EP. 182 : TEXAS - The 1991 Luby's Massacre: The Shooting (Pt. 2)
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In last week's episode, we talked about the life of George Joe Hinnert, the man responsible for taking the lives of 23 people during the 1991 Luby's Massacre. George grew up in a strict military family. He would eventually follow in his father's footsteps and join the Navy, but his disagreeable personality made it hard for him to hold down a job. It also made it hard for him to maintain relationships.

Throughout the 1980s, George Henard's mental health was on a downward spiral. He became overwhelmingly paranoid. He distrusted women. And he truly believed that people were following him and tapping his phones. But none of this was actually happening. George Henard showed signs of his mental decline for years. And sadly...

No one stepped in to intervene. Then, on October 16th, 1991, in his final act, George would commit one of the worst mass shootings in U.S. history. So today's episode is about just that, the horrific massacre that forever changed the town of Killeen, Texas. It's also about the victims who lost their lives, the survivors, and the aftermath of this terrible tragedy.

I'm Courtney Browen. And I'm Colin Browen. And you're listening to Murder in America. ♪♪

The restaurant chain Luby's has been around since 1947, with its first location opening in San Antonio. And throughout the years, it's become a staple in Texas for its delicious comfort food. When you go through the front doors, you get in line and grab yourself a green tray and a set of silverware. In front of you, a worker will then ask what kind of meat you want.

fried fish pork chops liver and onions meatloaf or chicken fried chicken you then tell them what you want they load it onto a plate and then slide it over to the next worker who's in charge of the vegetables and sides what sides do you want they'll ask you there's broccoli fried okra mashed potatoes mac and cheese mixed vegetables you name it after taking your pick they'll load it onto your plate

and put a nice warm piece of bread on top. From there, you'll pour yourself a drink, grab your plate, and maybe even grab from their dessert section, filled with pies, cake, and jello.

Once you have everything you need, a worker at the end of the line will take your payment, and you make your way to your seat to enjoy your nice warm meal. According to the Chronicle, the comfort and family environment you feel when you walk inside is enough to warm your heart. Lunch at Luby's is like a hug from grandma, and her telling you it'll be alright. Which is exactly why people have been going to Luby's for decades.

In the town of Killeen, Texas, Luby's was a town favorite. And on Wednesday, October 16th, 1991, a large crowd began to fill the restaurant at around 11 a.m., lunch hour. But today, there are even more people than usual because it's Boss's Day.

a holiday where employees get together to celebrate their amazing employers. Now, Luby's had been advertising for this holiday all week, inviting people to come and dine with them on the joyous occasion. So dozens of people from all around town were here on their lunch break with their bosses. But it wasn't just people celebrating Bosses' Day.

In fact, the military base in town called Fort Hood had just had their payday. So when the crowd of hungry customers were military personnel grabbing a bite to eat. And of course, there was the elderly crowd. If you've ever been to a Luby's, you'll notice that a large portion of their customers are older people. And that's because Luby's does a great job of catering to their demographics.

Not only do they provide nostalgic comfort food, but on this day in question, they were also offering half-off specials for senior citizens. So the Luby's and Killeen was packed with over 160 people inside. If I were to show you a glimpse of what the restaurant looked like that day,

You'd see servers weaving in and out between tables and chairs, balancing trays of empty plates and glassware. You'd hear the sounds of chatter, laughter, and the clatter of dishes. It was definitely chaotic, as lunch hour always is.

But at the same time, it still had that welcoming, lively atmosphere that Luby's is known for. However, as people ate their meals and enjoyed quality time with their families, friends, and coworkers, no one had any idea that their lives were all about to change forever. Because at 12:39 p.m., George Hennard's Blue Ford Ranger was speeding right towards the restaurant's main entrance.

No one inside saw him coming, so no one had any time to react. Before they knew it, his truck jumped a curb and crashed straight through the floor-to-ceiling windows near the main entrance. The truck traveled about 20 feet inside the restaurant, sending tables, chairs, food, and glass flying into the air. The truck directly hit a table, where two Walmart employees were enjoying lunch. Their names were Tom Simmons and Luis Carabello.

As the truck crashed into the restaurant, Luis had gone flying through the air, crashing down with a hard thud, injuring his leg. The truck also hit the waitress station, and a crate of glass ketchup bottles crashed down onto the truck's hood. In the seconds after the crash, the live chatter inside the dining room halted as everyone turned their eyes towards the main entrance. For a brief moment, everything froze. The atmosphere inside that Luby's went from friendly and welcoming to confusion and worry.

But people weren't necessarily fearing for their lives. In fact, at first, many people were worried for the driver. Perhaps he had a medical emergency while driving his car. Or maybe he accidentally pressed the accelerator instead of the brakes. Whatever the case may be, people began to rush forward to try and assist. Because that's what people do. They help others in need.

33-year-old Walmart employee Tom Simmons was one of these people. Even though he had just been hit by the truck, Tom pulled himself off the ground and approached the truck's passenger side door. But in response, the driver, 35-year-old George Hinnard, aimed his P89 Ruger and fired four shots in Tom's direction. From there, Tom Simmons stumbled backwards and fell to the ground.

And it was at that very moment when everyone inside realized that this was no accident. George Hinnard had just murdered his first victim.

Tom Simmons had lived in Killeen for the past four years with his wife Anne Marie and their two young daughters Diane and Kristy. Growing up as an Eagle Scout, Tom had learned the importance of working hard and giving back to his community. He had recently been promoted to the manager of Walmart's automotive department. His co-workers would later say, "He was an easy man to work for. If you wanted someone to talk to, you could talk to him about anything."

He was also described as a good man who took care of people, which is exactly what he was doing when he was murdered. Tom tried helping George Hennard, thinking he was in need of help, and in response, he was shot in cold blood. Now, the other Walmart employee, Luis Carabello, whose leg was injured from the crash, laid helplessly on the floor. Not only did he hurt his leg, but he had also been hit by a stray bullet. But luckily, Luis would make it out alive. At this point, everyone was frantic.

running around the restaurant trying to find an exit. But many were unable to escape, so all they could do was duck under the tables and hide. They then watched as the gunman emerged from his truck,

wielding two semi-automatic pistols in each of his hands. And he still had a cigarette dangling from his lips as he screamed out, "This is for the women of Belton." Belton was the city where George had been living, the very city where he terrorized women with his strange and paranoid behavior. But from there, George began wielding his guns, shooting randomly throughout.

the sounds of gunfire filled the air. And in just a few short seconds, George had fired 34 rounds into the crowd of people. Now keep in mind, there were over 160 people inside of Luby's that day. So the scene was chaotic as people ran for their lives.

