Laurie Dann
| Laurie Dann | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| Born |
Laurie Ann Wasserman October 18, 1957 Chicago, Illinois |
| Died | May 20, 1988 (aged 30) Winnetka, Illinois |
| Occupation | Babysitter |
| Spouse(s) | Russell Dann (1982–1985) |
| Parent(s) | Norman and Edith Wasserman |
| Killings | |
| Date | May 20, 1988 |
| Killed | 1 |
| Injured | 8+ |
| Weapons | Firearms, poison |
Laurie Dann (née Wasserman; October 18, 1957 – May 20, 1988) was an American murderer who shot and killed one boy and wounded two girls and three boys in a Winnetka, Illinois elementary school. She then took a family hostage and shot another man before killing herself.
Dann was born in Chicago and grew up in Glencoe, an affluent northern suburb of Chicago. She was the daughter of an accountant, Norman Wasserman, and his wife, Edith Joy.
Those who knew Dann described her as shy and withdrawn but attractive. She dated a number of her male peers as a teenager and graduated from New Trier High School in Winnetka, Illinois, in 1975. Her grades were poor in high school, but she was able to attend Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa. When her grades improved, she transferred to the University of Arizona with the goal of becoming a teacher. She began dating a pre-med student, and the relationship soon became serious, but she was becoming possessive and demanding.
In 1980, with the relationship failing, Dann moved back to her parents' home. She then transferred to Northwestern University to complete her degree, but she dropped out of all her classes and never graduated.
She met and married Russell Dann, an executive in a successful insurance brokering firm in September 1982, but the marriage quickly soured as Russell's family noted signs of obsessive-compulsive disorder and other strange behavior, including leaving trash around the house. She saw a psychiatrist for a short period, who identified her childhood and upbringing as a cause of her problems.
Laurie and Russell Dann separated in October 1985. The divorce negotiations were acrimonious, with Laurie claiming that Russell was abusive. In the following months, the police were called to investigate various incidents, including several harassing phone calls made to Russell, his family, and his friends. In April 1986, Laurie Dann accused Russell of breaking into and vandalizing her parents' house, where she was then living. Shortly after, she purchased a Smith & Wesson .357 Magnum, telling the salesman that she needed it for self-defense. The police were concerned about her gun ownership and unsuccessfully tried to persuade Dann and her family that she should give up the gun.
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