Brenda Spencer

Biography

Brenda Ann Spencer (born April 3, 1962) is an American mass shooter, who opened fire from her house across the street from Grover Cleveland Elementary School in San Diego, CA on January 29, 1979.

Two were killed, nine injured; Spencer was charged as an adult. She pleaded guilty to two counts of murder and assault with a deadly weapon. On April 4, 1980, a day after her 18th birthday, she was sentenced to concurrent terms of 25 years to life in prison. As of 2026, she has been denied parole five times and is still incarcerated at the California Institution for Women in Chino.