1993 SPECIAL REPORT: "COLIN FERGUSON...THE LIRR SHOOTER" скачать в хорошем качестве

1993 SPECIAL REPORT: "COLIN FERGUSON...THE LIRR SHOOTER"

On December 7, 1993, Colin Ferguson, a 35-year-old Jamaican-born man, carried out a mass shooting on a Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) commuter train in Garden City Park, New York, known as the Long Island Railroad Massacre. Ferguson boarded the 5:33 p.m. train from Penn Station to Hicksville, armed with a Ruger P89 9mm semi-automatic pistol and 160 rounds of ammunition. As the train approached the Merillon Avenue station, he opened fire, methodically shooting passengers at random while walking down the aisle. He killed six people and injured 19 others in a three-minute rampage before passengers Michael O’Connor, Kevin Blum, and Mark McEntee tackled and disarmed him as he attempted to reload. An off-duty LIRR police officer, Andrew Roderick, handcuffed him at the station. Ferguson, who had a history of confrontations and perceived racial grievances, was charged with 93 counts, including six counts of murder and 19 counts of attempted murder. His trial, beginning January 1995, was marked by his decision to represent himself after dismissing attorneys William Kunstler and Ronald Kuby, who proposed a “black rage” insanity defense, which he rejected. Ferguson claimed an unidentified white man was the shooter, despite overwhelming eyewitness testimony identifying him. His defense was chaotic; he cross-examined victims and police, often reinforcing their testimony against him, and called no witnesses, including himself. On February 17, 1995, the jury convicted him on six counts of murder, 19 counts of attempted murder, and other charges. Judge Donald E. Belfi sentenced him to 315 years and eight months to life, calling him a “selfish, self-righteous coward.” His earliest parole date is August 6, 2309, ensuring life imprisonment at Mid-State Correctional Facility. The massacre, one of the first major public mass shootings of its era, left lasting impacts. Survivors, like Lisa Combatti, who was seven months pregnant and wounded, and Carolyn McCarthy, whose husband was killed and son injured, faced lifelong trauma. McCarthy became a prominent gun control advocate and congresswoman. The event highlighted issues of gun violence, mental health, and racial dynamics, as Ferguson’s actions were partly attributed to perceived racism, though he was acquitted of hate crime charges due to the diverse racial makeup of his victims (white, Asian, Hispanic, and Black). The refurbished train car, No. 9946, remains in service, sparking debate among survivors and commuters. #americanhistory #socialstudies #lirr #nychistory #truecrimestories