The Heath High School Shooting Oral Histories Project

This project seeks to document memories of the December 1, 1997 shooting at Heath High School in Paducah, Kentucky and to highlight how the events of that day continue to influence individuals and the community over twenty years later.

It will preserve accounts of an event that risks being forgotten by the wider world and provide needed insight into the long-term impacts of school shootings on individuals and communities.

Interviews are planned with survivors, witnesses, first responders, family and community members, as well as journalists who reported on the shooting and its aftermath. To date, seven interviews have been conducted.

Follow the links in the navigation bar above to hear clips from the interviews and learn more about the project.

Photo: Steve Nagy, The Paducah Sun, Associated Press
This project has been funded by a grant from the Kentucky Oral History Commission.