I was a junior at Skyline High in Oakland; the Monday after Thanksgiving. We heard about it on the radio, pre-Internet. Shock and awe in a bad way.
And when we were told it was Supervisor Dan White who was the shooter? Just plain wow.
The city was already reeling only a few days earlier as the Jonestown massacre took place in Guyana.
My friend, City Hall beat reporter, Duffy Jennings, was there when Board Pres. (then), Dianne Feinstein, had the shocking news.
*Photo: SF Chronicle
Didn't Duffy go on to work for the SF Giants?
ReplyDeleteYes he did as the Giants PR manager
DeleteCrazy times growing up in the city then.
ReplyDeleteI was 7 years old and lived in Daly City. Was really confused by everything that was happening. I remember my dad who was on the California Highway Patrol had worked day shift and said the City was eerily quiet. 6 months later the White Night riots would occur and he got called in to deal with the rioting. SFPD Patrol cars were burned and bricks & rocks thrown at the officers. Later that night, SFPD retailated by raiding a bar in the Castro and beating the bleep out of the patrons inside before arresting them. Disgraceful!
ReplyDeleteI was a senior in HS and some of the teachers changed the topics to the shootings. Even the math instructor talked about and pushed off a really big test a week out.
ReplyDeleteSophomore at lowell . High in SF that day
ReplyDeleteThey let us out of school ..after an announcement in the school PA
As a stupid 18 year old my friends and I decided to "go check out the Riots". What a night to remember
ReplyDeleteI was also a senior in high school. One of the teachers in our school had run against White for supervisor and, on that day, police came to the school and took the teacher out. There was fear that White was going after other targets and that this teacher was a possible target. Crazy Days!!
ReplyDeleteTwo distinct memories of this day. I was a junior at Lincoln HS when one of the faculty came into our class and informed the teacher and students what had just happened. There was shock, but admittedly, none of us 17 year-olds could really comprehend much of what was going on in city government. It was just another 'moment' of tragedy on the heels of Jim Jones' headlines. That night, one of my buddies who went to SI with Chris Moscone and I went by the residence and found Chris outside, throwing a football around. We stopped to give our condolences, and he said he just needed to get away from all the politicians in the house.
ReplyDeleteDiFi.....elegant leadership..perfect in that unspeakable moment
ReplyDeleteI was on the air in L.A. when our News Director ran into the booth and told me he was going live "right now." I turned down the music and he read the awful item. We talked about it on air for a bit but had few words considering Jonestown had just happened. It's one of those "where were you when" moments I'll never forget.
ReplyDeleteRemember that day vividly. Recalled that there was a Monday Night Football game at Candlestick that night vs. Pittsburgh Steelers. There was a moment of silence on the scoreboard after which Terry Bradshaw dismantled the 49ers with three touchdown passes.
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