The ones closest to the truck when it crashed through the building were the first targeted victims. Many were still on the ground after being catapulted through the air. And before they were even able to get up, they saw the gunmen coming in their direction. One of these people was 57-year-old Patricia Carney. Patricia was the director of elementary curriculum for the Killeen School District.

Her employees had brought her to Luby's that day to celebrate her, on Boss's Day. So with Patricia were a few colleagues, including her husband Sam who was a district attendance officer. Patricia and Sam met in high school, but he was more of the party type and Patricia was very studious. The two didn't start dating until college and from there, they both decided to be educators. They would also go on to have three children,

Rick, Nikki and Rania. At the time of the shooting, their children were all grown up. In fact, that morning, Sam and Patricia had asked their son Rick to join them for lunch, but he declined, a decision he has thought about ever since. Now, after the truck barreled through the building, a group of people quickly ran outside. Patricia's husband, Sam Carney, was one of them. He would later say that he thought his wife was right by his side,

However, when he looked around, he noticed that Patricia wasn't there. She was still inside the building. Sam tried running back in, but the people around him physically held him back. When the police would arrive later on, he would even ask for one of their guns so he could take down the gunman himself. However, they wouldn't allow it. But back inside the restaurant,

A co-worker of Patricia's would later say that as soon as the shots rang out, they immediately dropped to the ground. Patricia then whispered, "It looks like we're fixing to meet the Lord." Eventually, the gunman would approach them. He lifted up their table and fired multiple rounds towards the women huddled on the floor.

Patricia's co-worker said that they were pressed so tightly together, she thought she had been shot as she was completely covered in blood. However, that wasn't the case. 57-year-old Patricia Carney was dead. Her husband, Sam, would later say, quote, that son of a bitch destroyed my life with one shot.

Other employees from the Killeen School District were also there celebrating Bosses Day. Hiding under a nearby table was elementary school counselor Susan Hester. She was actually supposed to have lunch earlier that day, but three students needed her help that morning, so she pushed her lunch break back until 11:50 AM. The students were part of a program called Chapter One, which helps kids with learning disabilities or family dysfunction. The creator of this program was a man named James Swift.

So, after work that day, Susan and James, along with a big group of teachers and administrators, made their way over to Luby's to enjoy their lunch. They wanted to celebrate James Swift's dedication to the troubled youth in the Colleen School District. James was a good man who treated his staff with utmost professionalism and respect. He never missed a birthday, a holiday, or any special event. And today was Boss' Day, so they were there to thank him for that.

Now, along with Susan and James, there was Nancy Stansbury, Ruth Pajal, Sylvia Taylor, and Arlene Aldrich. And now, all six of them were hiding under a table, as a gunman made his way around the restaurant. Susan would later say that as she laid on the pattern-carpeted floor, she thought about how she might never see her husband and kids again. Her colleague, Sylvia Taylor, grabbed her hand and whispered that God was going to see them through this. And together they prayed.

But at that moment, George Hennard began walking in their direction, all while screaming out, "Wait till those fucking women in Belton see this. I wonder if they'll think it was worth it." George suddenly reached their table, aimed his gun underneath, and fired off several shots. The women's boss, James Swift, was able to shield most of them from the gunfire, and in the process, a bullet burst through his foot. When the gunfire stopped,

Susan Hester, Sylvia Taylor, and Arlene Aldrich were all okay, but their colleagues, 44-year-old Nancy Stansberry and 55-year-old Ruth Poldjoul, had been shot. Nancy Stansberry was the supervisor for the Killeen School District.

She and her husband Alvin had moved to the area in 1972 from Virginia, and they built their lives here. At the time of the shooting, they had two adult children, 21-year-old Chris and 19-year-old Alex. Nancy had dedicated the last 19 years of her life to the children of Killeen, Texas.

Her colleague, 55-year-old Ruth Poolejoul, would die right alongside Nancy. Ruth had grown up in Missouri, and in 1957, she married the love of her life, a military man named Skip. Because of her husband's military status, Ruth spent a lot of her younger years traveling the world,

But in 1976, they settled down in Killeen and Ruth took a position as the school's District Chapter One PAC coordinator. And she was a member of the Aggie Moms. Ruth left behind her husband, two daughters, Kathy and Janine, and a son named Mark. Both Nancy and Ruth would die right there on the Luby's floor next to their friends. And in that same burst of gunfire,

A bullet also hit a man hiding under a table directly next to them. We weren't able to find out exactly who this man was, but upon getting shot, he turned to the surviving teachers next to him and whispered, "Don't let me die. God, don't let me die." Sadly, he would be one of the murder victims.

It's been suspected that the man who was shot at the table next to the teachers was 48-year-old Jimmy Carruthers. Jimmy grew up in Austin, Texas, and from a young age, he knew he wanted to help people. So, at 22 years old, he had started working as a contract specialist for the Department of Human Services. He worked there for the last 26 years. He had also worked with Child Protective Services and dedicated his life to make sure the kids in his community were safe.

Sadly, Jimmy didn't even live in Killeen. He was just visiting from Austin for work and decided to stop into Luby's for a bite to eat. Jimmy left behind his wife, Carol, and two daughters, Karen and Sharla.

From there, the gunman turned towards 30-year-old Sylvia King. Sylvia was actually dining alone at Luby's that day. She owned a salon in town called Sylvia's Lime Tree Hair Fashions. And on this day, she was simply on her lunch break. Sadly, shortly before the crash, Sylvia was just finishing up her meal. She had to be back at the salon by 1:00 PM to see her next client, but she would never make it back.

Sylvia had been born in Germany, but she and her family came to America when she was just a child. They had been living in Killeen since 1977 and they loved their community. Sylvia had spent the last two years of her life growing her small business and things had finally started to pay off. She was very involved in the local cosmetology program

and her clients absolutely loved her. Shortly before the massacre, Sylvia and her partner got engaged and she was so excited to finally get married. But unfortunately, her young life was cut short in the blink of an eye. - Soon after killing Sylvia King, George randomly fired throughout the restaurant, making his way around the building, looking for victims. And there was anger in his voice as he shouted throughout the building.

This is for what Bell County did to me and my family. This is payback. Was it worth it? WAS IT WORTH IT?!

George approached another group hiding under a table. It was 33-year-old Deborah Gray and 36-year-old Suzanne Rashid. Both were senior level workers at TU Electric, and they were there on their lunch break. Suzanne had deep roots in her community and had lived in Killeen since she was 11 years old. She was described as a very personable woman, quote, a real hometown girl. She knew everybody and everybody knew her, end quote.

