On March 24, 1998, a shooting at Westside Middle School in Jonesboro, Arkansas, killed 12-year-old Stephanie Dawn Johnson. Two students, 13-year-old Mitchell Johnson and 11-year-old Andrew Golden, had positioned themselves in a wooded area overlooking the school, pulled a fire alarm to trigger evacuation, and opened fire as students and staff left the building.

Stephanie was one of five victims killed that day; the others were students Natalie Brooks, 11, Paige Ann Herring, 12, Brittheny Varner, 11, and teacher Shannon Wright. Law enforcement apprehended the two boys as they tried to flee. Both defendants were later found guilty of five counts of murder and, because of their ages, were sentenced under Arkansas law to be confined until age 21.

The case intensified national attention on juvenile justice and prompted changes in Arkansas law concerning juvenile offenders. Did anyone in the Jonesboro area have information about Stephanie’s life or the school community that could add context to what happened that day?