Who Does? But most of us don't overdo it.

It was on Monday, January 29, 1979 that Brenda Spencer, a 15 year old student in the San Deigo area opened fire on pupils on the way to the elementary school across the street from her home. Spencer killed two adults, the school principal and chief caretaker, and injured nine pupils. The weapon, a .22 semi-automatic rifle, was apparently given to her by her father as a Christmas gift. After the shooting spree she was apprehended by the police, and of course asked why she'd opened fire. Her response:

I just started shooting, that's it. I just did it for the fun of it. I just don't like Mondays....I just did it because it's a way to cheer the day up. Nobody likes Mondays.

became the basis for a popular song, I Don't Like Mondays (those are the words; a musical snippet can be found here) by a by-now rather forgotten rock group, the Boomtown Rats.

And Brenda? Not too long ago she was up for parole, which was denied. She was sentenced to two 25 years to life sentences, but even the internet which reports her story a few times, hasn't really kept tabs on what's happening with her. More than 20 years ago, opening fire on a school yard was still, apparently, a novel enough event to merit a controversial popular song. Today it seems that if only two people get killed, it's hardly newsworthy. Even if, however, she's no longer a significant member in the pantheon of mass killers, her opinion on Mondays has become an integral part of popular culture.

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