrone Mitchell
- Anna Gonzales, 8
- Stephen Gomez, 9
- Iran Macias, 10
- Albert Jones, 50
- Latreece Williams, 11
- Alicia Pena, 10
- Mayra Cruz, 10
- Jose Prado, 12
- Mario Hernandez, 9
- Eloisa Cruz, 10
- Jose Gavino, 11
- Victoriano Ulloa, 11
Lady Justice
On February 24, 1984, Tyrone Mitchell killed himself rather than face justice. Can the People’s Temple be blamed for the mental fitness of this killer? Although his religion may have played a role in his upbringing the onus is on this killer. He made a choice and it was a deadly one for his victims. There was a board of inquiry convened to discuss how this situation could have happen. Also how to prevent other situations like this one. With representatives from the city and county's Fire, Mental Health, and Health Services departments and advocacy groups to assist with this assessment. In 1991, California passed a law that mandated a 15-day waiting period for the sale of rifles and shotguns and a background check on the buyer of the weapon.Reference
Tyrone Mitchell - Wikipedia
Tyrone Mitchell | School Shooters .info
tyrone mitchell murder case - Search