Talk:1988 Winnetka attacks

"Jammed" revolver?

How does that work? It's almost impossible for a revolver to jam, unless it's broken or incorrectly assembled. AnnaGoFast (talk) 04:52, 8 August 2016 (UTC)

@AnnaGoFast I know that I am replying to a nine-year old query: but a revolver can jam if the rotation of the cylinder is incomplete when an attempt is made to fire. If a chamber is not rotated into correct alignment with the barrel, a jam will occur in attempting to fire a bullet. There are a number of reasons such a jam could arise.

Due to revolvers having an individual chamber for each round (and rounds are pre-loaded into said chambers, rather than mechanically fed into them), a jam in a revolver does not arise from the same function that the most familiar jams for magazine-fed guns arise out of. So this confusion is understandable for people to have. SecretName101 (talk) 19:47, 27 September 2025 (UTC)

Title

The title makes it seem like Corwin’s murder was a lone event, and not part of a larger spree that had non-fatality victims. Perhaps we should rename this something like “1988 Winnetka shooting spree” or “ Hubbard Woods Elementary School shooting”? The current title seems to downplay the non-fatality victims as if the acts committed against them were not also of central-importance to this event. I am glad though that the article is not named for Miss Dan, however, given best-practice of centering the act or those victimized and not the centering the assailant when naming such articles. SecretName101 (talk) 19:34, 27 September 2025 (UTC)

I agree, I came here to say the same thing. I wouldn't call this a case of spree killing, “Hubbard Woods Elementary School shooting” might be more accurate. "1988 Winnetka attacks" would include the poisoning attempts, but it's a little too vague for my taste. Wrenaissances (talk) 16:59, 8 November 2025 (UTC)

I agree, this article should be renamed. I think the "Hubbard Woods Elementary School shooting" would be a good enough title though, despite the poisoning's and such, as the school shooting is the main incident. For example, the 1998 Thurston High School shooting article wouldn't be called the "1998 Springfield attacks" just because the perpetrator's parents were murdered prior to the shooting, away from the school. Bigfn (talk) 21:11, 4 April 2026 (UTC)

Requested move 24 May 2026

The following is a closed discussion of a requested move. Please do not modify it. Subsequent comments should be made in a new section on the talk page. Editors desiring to contest the closing decision should consider a move review after discussing it on the closer's talk page. No further edits should be made to this discussion.

The result of the move request was: moved. Consensus to move to "attacks" rather than "rampage". (closed by non-admin page mover) ⹃Maltazarian ^{ᚾparley$\lor$investigateᛅ} 23:29, 7 June 2026 (UTC)

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Murder of Nick Corwin → 1988 Winnetka attacks – Not the main topic of the article and doesn’t summarize it. Nicky’s murder wasn’t the main event, but actually serious of attacks. In first reportings and subsequent ones, it was referred to as a rampage. Other suggestions are open. ButteyFelicity (talk) 21:47, 24 May 2026 (UTC) — Relisting. ⹃Maltazarian ^{ᚾparley$\lor$investigateᛅ} 23:00, 31 May 2026 (UTC)

• The current title is not good, but I think the proposed one is not ideal either. The year should probably be included. "Rampage" seems potentially non-neutral although it does seem rather apt. I definitely don't see a good reason to capitalize it. I don't see that exact proposed phrase in any of the cited sources (although four have "rampage" in their titles). The best I can think of currently are 1988 Winnetka school shooting and 1988 Winnetka rampage. It was more than a school shooting and more than a murder of one person. —⁠ ⁠BarrelProof (talk) 04:20, 25 May 2026 (UTC)

  Rampage is what it is commonly referred to and her attacks fit the description: a period of wild, violent, or destructive behavior, often driven by anger. And while it may seem “Flamboyant” it’s not a Sensational either. And whoops. I usually accidentally make it capitalize. But a year could work if there was another attack. It is speculation to add a year since its highly unlikely to occur again. ButteyFelicity (talk) 16:30, 25 May 2026 (UTC)

  I took the liberty of changing the proposal to lowercase since you said that was an accident. I still think the year should be included per WP:NCWWW. The year is not merely for disambiguation, but also for recognizable historical context. —⁠ ⁠BarrelProof (talk) 17:22, 25 May 2026 (UTC)

  Alright, just because the article does need a name change. ButteyFelicity (talk) 18:09, 25 May 2026 (UTC)

  Yes, I think that's for the best. Just a comment: "Rampage" seems to be very seldom used like this in Wikipedia article titles. I found only five of them: 1993 Perth tank rampage, 1995 San Diego tank rampage, April 2024 Israeli settler rampages, 1998 Alma rampage, and (2023) Huwara shooting and rampage. —⁠ ⁠BarrelProof (talk) 18:11, 25 May 2026 (UTC)

