Teen who opened fire at California high school, killing 2 and wounding a dozen more, up for parole

The teen who opened fire at Santana High School in 2001, killing two students and wounding 13 others, is up for parole, and the District Attorney’s Office said victims in the case can participate in the hearing.

Charles “Andy” Williams was 15 years old when he used a revolver to shoot more than a dozen people at the East County campus in March 2001.

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He was charged as an adult and sentenced to 50 years-to-life in prison a year later. His chance at parole stems from a state law called the Youthful Parole law. It dictates that by their 25th year of incarceration, juveniles tried as adults who received life sentences must be given parole hearings.

In 2018, Williams tried to go before a parole board by asking former Gov. Jerry Brown to commute his sentence. The request, which the District Attorney’s Office opposed, was denied.

Under Marsy’s law, a bill that expanded the rights of crime victims to include the right to be notified of court proceedings related to their cases, the District Attorney’s Office released a statement informing victims they were allowed to be at the hearing.