Deanna McDavid was a 48-year-old English teacher and drama director at East Carter High School in Grayson, Kentucky. On January 18, 1993, a 17-year-old student entered her seventh-period classroom carrying a .38-caliber revolver concealed in a backpack. After an initial shot that missed, the student fired a second shot that struck McDavid in the forehead, killing her.

The school’s head custodian, Marvin Hicks, was also killed when he entered the classroom to investigate the disturbance. Many students initially thought the incident was a drama skit because McDavid directed the drama club; the situation became clear only after the shots were fired. The gunman held classmates hostage for about 15 minutes before surrendering to responding officers. The student later said his stated motive was to kill two people so he would be eligible for the death penalty.

A grand jury returned two murder indictments and multiple kidnapping counts. The case was moved to Johnson County for trial; the defendant was convicted and sentenced to life with the possibility of parole after 25 years. Did anyone who knew Deanna or worked at East Carter have memories or details that could add to the record?