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1988 · Winnetka, Illinois

Laurie Dann & the Winnetka school shooting

The story behind Murder of Innocence

Laurie Dann entered an elementary school in Winnetka, Illinois, in 1988 and opened fire, killing eight-year-old Nicholas Corwin and wounding other children. The shooting was part of a day of violence that also involved fires and poisoned food. Dann later died by suicide, leaving investigators and families to reconstruct the warning signs and attacks.

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The Story

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When1988
WhereWinnetka, Illinois
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Blogs & Essays

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Blogs & essays

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Outside essays and reading guides reflect their authors’ perspectives. Compare claims with reported and primary sources.

Neil Steinberg · Every Goddamn Day

Career clarity, thanks to Laurie Dann

A journalist reflects on covering the 1988 school shooting and the demands of reporting on tragedy.

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Books

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Books

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Joel Kaplan, George Papajohn & Eric Zorn

Murder of Innocence

A nonfiction account of this case. See the linked edition for publication details and available formats.

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Movies & TV

Documentaries & Adaptations

Movies

1 items
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IMDb · title/episode listing

Murder of Innocence (1993) — film information

Dramatized screen account. Follow the link for the title listing or available viewing options; scenes and dialogue may be adapted.

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Audiobooks

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Audiobook

Murder of Innocence: The Tragic Life and Final Rampage of Laurie Dann

By Joel Kaplan, George Papajohn & Eric Zorn

Unabridged

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Edition checked 2026-10-12

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Fiction Work

Adaptations & Inspirations

Fiction Work

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Scripted stories and fictional inspirations. Scenes, characters, and dialogue can differ from the record.

IMDb · title/episode listing

Murder of Innocence (1993) — film information

Dramatized screen account. Follow the link for the title listing or available viewing options; scenes and dialogue may be adapted.

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Search Amazon · paid linkCredits & title details on IMDb

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Podcasts

Episodes & Audio Stories

Podcasts

14 items
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Audio episodes and oral histories. Personal recollections are attributed perspectives; some services require sign-in.

True Crime Brewery

A Ticking Time Bomb: Laurie Dann

Podcast coverage of the Laurie Dann & the Winnetka school shooting case. Released August 9, 2022. About 116 minutes.

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Crime and Coffee Couple - True Crime Podcast

The rampage of Laurie Dann & the murder of Nick Corwin | Ep 237

Podcast coverage of the Laurie Dann & the Winnetka school shooting case. Released March 22, 2026. About 59 minutes.

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This Is Monsters

The Final Rampage of Laurie Dann

Podcast coverage of the Laurie Dann & the Winnetka school shooting case. Released March 7, 2024. About 25 minutes.

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True Crime Guys

#198 Laurie Dann’s Rampage

Podcast coverage of the Laurie Dann & the Winnetka school shooting case. Released January 11, 2023. About 84 minutes.

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My Favorite Murder with Karen Kilgariff and Georgia Hardstark

206 - Spatula City

Podcast coverage of the Laurie Dann & the Winnetka school shooting case. Released January 23, 2020. About 88 minutes.

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The Kill File

Laurie Dann

Podcast coverage of the Laurie Dann & the Winnetka school shooting case. Released May 18, 2026. About 51 minutes.

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Already Gone Podcast

The life and rampage of Laurie Dann

Podcast coverage of the Laurie Dann & the Winnetka school shooting case. Released April 15, 2020. About 50 minutes.

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Sinister and Sarcastic

Episode 68: Laurie Dann and the death of Nicky Corwin

Podcast coverage of the Laurie Dann & the Winnetka school shooting case. Released February 18, 2024. About 64 minutes.

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I Swear To Drunk I Am Not God

EP 13 PART 1 - THE RAMPAGE OF LAURIE DANN

Podcast coverage of the Laurie Dann & the Winnetka school shooting case. Released March 16, 2023. About 62 minutes.

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True Crimecast

Unhinged - Laurie Dann

Podcast coverage of the Laurie Dann & the Winnetka school shooting case. Released July 19, 2024. About 7 minutes.

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Based on a True Crime Story

Episode 6 - Laurie Dann aka Murder of Innocence

Podcast coverage of the Laurie Dann & the Winnetka school shooting case. Released December 12, 2019. About 39 minutes.

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Murder Under The Influence

Episode 46 - Laurie Dann

Podcast coverage of the Laurie Dann & the Winnetka school shooting case. Released April 7, 2025. About 49 minutes.

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Crimary School

D is for Laurie Dann

Podcast coverage of the Laurie Dann & the Winnetka school shooting case. Released March 13, 2021. About 37 minutes.

