Bath Massacre: America's First School Bombing by Arnie Bernstein

On May 18, 1927, 55-year-old farmer and school board member Andrew Kehoe dynamited the new consolidated school in Bath, Michigan. When the dust settled, 45 people—mostly children—were dead, and many more were injured. Before the day was over, Kehoe also killed his wife and destroyed his farm, animals and crops. He then killed himself and the school superintendent with a suicide car bomb.

In 2008, the last of the victims of the school bombing received markers on their graves. Kehoe's grave remains unmarked. A sign once found on the ruined Kehoe farm stated "Criminals are made, not born."

Bernstein's narration of this little known tragedy—still the largest school killing in U.S. history—is a chilling account of horrific violence and immeasurable grief. Using personal interviews with survivors and previously unpublished photos, he recounts a community in disbelief that one of their own could perpetrate this abomination.

In the end, the coalescing of the community during the healing process triumphs above the platitudes of the "deranged bomber" at its center. While Bernstein's description of Kehoe is vivid and humanizing, he never attempts to explain or understand him:

"Somewhere, somehow some thing in Kehoe lost its way. No matter how much puzzling and questions there is, the real answer—Kehoe's personal "why"—burned to ash with his farm, exploded into senseless matter with his flesh, and was wiped from the earth at his own willing."

Reviewed by David, Local History Librarian.

Bernstein's discussion at the Downtown Library about this compelling book will be featured on C-SPAN's Book TV on the following dates:

• Saturday, May 16, at 5 pm
• Sunday, May 17, at 4 am
• Monday, May 18, at 1:30 am

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