Suzanne's husband's name was Paul. She also had a young daughter named Jamie, and she had worked at her husband's business for the last 17 years. It's actually where she met her best friend, Deborah Gray, who was with her in Luby's that morning. Deborah and Suzanne had worked together for the past 10 years. Deborah had a son named Jonathan and a husband named John. Sadly,

Deborah's husband had just recently gotten into an accident that left him wheelchair bound. And the two were navigating this new life together shortly before the tragedy that took Deborah's life. Both Suzanne and Deborah never expected that going on a lunch break would ultimately end their lives. But after George Henard shot them both point blank under a table, the two best friends died alongside each other.

and george's reign of terror was far from over he continued making his way around the restaurant shooting at anything and anyone in sight eerily some witnesses reported that as he was killing people there was a massive grin on his face as if he was really legitimately enjoying taking people's lives during one bout of gunfire he struck the ernst couple both steve and judy ernst went to luby's that day to enjoy lunch together as they always did

and sitting together with them was Judy's mother, 70-year-old Venice Ellen Henahan. While hiding under their table, Steve was shot in the stomach and Judy was shot in the arm.

Luckily, both would make it out alive, but the bullet that hit Judy actually went through her arm and struck her mother, Venice. Sadly, Venice would succumb to her injuries. The 70-year-old woman actually lived in Metz, Missouri, but was in town to attend her granddaughter's wedding. It was supposed to be a very happy week for their family, but it turned out to be a week of tragedy.

Venice left behind a big family. She was survived by her husband, Bernard, her five sons, and her daughter, Judy, who sadly sat beside her mother as she took her last breath. By this point,

The scene inside of Luby's looked like a war zone. There was glass, debris, and blood everywhere, and dead bodies covered the floor. There were other people who had been shot, but because they were still in harm's way, many had to hold in their screams to avoid getting shot again. And by now, the people still inside of the restaurant were essentially trapped. The

The only exit was near the front where George was wielding his guns. When the shooting first started, most of the employees had been shielded by the walls and buffet counters, so they all rushed out the back door exit. Here is an employee describing the situation. - We were standing there, you know, serving, and when he walked in, when he drove in, he just started shooting everywhere.

- No particular person, just shooting. Just wanted to kill everybody, I guess. I don't know, he was mad. - Now, even though most of the employees were able to escape out the back door, there were still employees in the dining room when the shooting started. So many of them were trapped with the customers. However, when George Henner turned his back to them to start shooting at a group of people, these employees took a chance and snuck over to the kitchen. But when they went to leave out the back door exit,

They realized it was locked. The door automatically locked when it was closed and the only person with a key had already escaped. So from here, they did what you're supposed to do in a mass shooting. If you can't run away,

you hide. One employee named Maria Serna hid inside of the industrial refrigerator behind a crate of milk cartons and she would wait there for three whole hours even after the shooting had stopped.

Another employee, 19-year-old Mark Matthews, climbed into a 15-foot-long dishwasher when the shots rang out. He was so terrified, he actually ended up spending the night in there. He didn't come out until the police found him the following morning, but their hiding spots would ultimately save their lives.

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Back out in the dining room, the customers had nowhere to hide but under their tables. So, with no other options, some people even started building barricades around themselves and their loved ones using anything they could get their hands on: tables, chairs, and benches. Anything to shield them from the gunfire. But by now, George was making his second loop around the restaurant. And it's here when he approached the Welsh couple. 75-year-old retired military man James Welsh had been dining at Luby's with his wife Lula. They were both born in 1915.

James was born in Missouri and Lula was born in Gatesville, Texas. And eventually, they found each other, fell in love, and got married. James served in World War II and the Sino-Japanese War, before he ultimately retired from the armed forces.

He and Lula never had any children, but they both found comfort in their religion. The couple were members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. James was actually a high priest, and the two were known to frequent this Luby's in town. However, today, as they ate their lunch, the gunman approached the couple and fired a shot right into James' chest. He then turned to Lula and did the same. Both James and Lula were killed instantly.

George turned to another group of people hiding under a nearby table. Immediately, he shot 48-year-old veterinarian, Dr. Michael Griffith. He was at Loopy's that day with his best friend, named Kirby Lack.

Earlier that morning, Dr. Griffith had just finished surgery on an animal at his clinic when Kirby decided to pop in. He then asked his friend, "How about buying me some lunch?" And from there, the two would make their way over to Luby's. Kirby would later say that shortly before the nightmare began,

The two were eating strawberry shortcake together and Dr. Griffith had even made a joke about how if he died, no one would come to his funeral. Kirby laughed and assured him that he loved him and that he would be there when that day came. However, neither of them knew that that day was closer than anyone thought. Sadly, that would actually be the last conversation the two would have before Dr. Griffith was shot and killed.

Born in Indiana in 1943, Michael had always been a hard worker. He grew up doing Boy Scouts and in 1959, he became an Eagle Scout. Eventually, he would earn his veterinary medicine degree from Texas A&M, one of the best schools to go to if you want to be a vet.

But before he was a vet, he worked for 10 years at the Beaumont Independent School District. Dr. Griffith was a sweet man who was loved by everyone. His coworkers said, quote, "He enjoyed his work and had fun doing what he was doing." He left behind his wife, Carrie,

his two sons, Daniel and Michael, and his daughter, Jennifer. After getting shot point blank inside of Luby's, his best friend, Kirby Lack, watched him die and there was nothing he could do to stop it.

But as he hid under the table, Kirby heard that distinctive clicking noise. A man hiding under the table next to him, Lieutenant Colonel Stephen Doty then whispered, my God, he's reloading. Sadly, Lieutenant Colonel Stephen Doty's coworker, 29-year-old John Romero, had also been shot.

He was lying on the ground with a gunshot wound to his chest. Both Kirby Lack and Lieutenant Colonel Stephen Doty rushed to John Romero's side to help him. Kirby would later say, quote, I was suppressing his chest, trying to stop the bleeding, and he was so calm. He was lying with his arms straight to his sides. He crossed his feet, and he was just laying, batting his eyes. He was peaceful, end quote.

29-year-old John Romero was a new recruit at the Fort Hood Military Base. Lieutenant Colonel Stephen Doty had been training John, and on their break, they decided to stop at Luby's for lunch. John was originally from San Antonio. In 1984, he got his engineering technology degree from Texas A&M, and from there, he went on to serve in the US Air Force. Sadly, at the young age of 29,

John was shot and killed inside of Luby's that day. But following the murders of John Romero and Dr. Michael Griffith, Kirby Lack and Lieutenant Colonel Stephen Doty found themselves hiding under a table together, two strangers who had just lost their friends. Now at that moment, the gunman was reloading his firearm.

