Greta Granstedt

Greta Granstedt (July 13, 1907 – October 7, 1987) was an American film and television actress.

Irene "Greta" Granstedt was the second child of Theodore and Emma Granstedt, born in Scandia, Kansas. The Granstedt family was one of the five pioneer families from Sweden who settled in this north central Kansas community in 1867-68. The families left Sweden in response to the terrible conditions in the three years of misery in Sweden. She spent the first 13 years of her life in Scandia. Her father was of Norwegian and Swedish heritage. In 1920 her family moved to Mountain View, California.

Granstedt first gained attention on April 19 of 1922 when she made headlines for shooting her 17 year old boyfriend, Harold Galloway, at the age of 14 with a .25 caliber pistol she borrowed from a friend. During interviews Granstedt claimed the shooting was accidental which coincided with Galloway's story of the incident.

That night I walked out to Busters house - it's a mile and a half out in the country. I took the gun with me because I guess I felt afraid to walk out there and back alone. (. . .) I started home and I met a boy friend who offered to give me a lift. He was going to the party at the parish house and when we got to the corner I said I'd get out and walk the rest of the way. I started home and after he'd told Harold and Buster where I was, they started after me. (. . .) When I saw Harold coming - I wanted to make up - and I didn't want to make up. I guess I didn't know what I wanted to do. I hid behind a tree but my foot caught in my cape and I stumbled and he saw me. Harold came up to me and said: 'Oh, what's the use of fighting! Let's make up and have things as they were before. Let's start all over again!' But something inside of me wouldn't let me make up. I didn't feel as if things could ever be all right again. And I said: 'No - if I'm not good enough to speak to at school, I'm not good enough to make up with!' (. . .)Harold took a step towards me and I told him to stay where he was - not to touch me. And I took the gun out of the holster and thought I'd scare him. Harold said 'Shoot - I'm not yellow!' and then he grabbed the gun and it went off.

Although newspapers originally printed this version of things, they soon switched to a more tantalizing view, claiming Granstedt hid in the shadows with the gun, waiting to shoot Galloway as revenge for him attending the Parish dance with another girl. This version of the story would continue to be printed, even decades later. Galloway's father and aunt leaned towards this story saying Granstedt was jealous and possessive, and that she procured the gun and sought out Galloway in order to scare him. The aunt believed Granstedt shot Galloway to keep him from entering into the navy and thus leaving her.

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