Howard balance wheel

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Howard Barton Unruh (born January 21, 1921 in Camden , New Jersey , † October 19, 2009 in Trenton , New Jersey) was a war veteran who randomly shot 13 people on September 6, 1949. He is considered the first mass murderer in US history.

prehistory

During the Second World War, Unruh was considered a brave tank soldier. He kept a detailed record of every soldier killed, right down to details of the corpse. In 1945 Howard Unruh was honorably discharged and returned home with a collection of medals and weapons. The veteran was unemployed and lived with his mother in Camden. He decorated his bedroom with military items and set up a shooting range in the basement. His mother worked in a factory during the day, while Unruh spent his time indoors and went to church every day. Always withdrawn, the 28-year-old began to become a loner about three months before his act.

Around that time, Unruh got into trouble with his neighbors. They viewed him as a "mother's boy" and he became the target of their ridicule. He began to keep a diary of everything that was said about him. When Howard Unruh came home from the cinema at 3:00 a.m. on September 6, 1949, he discovered that the gate he had just built in front of the house had been stolen.

did

On September 6, 1949, after sleeping until eight o'clock, he put on his best suit and had breakfast with his mother. At 9:20 am, he left the house armed with a German 08 pistol and looked for his first victim on River Road in Camden.

In just twelve minutes he shot 26 people, killing 13 and seriously injuring many. When he heard sirens, he went into the house and made a deal with the police there. He was ready to surrender and was questioned. It was only at the end of the interrogation that the officers realized that he had been injured.

He was charged with "deliberate malicious intent" in 13 cases and three times with serious assault. Diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia , he was spared prison and was admitted to Trenton State Hospital as a "mentally abnormal lawbreaker", where he lived until his death.

The riot rampage was one of the worst in a series of murders and suicides by war veterans, prompting the US government to do more to treat these people.

literature

Individual evidence

  1. ^ The Story of the First Mass Murder in US History , Smithsonian Magazine, Oct. 14, 2015.

Web links

personal data
SURNAME Balance, Howard
ALTERNATIVE NAMES Balance wheel, Howard Barton (full name)
BRIEF DESCRIPTION American veteran and mass murderer
DATE OF BIRTH January 21, 1921
PLACE OF BIRTH Camden , New Jersey
DATE OF DEATH October 19, 2009
Place of death Trenton , New Jersey