  Yes, that is true, but it doesn’t specifically mean it can’t be used. It was a school shooting, but also a poisoning attack, arson attack, and hostage taking. It would be appropriate, make sense, and is neutral for covering the context. It is a better article name since it covers her attacks. ButteyFelicity (talk) 18:21, 25 May 2026 (UTC)

  Incidentally, I just opened an RM at Talk:Huwara shooting and rampage proposing to include the year and consider an alternative choice of words. —⁠ ⁠BarrelProof (talk) 18:24, 25 May 2026 (UTC)

  Hey how about attacks instead of rampage? ButteyFelicity (talk) 14:22, 28 May 2026 (UTC)

  It is a bit confusing for the proposal to change after there is already some reaction to what was proposed. I note that the suggested title was changed from "rampage" to "attacks" at 14:23, 28 May 2026 (UTC). —⁠ ⁠BarrelProof (talk) 19:41, 29 May 2026 (UTC)

Oppose "rampage" is not the common name and the word is too sensational. Also, rampage is not a neutral term in this context (it is not the same as rampage killer, which is an actual term, and this wasn't even a rampage killing, technically). PARAKANYAA (talk) 20:44, 27 May 2026 (UTC)

I won’t argue with you. How about attacks instead? It wasn’t all a shooting. ButteyFelicity (talk) 14:23, 28 May 2026 (UTC)

Also the title isn’t appropriate and still downplays the actual event. What do you suppose then? ButteyFelicity (talk) 14:25, 28 May 2026 (UTC)

Attacks is fine. PARAKANYAA (talk) 18:56, 29 May 2026 (UTC)

I voice my support for the current title suggestion "1988 Winnetka attacks". PARAKANYAA (talk) 18:34, 1 June 2026 (UTC)

Yes, "attacks" is fine. —⁠ ⁠BarrelProof (talk) 19:41, 29 May 2026 (UTC)

A Wikipedia title should go with what reliable sources state. So far I have found the following wording/refs:

• 1988 fires, Winnetka school shooting, standoff - mentions town
• Shooting rampage, mass shooting,
• Laurie Dann shooting spree, killing spree,
• Dann shot seven people, one fatally - "Dann gunned down seven people, one fatally, then took her own life during a police standoff." and "She planted poison, set fires and opened gunfire on a school room full of children."
• Hubbard Woods School shooting - mentions school
• "Day of Terror in Winnetka" - this source prominently mentions the town name. [https://www.chicagotribune.com/1988/05/22/day-of-terror-in-winnetka-2/
• Vintage Chicago Tribune: Revisiting the Hubbard Woods Elementary School shooting and Laurie Dann - mentions the school
• "The Second Generation of School Shootings"...

That Dann murdered an innocent child is tragic. She also shot 6 other people - children and adults. She also set or tried to set multiple fires, attempting to murder people in their home. She also attempted to poison different people in the wider community. She also basically kidnapped children under false pretenses. She also held people hostage. The title should be changed to something along the lines of "1988 Winnetka attacks" or "Hubbard Woods School shooting" or "1988 Winnetka, Illinois attacks" or something similar with the school name and/or the town name/location in the title. I think 1988 Winnetka, Illinois attacks is the best choice of the three I've mentioned. Winnetka by itself in the title doesn't give enough information to readers. There will have to be redirects for "Murder of Nick Corwin" and other possible/probable search terms

One of the reasons the shootings & the murder part of this whole event still remains in the cultural zeitgeist is that it, in many ways, it was the first school shooting in modern US culture...sadly, the first of many. And, 1988, the year it happened, is important, Columbine didn't happen for another 11 years... - Shearonink (talk) 19:58, 29 May 2026 (UTC)

If we include "Illinois", we should also include a comma after it, per MOS:GEOCOMMA. —⁠ ⁠BarrelProof (talk) 20:05, 29 May 2026 (UTC)

Sounds good to me. - Shearonink (talk) 21:18, 29 May 2026 (UTC)

• Support as the incident was larger than just Corwin's murder. I have noted that the proposal was changed without notice, as pointed out by BarrelProof, though. Please don't change it again now that another editor has cast their support. Raskuly 🐰 05:03, 1 June 2026 (UTC)

The discussion above is closed. Please do not modify it. Subsequent comments should be made on the appropriate discussion page. No further edits should be made to this discussion.

motive

may we PLEASE add motive? Gorillafan101 (talk) 20:45, 22 July 2026 (UTC)