So together, Kirby and Steven Doty began to crawl away from him. They now knew that the gunman was wanting to kill as many people as he possibly could. So this was their only chance to get away. But sadly, as the men tried to crawl away from him, they wouldn't get very far because soon enough,

George approached them and began firing in their direction. One of the bullets hit Stephen Doty in the chest and the other hit Kirby Lack in the hip. And as he shot the men, George yelled out, was it worth it? The women of Belton and Killeen are vipers. Ultimately, 43-year-old Lieutenant Colonel Stephen Doty would be killed.

Throughout his time in the military, Stephen Doty was highly respected. He enlisted in 1969 and won a number of medals flying reconnaissance missions for the army in Vietnam. He was also a crucial part of an airlift operation in the Persian Gulf War. But Stephen was now in his 40s and he was looking forward to retirement.

Sadly, he was actually set to retire later that month, and in this new chapter of life, he was looking forward to doing what he loved to do: spending time with family, working on cars, and jet skiing with friends and family. Lieutenant Colonel Stephen Doty would leave behind his wife Patricia, three sons Michael, Martin, and Justin, and a daughter named Tiffany. Kirby Lack would later say that he tried to help Stephen Doty, but it was too late.

and he too had been shot by the gunman. When Kirby looked down, his shirt was saturated with blood and all he could do in that moment was lie down and play dead. He would later say, quote, "I had just smeared some blood on my face

and I covered my face with my hand, hoping he would think I was dead." But eventually, Kirby would hear the gunman walk back over to him. He tried to lay there as still as he possibly could. And it's here where George Henard checked to see if he was alive. Kirby would later say, "He kicked me, I didn't move, and he reached down and stuck the barrel of the nine millimeter to the back of my head. And just as he pushed,

"I literally said my last prayer. I thought I was dead." But luckily, Kirby Lack would survive.

From here, George would make his way over to the northern portion of the restaurant where he shot and killed 64-year-old Juanita Williams. Juanita was the president of the Hardo Texas Credit Union. Juanita was the definition of a hardworking woman. After growing up in Corsicana, she decided to get an education at the Texas Women's University in Denton. And shortly after, in 1948, she would marry a man named Sid Williams.

She and Sid had lived in nearby Temple, Texas for the past 13 years, where Juanita really made a name for herself. And in 1991, she had earned the highest title in her career, President of the Credit Union. Juanita was actually set to retire in just four short months. However, that would all change when the gunman walked over to her table and took her life. And sadly, the nightmare was far from over. Next, George would make his way back to the center of the restaurant.

where he fired his gun at 62-year-old Kitty Davis and her friend, Barbara Knight. The two had been at Luby's that morning to meet up with their old coworkers from the Fort Hood Dental Clinic. Both Barbara and Kitty had recently retired from the clinic, but they still enjoyed getting together with everyone several times a year. And on this day,

they all decided to meet up at Luby's. Barbara Knight would later say that after getting their food, she watched as her friend Kitty Davis sat down and said a quick prayer over her lunch, something Kitty always did. And over the next half hour or so, their group of 10 sat around the table, ate their lunch, and chatted about everything going on in their lives. Now at about 12:15, the other eight people from their group got up to leave.

But Barbara and Kitty decided to stay a little while longer. You see, Kitty was so excited to show Barbara pictures of her newborn grandson. But as she did, a truck came plowing through the restaurant. It ended up stopping just a few feet away from their table. And soon enough, Kitty turned to Barbara and said, "He's got a gun. Get down." For the next few minutes, Kitty and Barbara hid under their table.

praying for the nightmare to be over. Barbara would later tell the Texas Monthly, quote, "'From then on, we stayed on the floor. "'I couldn't see him, but he got out of the pickup "'and started shooting right away. "'Bullets went through my foot and Kitty's finger. "'I didn't have my shoes on. "'I guess I lost them. "'That bullet went in and came out "'and just shredded her thumb. "'I knew I had been shot, "'but that was the least of my worries. "'The dishes were flying.'

cups and saucers off the table. He would make a circle. He kept walking around saying, "This is what they've done to me in Belton. Is it really worth it?" And I thought, "Man, this is not Belton."

"What are you doing here? "Oh, your mind races like 90 miles a minute." We were just about to leave and I had my $5 bill in my hand and my check was $2.68 or something. I kept thinking, well, with this mess, how am I going to get up there and pay? Then I realized that the place was all shut up

and there was no one to pay. I put my face down and I was very still. I was hoping to seem like I might be dead. I didn't holler or make any noise when I got hit in the foot because I just knew it wasn't the thing to do. It was very quiet in there, eerie quiet. Then he just came around again and shot Kitty in the back about two or three times. She had one of those machines, so I suspect she had made it herself. She said,

I've been hit. Pray for me. And I did. I unhooked her bra and put a napkin there where she was bleeding. I didn't think she'd die, but her face turned really ashen. I knew it was bad, but I didn't think she would die." End quote.

Sadly, 62-year-old Kitty Davis would die. Kitty was born in Wengern, Germany in 1929, but had lived in Killeen, Texas since 1963. She would leave behind her husband, Arlia, two sons, Vernon and Dirk, three daughters, Diana, Becky, and Peggy, and six grandchildren. But after murdering Kitty Davis, the gunman approached another table in the restaurant.

Hiding underneath was Dee Leisure and Glen Spivey. The two worked at a nearby apartment complex called Coral Creek. Dee worked in the main office and Glen was the maintenance supervisor. But today, they stopped by Luby's on their lunch break. The two often ate lunch together and Dee looked up to Glen as a father figure. She said, "Glen was the man who could fix anything."

he was sweet caring and always friendly that afternoon he had had a specific craving for fried okra so they decided luby's was their best option now when they arrived there that afternoon d actually suggested they go somewhere else because the line was really long however they ultimately decided to stay and wait it out after getting their food d and glenn took a seat near the west wall and then suddenly they heard the loud crash and glass shattering all around

And before Dean knew it, she felt something strike her in the face. At first, she assumed it was glass. But then she saw George shooting at people throughout the restaurant. And it was at that moment where she realized she had not been hit with glass, she had been struck by a bullet. Instinctually, she began screaming, as she used her hand to cover the wound. She then screamed to Glenn that she had been shot.

Together, they both got down on the ground away from the gunfire. And in a heroic move, Glenn rolled on top of Dee to shield her from any bullets. Now, luckily, upon these first few shots, the gunman had moved to another part of the restaurant. And as they waited in fear, Dee kept hearing the gunman scream about his hatred of women. So, surely, that's who he was targeting, she thought. To try and protect herself, Dee even grabbed the nearby plastic bin used to house dirty dishes.

