LOS ANGELES (AP) — A judge on Tuesday granted the shooter in the 2001 San Diego high school shooting a request for a retrial, potentially freeing him from prison after 23 years in prison.
Charles Williams, then 15, admitted to shooting his father’s revolver at Santana High School on March 5, 2001, killing two students and injuring 13 others. He was sentenced to 50 years to life in prison.
The judge’s decision Tuesday means Williams’ case will be sent to juvenile court and result in his immediate release from prison without parole supervision or evaluation, the office of San Diego County District Attorney Summer Stephan said.
The office said prosecutors would challenge the appeals court ruling in an attempt to block his release.
“As prosecutors, our job is to ensure justice for the victims and to protect public safety, and the defendant’s brutal conduct in this case still merits a sentence of 50 years to life in prison,” Stephen said. “At some point, our laws must balance the rights of the defendant, the rights of the victim and the right to community safety.”
Williams’ attorney did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment.
Williams killed two students, 14-year-old Bryan Zuckor and 17-year-old Randy Gordon. He injured 11 students and 2 staff members.
The 39-year-old is currently being held at the California Men’s Prison in Chino and will be eligible for parole in September 2024.
The San Diego Union-Tribune reported that a state board determined he posed an “unreasonable risk” to public safety and was denied parole. The board also said it was unclear whether Williams understood why he fired.
Williams’ case has been transferred to juvenile court for a disposition hearing, prosecutors said. Prosecutors said because of his age at the time of the shooting, his conviction will be reclassified as a juvenile “truth finding” and he could be placed on juvenile probation upon release from prison.
Williams was able to seek resentencing because of a 2011 law that allows judges to grant juvenile offenders sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole the chance to resentence. A 2022 appeals court ruling ruled that “functionally equivalent” people sentenced to life without parole would also be eligible.