As U.S. Grapples With Another School Shooting, Oregon Town Marks 20 Years Since Its Own
Before names like Columbine, Sandy Hook, Parkland and Santa Fe took hold in the public consciousness, there was the Thurston High School shooting on May 21, 1998.
Outside the school’s campus in Springfield, Oregon, stands a brick-and-tile wall, along with benches, a plaque and trees. The Thurston memorial features 25 white tiles, symbolizing students wounded in the shooting.
Two black tiles represent students Mikael Nickolauson and Ben Walker, who died that day.
“I’ve probably been out here for a half dozen times for
