On December 30 1974, an honor student at Olean High School, in Olean, New York and member of the school’s rifle team, locked himself in a room on the school’s third floor, and started shooting at people on the streets below. He had barricaded the door and locked it from the inside. He had written down in a book what he was planning on doing and followed every step to the letter.

A 12-man custodial crew, including Earl Metcalf 62, were doing routine maintenance in the basement of the school during the shooting. Confused, after hearing shots being fired, the men tried to escape. Earl Metcalf was shot as he tried to escape the building.

Over 50 local and county police officers surrounded the school building and a National Guard armored vehicle had arrived to help remove the injured victims.

Firefighters hid behind small walls as there was a young man laying on the ground, his wife and children in the car. The firefighters were trying to throw a medical kit to him, and prepared to run to his aid as soon as the shooting would stop.

The shooting lasted about two hours. The shooter killed three people, including one pregnant woman, and injured 11 others. Of the 11 injured eight were firefighters and first respondents. The shooter was eventually taken into custody by police using tear gas, and killed himself a year later while he was in a youth detention center.

To help honor Earl Metcalf