SANTEE, Calif. (KGTV) — For the first time since the 2001 tragedy at Santana High School, the shooter responsible for one of San Diego's most devastating mass shootings has a chance to walk free. A judge ruled Andy Williams can be resentenced, sparking a divided reaction from survivors and raising questions about justice and accountability.
Williams, now 39, was 15 years old when he opened fire at the Santee campus 25 years ago, killing two students and injuring 13 others. He was tried as an adult and sentenced to 50 years to life in prison.
Tim Estes, a student teacher at the time who was shot by Williams, remembers the terrifying moment.
"I went to go wash my hands. I hear a pop, pop, pop, and I turn around. He's standing there pointing a gun at me and out the door I go and he hits me in the back as I go out the door," Estes said.
Estes was two weeks into his student teaching job when the shooting occurred. He understands how fortunate he still is to be alive, and feels for the families who lost their loved ones.
"Those kids he killed never even got to go to their prom," Estes said. "He's going to have a family and do stuff where, you know, he took that away from those other kids, those two kids."
In 2024, Williams was denied parole by a state board that called him an "unreasonable risk" to public safety. However, his lawyers argued that a change in California law allows people who committed crimes as minors and are serving lengthy prison terms to ask for their sentence to be recalled.
On Tuesday, a judge granted Williams that request, meaning his case will now be sent to juvenile court. The District Attorney's office immediately filed an appeal.
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“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. 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," District Attorney Summer Stephan said in a statement.
Not all survivors oppose Williams' potential release. Caley Anderson, another victim of the shooting, has had direct contact with Williams and supports his resentencing.
"I've spoken to him multiple times. I've read his CDCR file. I have seen the work he has done, and it's beyond exemplary as far as I'm concerned," Anderson said.
The law that enabled Williams' resentencing request has drawn criticism from Assemblymember Carl DeMaio, who represents California's District 75 in San Diego. DeMaio is working to close what he calls a loophole in the system.
"My legislation would reverse that and make sure that mass shooters are held accountable under the law and that they're not able to get a lighter sentence through legal tricks," DeMaio said.
Estes supports DeMaio's efforts to change the law. He said he never had to imagine a world where Williams walks free, but now he can't imagine a world where that doesn't happen.
"I value life a little bit more than I did before, and I got to watch my child grow up, and that's the most important thing to me," Estes said.
A juvenile court hearing is scheduled for February 9. The hearing will be a status conference to determine next steps in the process, not necessarily the date of Williams' potential release.
The District Attorney said, if Williams is eventually released, he would leave prison without any parole supervision.
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