Not only would this add some extra protection to her head, but it would also hide her long blonde hair. If this guy is targeting women, then maybe concealing her hair will save her life. But soon enough, they watched in horror as the gunman made his way over and stood at the foot of their table. Her coworker, Glenn Spivey, was still on top of her, protecting her from the gunfire. The next thing Dee knew, she heard a loud pop. She then felt Glenn's body go limp over hers. She knew at that moment that Glenn had been shot.

but she stayed as still as she possibly could. On top of her, Glenn had been shot point blank in the forehead. The blood from his wound dripped down onto her, and she could feel him struggling to take his last breaths. 55-year-old Glenn Spivey would succumb to his injuries. And sadly, there isn't a lot of information about him online. But under a Facebook post about this tragedy, a woman wrote, Glenn Spivey was my stepdad, one of the kindest, most gentle men I've ever known.

Which makes sense considering he died trying to save his coworker Dee. But back inside the restaurant, Dee watched as the gunman's feet finally stepped away from her table. From there, she was able to wiggle her way out from underneath Glenn. And when she did, she made eye contact with an elderly woman hiding under another table. She even crawled over and grabbed the woman's hand.

But as the two women huddled together, George went back in their direction and fired off his gun, while screaming, "Was it worth it?" This time, a bullet went directly into Dee's hip. Now, luckily, she would survive, but she would later say that that's only because of Glenn Spivey's bravery.

By this point, George approached another table near the crash site, where Dr. Susanna Gradia was hiding with her parents, Al and Ursula. Earlier that day, Al and Ursula had gone to their daughter's job, the Cove Chiropractic Clinic, and they asked their daughter if she wanted to go to lunch. But Susanna wasn't sure, as she told her parents that she was swamped with patients all afternoon.

but ultimately she decided to go. Now when the truck first crashed into the building, Susanna thought the driver suffered from a medical emergency, so she actually got up to help him, but then she heard the gunshots. From there, she and her parents barricaded themselves behind a table near the east wall, and as she heard the gunman nearing closer,

she reached inside of her purse where she usually kept her Smith & Wesson revolver. Susanna had bought the gun for self-protection, but sadly, when she reached inside, she realized the gun was in her car. At the time, it was illegal to carry a concealed weapon inside a place of business, so she had taken it out before she went into Luby's that day, meaning Dr. Susanna Gradia and her parents were helpless against the gunman.

who is quickly approaching their table, but in an act of bravery,

71-year-old Al Gradia stood up and he charged at George. Al knew that the man wouldn't stop shooting and he hoped to put a stop to it. Susanna would later say that she tried to stop her father, but it was too late. After charging at the gunman, Al wrestled him for the gun, but sadly, George overpowered him. And once he got control over the gun, he aimed it directly at Al's chest

and pulled the trigger. His daughter Susanna would later say, quote, My dad broke away from my grasp and ran at the man. He saw my dad coming and simply turned to him and shot him. My dad went down in the aisle between me and the gunman, and I knew he wasn't going to make it. End quote. And for a brief moment, George Henner then walked away. Susanna and a few others used this opportunity to run out of the building, but

But sadly, Elle's wife Ursula ran to her husband's side instead. Susanna would later say, "They had just had their 47th wedding anniversary and she wasn't going anywhere without him." Ursula cradled her husband as he took his final breaths. And sadly, George would eventually make his way back over to her. Here is what would later be said about Ursula's death:

An elderly woman was leaning her hand, leaning over the body of her husband who'd already been shot, apparently trying to protect him. The gunman came up, the woman sort of looked up, and the gunman pointed his pistol at her and she just sort of bowed her head like that and he shot her in the top of the head as our guy looked on.

Both Al and Ursula died that day. Their daughter Susanna would later say that her mother was an executive secretary at Boeing and that she was the hardest working woman she knew. Her father Al had recently retired

and often spent his days either on the golf course or inside working on his history book that he had been writing. Susanna also said that on their way to lunch that morning, her parents were talking about how excited they were for their 50th wedding anniversary. They were still a few years away from it, but they couldn't wait to celebrate half a century of their love. However, they would never reach that milestone. Here is their daughter Susanna after the tragedy.

I was there with my parents and making a long story short, my father went at the guy because he felt like he had to do something. And he was shot in the chest. I was able to get out. My mother stayed with my father and eventually Henard got around to her. And so my brother and sister and I lost both our parents that day.

Now, sadly, when the shooting first started, the people who had been near the serving lines were the most exposed out of everyone. They didn't have any tables to hide under. So, all they could do was hide beneath some small benches near the front, or the steel frame used to push trays down the line. Some customers who were hiding here were George Osborne and his wife Ethel. George Osborne crouched in front of his wife hoping to protect her, and they watched in horror as George scanned the restaurant for more survivors. Eventually, his eyes darted in their direction.

George Osborne quickly whispered to his wife to stay still, but soon enough bullets were flying in their direction. Fortunately, both George and Ethel made it out alive, but the two women lying next to them were shot. They were 63-year-old Clodine Humphrey and 64-year-old Zona Lynn.

When the shots first rang out that morning, Zona, Clodine, and Reverend Shannon McMullen quickly got down on the ground and hid beneath a waiting bench near the front. The three of them had decided to eat at Luby's that morning after a board meeting of the Good Hope Western General Association. Zona and Clodine had served their community for over 20 years and were deeply involved in their local Sunday school. Clodine Humphrey had also helped care for the sick people at the Veterans Administration Medical Center and Zona was a retired school counselor.

and the head of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. Sadly, when the shots rang out, Zona, Clodine, and Reverend Shannon McMullen were pretty much out in the open. The bench they were hiding behind didn't provide much protection. And when shots were fired in their direction, both Zona and Clodine were fatally struck. Reverend Shannon McMullen was struck in the leg, but would ultimately survive.

Under another bench, near the front of the restaurant, was Johnny Fitzwater and his wife Kelly. Both could only watch in horror as the people around them were murdered in cold blood. One of the hot shells from the 9mm even dropped into Johnny's hand as he carefully watched the lower half of George's torso walk away. Here are the Fitzwaters describing their experience:

I looked over, I saw a table and a man flying through the air. And I'm not real sure whether she moved or what, but when the first shot was fired, he hollers and says, you bitch. And this is directly in front of me. And when that happened, his shell or projectile,

George then walked over to Connie Miller and Roxanne Peters who were huddled together near the front of the restaurant. Roxanne closed her eyes as she heard the footsteps getting closer. George then raised his gun and said, "Try to hide from me, bitch."

as he fired one round at the two women. Roxanne would later say that she felt the vibration of the bullet entering her friend, 41-year-old Connie Miller, and she remained as still as she could while Connie died pressed up against her body. Connie Miller was a very skilled chiropractor in town, but she also loved to give back to her community. Connie would volunteer at the immune center in town, giving free adjustments to AIDS patients. She was also interested in protecting the environment and had attended many national environmental meetings.

