Cleveland Elementary School Visit

February 7, 1989- Michael Jackson visited each classroom at the Cleveland Elementary School in Stockton, California, the parents of the children at the nearby Central United Methodist Church, as well as the children checked into the hospital, three weeks after a gunman had fired 100 bullets into a playground, then committing suicide. Five children were murdered and 39 injured during the attack. Michael just back from his Bad World Tour, arrive to comfort the surviving children by giving them the confidence to view the world more positively after the traumatic experience.

Eight-year-old Thahn Tran, who had lost his younger brother during the massacre, speaks about the effect Jackson’s visit had on him: “I didn’t want to go back to school, but Michael made it all right again. If he goes there, it must be safe. Michael is my friend and I’m very glad.”. Another Student Elizabeth Pha on Michael's visit “His presence made me feel like, ‘Oh, wow, the world is safe, and it is possible to dream, and there is hope after all."