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I Swear To Drunk I Am Not God

EP 13 PART 2 - THE RAMPAGE OF LAURIE DANN

Podcast coverage of the Laurie Dann & the Winnetka school shooting case. Released March 23, 2023. About 76 minutes.

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Social Media

Videos & Conversations

BRING YOUR PERSPECTIVE

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Social Media

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ABC 7 Chicago

From the Archives: Who was Laurie Dann, 1988 school shooter?

Video from ABC 7 Chicago covering the Laurie Dann & the Winnetka school shooting case. Length: 2:12.

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True Crime Guys

Laurie Dann's Rampage: A Chilling Tale of Desperation and Tragedy

Video from True Crime Guys covering the Laurie Dann & the Winnetka school shooting case. Length: 1:21:42.

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Crime and Coffee Couple

The rampage of Laurie Dann & the murder of Nick Corwin | Ep 237

Video from Crime and Coffee Couple covering the Laurie Dann & the Winnetka school shooting case. Length: 59:11.

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Crime and Coffee Couple

The Day Winnetka’s Sense of Safety Was Shattered | Laurie Dann and Nick Corwin Ep 237

Video from Crime and Coffee Couple covering the Laurie Dann & the Winnetka school shooting case. Length: 59:09.

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CBS Chicago

30 Years Later, Survivor Of Laurie Dann Laments Rise In School Shootings

Video from CBS Chicago covering the Laurie Dann & the Winnetka school shooting case. Length: 1:10.

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True Crime Brewery

A Ticking Time Bomb

Video from True Crime Brewery covering the Laurie Dann & the Winnetka school shooting case. Length: 1:50:27.

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Reddit · r/TrueCrimeDiscussion

Discussion: Laurie Dann

Public community discussion connected to Laurie Dann & the Winnetka school shooting. Posts and comments are reader perspectives, not independently verified reporting.

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News & Reading

Reporting, Clippings & Archives

More Reading & Audio

4 sources

Explore book records, previews, library audiobooks and selected documents. Access labels distinguish free material from library loans and paid subscriptions.

OverDrive · Library Access

Murder of Innocence — Ebook

Joel Kaplan, George Papajohn & Eric Zorn. Related reading for Laurie Dann & the Winnetka school shooting. This library catalog lists the edition. Borrowing depends on membership in that library and current availability.

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Open Library · Catalog / Availability

Murder of innocence by Joel Kaplan

Bibliographic record for related reading. Check the edition page for previews, lending and other access options; full text has not been confirmed.

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Google Books · Catalog / Availability

Murder of Innocence — Joel Kaplan, George Papajohn & Eric Zorn

An account of Laurie Dann and the 1988 Winnetka attacks. Edition record; available pages vary by region and edition.

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Reading Access Notes

Search reviewed 2026-09-16. Sources searched: Google Books, Internet Archive, Open Library, Library of Congress, Smithsonian Magazine, The Atavist Magazine, Google Books (case/title search), Scribd, Everand, OverDrive and hoopla (combined title search). Search indexing is incomplete; this is not an exhaustive list of the web. Access can change by edition, country and library membership. Library loans may require sign-in or a wait. Everand titles may need a paid subscription; a trial is not permanent free access. Scribd documents are third-party uploads, with uploader details noted where checked. We link to source pages and write our own descriptions rather than reproducing copyrighted books.

A separate Texas Monthly search was blocked by the publisher’s automated-access rules and could not be verified.

News & reporting

1 items

Los Angeles Times

Contemporary reporting — June 1988

Linked reporting or commentary. Read the source date for its historical context; access may require a subscription.

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Newspaper clippings

1 items

Featured newspaper clipping

Read our original summary below. The archive link opens the newspaper’s own clipping viewer.

Chicago Tribune · 1988-05-21 · Page 1

School shooting leads the Chicago front page

The next day’s front page reports the Hubbard Woods school shooting and maps the sequence of events.

Immediate breaking-news coverage; includes other front-page material.

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Internet Archive

1 items
About these sources

Library records and preserved media. A catalog listing does not guarantee full reading or playback.

Internet Archive · Library record · 1990

MURDER OF INNOCENCE

JOEL KAPLAN, GEORGE PAPAJOHN AND ERIC ZORN. A library catalog record for a book connected with Laurie Dann & the Winnetka school shooting. The record may offer a preview or borrowing options; full reading access is not guaranteed.

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Court & Files

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Court records & documents

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Documents are labeled by type and scope. Allegations in filings are not findings of guilt. This collection is not the complete case file.

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Positive Outcome

Laws, Advocacy & Change

Positive Outcome

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Documented laws, advocacy and reforms. Listing a change does not claim it is effective or universally supported.

No case-specific reform has been verified for this collection yet.