People that she worked with would later say that Connie was a "loving and devoted mother with a zest for living, whose love and compassion for others was evident. We shall always remember her gentle spirit, her healing decorum, her beauty, her grace, and her loving smile." Connie is survived by her husband, David Miller, two children, O'Neal and Haja .

After murdering Connie Miller, the gunman walked over to another woman who was hiding under a table and with anger in his eyes, he pointed the gun directly in her face and pulled the trigger.

However, luckily for her, George's Ruger was completely out of bullets. This woman who remained anonymous would survive the shooting. But she would later say that when she closes her eyes, she can still hear the click of that gun. But inside the restaurant, George realized that he could no longer use his Ruger. So it's here where he set it down on a plate, right on top of a serving of fried chicken and hush puppies.

Now, with his Glock 17 in hand,

he made another round around the restaurant. Eventually, two soldiers from Fort Hood named Harold Manbevers and Douglas Bailey noticed that George's back was to them. So they took this opportunity to grab a group of people and make a run towards the front door. But the next victim of this massacre was near the crash site. Hiding under a table was 45-year-old Oljaka Taylor, her daughter Annika,

and her four-year-old granddaughter, Lakeisha. Now, Oljuka had actually been shot in the leg towards the beginning of the shooting, but her daughter and four-year-old granddaughter had sat by her side. However, when George was making his final round around the restaurant, he stopped in front of their table once more. Kneeling down, now eye level with the family, George said, quote, "'Tell people I ain't killing babies today.'" He then nodded at Anika and Lakeisha,

and said, "Get out of here before I kill you both." The mother and daughter rushed out of the building to safety. But sadly, because of Olchika's gunshot wound to her leg, she was left behind. And soon enough, George shot her point blank, killing her instantly.

Olgika was born in Yugoslavia on June 11th, 1946. And sadly, there isn't a lot of information out there about her, other than the fact that she left behind two daughters, Slobodanka and Anishia, who was there at the restaurant with her that morning. Horrifically, Olgika would pass away, but I'm sure in her final moments, she was relieved to see that her daughter and granddaughter's lives were spared, as one of the last images she saw that day was them running out of the restaurant to safety. From there...

George Henard looked around the restaurant, searching for any signs of life. Little did he know, there was still a group of people trapped towards the back of the room. Within this group was a man named Tommy Vaughn. Tommy would later say that when the shots rang out that day, he and his coworkers ducked under a table. But something interesting that he said was that throughout the shooting, the

The restaurant was eerily quiet. The only sounds you heard were of course the gunshots and George Henard when he would scream out his ominous threats. But other than that, no one inside dared to make a peep. Doing so would reveal their position. So everyone stayed quiet. Tommy Vaughn would later say, quote, "You expect people to do more and say more, but it's really quiet, really weird."

You don't expect it, end quote. But as George made his way around the restaurant once more, Tommy and his coworker, Donald Hudo, knew it was now or never. With bodies piled on the ground around them, they knew they had to act quickly. So Donald turned to Tommy and whispered, kick the fucking window out. And Tommy tried, but he didn't succeed. After kicking it with all of his might, the window didn't budge.

and horrifically, the noise caught George Hinnard's attention. Soon enough, he began shooting at the crowd of people near the window, but surprisingly, every shot missed. But with bullets raining in their direction, Tommy Vaughn felt a rush of adrenaline like no other. As George approached them,

He started slamming his body up against the window as hard as he possibly could. And eventually, the glass shattered. From there, a crowd of about 15 people began piling out of the window, running towards the parking lot where it was safe. And as they did, the sound of George's Glock continued to fire in the background. One of the people who ran out of the window was a woman named Betty May. Here she is describing her experience that day. Well,

We heard this crash and saw the pickup come through. And we thought he'd had a heart attack or his brakes had failed him or something. And then he started shooting out the window when we knew something's up. And when he got out the window and started to, when he came out the door and started shooting, somebody had to get under the table and that's where all of us got. All of us jumped under the tables. But he was going along there, they said, turning tables over, shooting some of them, you know, even turned the tables over.

But after seeing him come back there twice, we knew that if we didn't get out, he was going to get us. So that's why I said, if, you know, I got shot in the back, that wouldn't be half as bad because I wouldn't know it. But when he leaned over you and shot you in the face or the head or the chest, you knew he was going to do it. And it would have been a lot worse being done that way. But you saw parts of him? Just his legs, part of his legs down. And you could see, you know, how his legs would turn from one side to the other as he shot.

He was shooting from one side to the other and then when I got up I never did look back because I knew if I did he'd probably really shoot me then because they said if anybody looked at him or said anything that's when he really shot. So when I went out the window like I said I cut my foot never did know it until like the blood got a turn quit on it but I didn't even know I'd cut it I guess I was in shock or something.

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and now let's get back to our story out in the parking lot a large crowd gathered just waiting for the nightmare to come to an end every once in a while they would watch as groups of people ran outside with looks of absolute horror on their faces some people were severely wounded others were completely unscathed now keep in mind the shooting only started a few minutes before this everything happened very quickly most mass shootings do

But earlier on, when the shots first rang out, an employee named Angela Wilson was able to run outside and get help. She actually met up with her boyfriend in the parking lot, and together they ran to the high-low auto parts next door. Frantic, they screamed at the clerk that there was a crazed gunman shooting up the Luby's cafeteria. As others escaped, they too found their way to the store and yelled similar stories. One man named Robert Holland even had gone behind the counter and picked up the phone to call 911.

call came to dispatch at 12 40 pm just one minute after the shooting started from there officer ken olsen and chuck longwell responded to the scene but by the time they arrived most of the victims inside were already dead interestingly ken olsen and chuck longwell were actually narcotics officers so they showed up wearing plain clothes when they arrived on scene the people in the parking lot didn't even realize that help had arrived

But together, the two officers carefully made their way towards the entrance of the restaurant, making sure to conceal themselves behind a row of parked cars. Eventually, George spotted the two men and opened fire. It was obvious that they needed backup quickly. And luckily, next door at the Sheraton Hotel, a group of Killeen police officers were taking a course on auto theft when they too heard the commotion.

When the officers at the hotel looked outside, they saw a group of patrons running across the joint parking lot and they immediately knew that something was wrong. Not only were these people running, but they had looks of pure terror on their faces.

One of the officers stepped outside to find out what was going on and a woman began screaming that a man was shooting everyone inside of the Luby's. From here, the officers rushed outside to their cars where they had stashed and locked away their weapons and ammunition. And as they all geared up, they heard the distinctive popping sounds of gunfire. Whoever was responsible was still inside shooting. So together, they all made their way towards the restaurant with one goal in mind: to take down the gunman.

