A disgruntled former nursing student was sentenced Friday to life in prison for killing seven people at a Northern California vocational college five years ago.
Alameda County Superior Court Judge Jeffrey Horner gave One Goh, 48, seven life sentences without the possibility of parole. He then tacked on 271 years to life for the shooting deaths at a nursing school in Oakland in April 2012.
In May, Goh pleaded no contest to killing the seven and injuring three others during the rampage at Oikos University.
Goh had been eligible for the death penalty before his plea deal.
Goh walked onto the campus with a .45-caliber handgun. He took a receptionist to a classroom where he fatally shot her and six students and wounded three others.
He then stole a car belonging to one of his victims and drove to a nearby grocery store and surrendered to employees, who called police.
Criminal proceedings were halted when Goh was found mentally unfit to stand trial in early 2013 and sent to a state-run psychiatric hospital for criminals and suspects where he received treatment for paranoid schizophrenia. In April, doctors determined he was sane enough to stand trial, reinstating the criminal proceedings.
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Investigators say Goh plotted to kill an administrator who refused to refund Goh’s tuition after he quit the Christian college. Unbeknownst to Goh, that administrator had resigned shortly after he dropped out.
Doctors testified that Goh falsely believed administrators and teachers were conspiring against him.
His lawyer, David Klaus, said Friday his client is remorseful.
“Mr. Goh hopes his life sentence will bring some degree of closure to all those who were effected,” Klaus said.
Family and friends of those killed or injured also spoke up.
"I can't understand why a piece of s__ over there can take away a loving women,” said Kaine Ping, brother of Kathleen Ping who was killed in the massacre.
Michael Howey, longtime boyfriend of Grace Kirika who was wounded, called Goh a coward.
"You should've decided to use the gun on yourself. You deserve everything coming to you and I hope you rot in prison," he said.
Camilla Seymour, daughter of Judith Seymour who was murdered, said she still gets nightmares.
"Before this I was getting my masters. Your honor, I can't sit in a classroom without thinking something is going to happen to me," Seymour said. "I'm trying to be strong for my mom's family and friend but it's hard. I feel like so many people forgot about this tragedy. I feel like after my mom died, instead of my family coming together, it split us apart."
