Thomas Hamilton

perpetrator of Dunblane school massacre

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July 21, 2026

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On March 13, 1996, Thomas Hamilton entered Dunblane Primary School in Scotland and fatally shot 16 children and their teacher before taking his own life. Hamilton, a resident of Dunblane, had a history of concerning behavior towards boys. A motive for the massacre was never definitively established. In the aftermath, the Snowdrop Campaign successfully advocated for stricter gun laws in the UK, leading to a ban on private handgun ownership.12

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Dunblane school massacre
The attack
The gunman, Thomas Hamilton, lived in the town. On the day of the massacre, he drove into the school parking lot at about 9:30 in the morning. He cut the cables on a telephone pole and then entered the school, carrying four handguns and 743 rounds of…
Read More
The gunman, Thomas Hamilton, lived in the town. On the day of the massacre, he drove into the school parking lot at about 9:30 in the morning. He cut the cables on a telephone pole and then entered the school, carrying four handguns and 743 rounds of…
Read More