Narcotics officer Ken Olson had been keeping an eye on George through a window. And when he saw George lift up his Glock to shoot someone, Ken lifted his own gun and aimed it at the gunman. The shot hit George right in his hip, but he was still alive. A customer inside named Mary Roberts recalled watching George as he stumbled backwards. She was extremely thankful for the shot

Because if it had happened a half a second later, she would have been dead. At the time, I couldn't close my eyes. I felt like if I did, I was a goner. So I just kept them open. And I don't know how many rounds he had made, but he was coming back towards our end. And I knew enough to know that there was no one around me alive except me. I was dead.

the nearest shot. And he caught my eye and I caught his. And he said something under his breath or something negative. I saw him pull the, I guess it's a trigger, not the trigger, but the clip thing in the back and start walking towards me. And I basically said, goodbye, family. I love y'all. And it was at that point he was, oh, boy.

I'm not good on distances, but I'd say 10 feet maybe from me when the police came barreling through that window. And I just let out all the air in my body and said, my angels are here. And I knew it was going to be okay because he immediately turned and had his, he was preoccupied with them. So I was no longer a target of any sort. And I truly believe that those policemen saved my life.

As Officer Ken Olsen entered the restaurant with his partner Chuck Longwell, he fired another shot at George Hennard. And this time he aimed high so that he wouldn't hit any potential survivors. But the shot missed George. And from there, he crawled over from the dining room into the alcove near the restrooms. There were a group of customers and employees hiding in the restrooms, barricading themselves inside.

So when they heard the shooter outside the door, they were terrified. Luckily for them, this nightmare was about to be over. George Hennard was now cornered. As officers Ken Olson and Chuck Longwell made their way inside,

Glass crunched beneath their shoes. They had to step in pools of blood, and there were dead bodies lying all around them. But they couldn't think about that right now. Using George's Ford Ranger as their shield, Chuck yelled out to George, telling him to surrender. But in response, George yelled back.

- Fuck you! - George then aimed his Glock at the two officers and fired several rounds in their direction. Bullets pinged off the truck's windshield and hood, but no one was hit. George then yelled out again. - Fuck you! I'm gonna kill more fucking people! - Officer Ken Olsen returned fire

emptying his entire magazine in George's direction. Meanwhile, an officer named Al Morris, who had been at the hotel next door, came in for backup. Al would later say that walking into the restaurant that day gave him flashbacks to the jungles of Vietnam. He also couldn't help but notice the amount of bodies all over the floor. He would later say, quote, "I didn't know how many exactly he had shot,

But when I got in there, I saw some of the people and I knew they were gone. Their faces were completely white, almost to the point that they looked like mannequins. There was just no blood in the faces." But from there, the three officers continued firing shots at George Hennard and they were able to shoot him two more times in his lower extremities.

Now, knowing it was all about to come to an end, George tried to buy himself some more time. He even yelled out that he had some hostages. But Ken Olsen didn't believe him. They asked George to show them the hostages, but they were met with silence. And they could tell by the sound of George's voice that he was growing weaker. His gunshot wounds were slowing him down. So from here, they decided to advance towards the shooter.

and take him out once and for all. As the officers inched forward, George knew it was all over. And in his Glock, there was only one bullet remaining. He was now lying on his stomach.

barely able to move from his gunshot wounds. So in his last act of control, George Henard rolled over on his back, lifted the gun to his right temple and pulled the trigger. The fatal shot came out of the left side of his head. And finally, just 12 minutes after the shooting started,

It was all over. George Henard ended his reign of terror by shooting himself in the head the day after his 35th birthday. This day also happened to be the day before his second anniversary of losing his mariner's license. But inside that alcove near the Luby's restrooms, the officers turned the corner and saw the gunman dead. Eerily, there's this picture of him

where his eyes are wide open, staring straight up at the ceiling. We will be posting this picture along with other crime scene photos on our Patreon. But after confirming that the gunman was dead, Chuck then grabbed his radio to report what he found. - Suspect is dead, shot himself in the head. - From there, he turned around and scanned the restaurant. There were bodies everywhere and there were survivors with serious injuries. So Chuck then radioed again.

we've got at least i don't know eight to ten wounded here we're gonna need medics here is officer ken olsen describing his experience that day basically coming back from a drug raid uh and uh we just recovered about a pound of methamphetamine heard the call go down and we're in the immediate area i drove my unmarked vehicle up into the parking lot and um

found out what was happening and then saw the gunman and then fired a shot at him, which I hit him on my first shot from about 50 yards away. And then I entered the building because it didn't incapacitate him totally at that time. And I exchanged gunfire along with Al Morris. We exchanged gunfire with him and then he finally ran low on bullets and committed suicide.

Once the gunman was down, first responders quickly rushed in to assess the damage, and it was truly unlike anything they had ever seen. Upon first glance, it looked as if a bomb had gone off in the building. There was a dark gray cloud of smoke that lingered in the air. There was glass everywhere, overturned tables and chairs. The ceiling fans had even been shredded to pieces from the gunfire. Food, plates, and silverware covered the floor. Also covering the floor was a sea of bodies, riddled with bullet wounds.

Everywhere they looked, there was blood soaked deep into the patterned carpet. The deceased victims were found all around the restaurant. Many were lying under tables or behind their self-made barricades. Some were even piled on top of each other as they were trying to protect their loved ones. With each body they came across, investigators grabbed a green Luby's napkin and placed it over their face. Here's a report of what the first responders saw that day.

Chip, two Department of Public Safety officers who confronted the gunman were shaken by what they found. One says that the heaps of bodies in the cafeteria reminded him of Jonestown. Another one said that the victims were like a covey of doves under the tables. Most of the victims had been shot in the head, executed where they were eating.

Also among the carnage were the survivors. 33 people had been injured that day. Some were barely clinging on to life. Upon seeing that the police had arrived, many were frantic for help. Now there was mayhem inside. I understand people were begging the officers for help and didn't quite understand what was going on that suddenly these gentlemen had come in in plain clothes firing.

One of our officers did have on a black raid jacket that said "State Police," but these people were frantic. Our guys, they later apologized for being rough, but they were telling people to get out of the way, to get down, and people were pulling on their pants legs, begging for help. Sergeant Ford told me that he's pretty sure that one man died holding his hand, pleading for help.

and depending on their condition, they were transported to three different hospitals in Central Texas: the Darnell Army Hospital at Fort Hood, the Metroplex Hospital in Killeen, and the Scott & White Memorial Hospital. The wounded victims were: Patricia J. Atkinson, Luis Caraballo, Barbara S. Crawford, Linda Davis, Mary Diaz, Judith Ernst,

Steve Ernst, Johnny Fitzwater, Kelly Fitzwater, Susanna Gracia, Celia Guillette, Olivia Gutierrez, Joanne Hecathorn, Susan Hester, Hazel Hawley, Odine Huron, Jean Rhodes Isedale, Sydney Earl Isedale, Kirby Lack, Bernadette D. Leisure, Mark Shinchi Matthews, Betty May, Shannon McMullen, Hilde Mills, Addie Bell Moss, Barbara Knight, Marjorie Park, Mary Roberts, Maria Silvia Serna, Charlene Smith, Delbert Smith,

James Swift, and Thomas Vaughn. They were all transported and treated for various injuries including gunshot wounds, fractures, lacerations, and emotional shock. General H. Michael Hill went to the Metroplex Hospital and has this report. I'm scared. I'm scared.

