JAMES ELLISON “JAMIE” ROUSE | 1995 Richland High School shooter | Angry over poor grades, kills 2 | Sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole in 1997 | AN UNOPENED LETTER FROM PRISON – content(s) unknown

Jamie Rouse. ALS. Commercial #10 (4.125” x 9.5”) envelope. Pmk: March 14, 2007. SEALED. Content unknown. Pristine.

The Richland High School shooting was a school shooting that occurred on Wednesday, November 15, 1995, in Lynnville, Tennessee, a small community located in Giles County. Seventeen-year-old James Ellison "Jamie" Rouse, a senior student at the school, killed one teacher and one student, and seriously wounded another teacher. This shooting is notable for having occurred prior to the Columbine shooting.

Jamie used a .22-caliber Remington Viper semi-automatic rifle, which he hid behind bushes before driving to retrieve his friend. His friend Stephen Abbot drove Jamie the rest of the way to Richland High School. He parked the car outside the school, and Jamie entered through the north entrance hallway. Inside the hallway he confronted teachers Carolyn Yancey and Carolyn Foster.

He then shot both teachers in the head in the view of over fifty students in the hallway. He then aimed his rifle at football coach Ron Shirey; however, he missed and fatally shot freshman Diane Collins in the throat. He was then tackled by a male student and an agriculture teacher, who forcibly took the rifle away from him. Carolyn Foster was killed by a gunshot wound to the head, while Carolyn Yancey survived in serious condition.

Jamie was convicted as an adult of one count of first-degree murder, one count of second-degree murder, and one count of first-degree attempted murder. He was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole plus 42 years. Stephen Abbott was convicted of criminal responsibility for second degree murder and criminal response for attempted first and second degree murder as a judge decided Abbott knew what Jamie was planning because Jamie had told him, "It's going to happen today." Abbott was sentenced to 40 years in prison.

Jamie is currently imprisoned in the South Central Correctional Facility. As of January 2016, he was up for re-sentencing due to the Supreme Court cases: Miller v. Alabama and Montgomery v. Louisiana which have banned juvenile offenders from getting a mandatory life without parole sentence and required those who were previously sentenced to life to be given a chance for a resentencing.ⁱ

• Classification: Homicide
• Characteristics: Juvenile (17) - School shooting – Angry over poor grades
• Number of victims: 2
• Date of murders: November 15, 1995
• Date of arrest: Same day
• Date of birth: May 8, 1978
• Victims profile: Carolyn Foster, 58 (teacher) and Diane Collins, 14 (student)
• Method of murder: Shooting (.22-caliber rifle)
• Location: Lynnville, Tennessee, USA
• Status: Sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole in 1997

On November 19, 1997, Jamie, a Tennessee high school senior, was found guilty of two counts of murder and two counts of attempted murder in the 1995 rampage at Richland High School.

Angry over poor grades Jamie, then 17, walked into school with a rifle and shot teachers Carolyn Foster and Carol Yancey and 14-year-old student Diane Collins who accidentally got in the way. Ms. Foster and Miss Collins died. Ms. Yancey was wounded.

Jamie's lawyers claimed he was a paranoid schizophrenic and was not in control of his actions. But prosecution witnesses disputed that. In closing arguments, defense attorney Dan Runde said Jamie was hearing voices and thought he was on a mission from God when he opened fire.

Steven Abbott – Jamie's friend – was convicted August 1 of criminal responsibility in the slayings and got 40 years in prison. Abbott drove Jamie to school on the day of the rampage and knew Jamie was carrying a rifle and 400 rounds of ammunition. Abbott testified that he didn't believe Jamie when he said he planned to shoot people.

Jamie's 16-year-old brother, Jeremy, was convicted in 1996 of solicitation to commit murder after trying to persuade classmates to "finish the job" his brother started.ⁱⁱ

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