They came here seeking confirmation a relative had been brought to Metroplex Hospital, but when they got the news, it was too much. Doctors treated eight survivors of the assault, seven of them victims of gunshot wounds. We did not have any head injuries that we received. We did not have any chest injuries.

Our injuries were hip, abdominal, and lower extremity. At least one 40-year-old Kirby Lack required surgery to remove a bullet described as two inches in diameter. The bullet had damaged his bladder.

October 16th, 1991 would forever change the community of Killeen, Texas. What had started out as a beautiful Wednesday afternoon quickly turned into a day of terror and bloodshed. That night, flags around the city flew at half staff. Outside the restaurant, victims' family members waited in agony to learn the fate of their loved ones. One by one, first responders rolled people out in stretchers

rushing them to nearby hospitals. But after a while, they stopped, meaning everyone still left inside of the restaurant was deceased. There were many tears shed out in the parking lot that day as family members came to terms with the fact that their loved one wasn't coming home. And the entire time, they couldn't help but look at the blue Ford Ranger that was still parked there in the restaurant.

among all the broken glass. Investigators would work the crime scene for hours, and by 8 p.m. that day, the bodies of the deceased were finally taken out. The nearby Sheraton Hotel served as a command post for law enforcement and victims' family members.

Chip, really right now the city is really just beginning to grasp the magnitude of this man-made disaster. Now news of the tragedy spread very quickly. Townspeople were even more quick to react to it.

The Sheridan Hotel is serving as the command post for this tragedy. Throughout the day, people have come here searching for information about loved ones. Victims' names and their conditions are posted. Counseling for victims, their loved ones, and witnesses is being offered here. Some of those witnesses are still reeling from what they saw.

He shot at me when I was yelling Angie's name. I went through the window where he crashed through. And after I had realized that he had already shot the first man, I was screaming Angie's name and I startled him, I guess. He turned around as when he fired at me, so I ducked and then I went to the food to go. The restaurant sits just off Highway 190. Many townsfolk drove by as soon as they heard about the tragedy. Many others stopped by just to watch.

some out of a sense of curiosity others out of a sense of compassion for their neighbors now i think everybody does how much snow and they know of anyone if they have any loved ones that were involved uh... the tragic thing that's happened here in the end

I think that people just want to come out and see for themselves what really did happen. At a news conference, the Mayor of Pro Ten expressed his sorrow over what's happened and announced a memorial trust fund has been set up at the First National Bank of Killeen. Meanwhile, at the command post, disaster relief efforts are continuing. The town of Killeen never expected to deal with a tragedy like this.

But Red Cross officials say the community is pulling together as best it can. We're trying to handle it with our local resources because it's been tremendous. It's people helping people in a community. We have volunteers that are willing to come out and work all night. It's been gratifying to see this kind of response.

The governor has sent some crisis intervention counselors down here to Killeen to try to help people deal with this problem. Counselors in this city are not used to dealing with this kind of tragedy, so they're having to get some special instruction as to what to tell the people who are coming to them for help.

Another thing we want to let you know about is the command post is here. Chip gave you the number earlier where people can call for information in case you are needing some help, in case you're trying to find out if one of your relatives has been involved in this in any way. That command post here at the Sheridan Hotel in Killeen, right off Highway 190.

When the death count was released to the public, everyone was shocked. 23 people lost their lives inside of Luby's that day, making it, at the time, the deadliest mass shooting in American history. And it would hold that record for 26 years, until another Texas gunman killed 26 people at the Sutherland Springs Church in 2017.

But on the night of the Luby's massacre, outside in the parking lot, reporters spoke to witnesses of the shooting. Here is a report from Robert Riggs and the witnesses he spoke to that day. You'll hear him say the death count is 22, but the accurate number is 23. "The town of Killeen is in shock tonight after a gunman opens fire on a crowded cafeteria, killing 22 people before turning the gun on himself."

Good evening and thank you for joining us for this expanded edition of the News 8 Update. It ranks as the worst mass shooting in U.S. history. It all began shortly before one o'clock this afternoon. Police say a man drove his pickup truck through the front of Luby's cafeteria on Highway 190 in Killeen. Chip Moody joins us now from the scene with the latest. Chip.

All right, thank you very much, Tracy. I'm standing just outside the Luby's Cafeteria, the scene of today's mass killing. It has been an incredible day for Central Texas, and the incredible story is still unfolding as we talk now. Even at this hour, the Central Texas town of about 50,000 residents is still trying to grapple with the events, the cause, the aftermath of this mass killing.

Tonight, the grim process of removing the bodies from the restaurant began around 8 o'clock, about two hours ago. The bodies are being transported to Dallas for autopsies by the Dallas County Medical Examiner's Office. Now, for Bell County authorities, this is routine in murder cases. What's not routine, of course, is that the number of victims is very high. The horror began during the lunch hour today at 12:40.

Suddenly, with no warning, a blue pickup truck came crashing through the big glass window of the restaurant's dining room. It was no accident. The driver meant to crash into the dining room and he kept on accelerating, running over several tables and the people who were sitting at them. The truck finally came to rest completely inside the dining room. When the truck stopped, witnesses say the man started shooting before getting out. He then walked over and shot two people he had just run over.

The witnesses from inside recounted the horrors of what they just went through. Here is Steve and Jane Gaither, who were dining at the Luby's when the shooting first started. "He just kept on shooting. Just kept on shooting." "Randomly shot anybody in his path." "I thought it was the backfire from the car at first. And then he pulled me underneath the table and then it just kept on going and going and just kept shooting and shooting. And it wasn't gonna stop."

It's easy to immediately generalize and wonder, what are we coming to? That people feel that this is a way to solve any problem. You see it happen elsewhere and you pray that it never happens to you and unfortunately you can't control people's minds and what they're going to do. The company of Luby's was also devastated that an act of violence happened within their restaurant, a restaurant that is supposed to bring people comfort.

Yes, in a statement released by San Antonio-based Luby's Cafeteria, the company says it's deeply concerned for the victims and their families and extended its deepest sympathies over the tragic shooting. We're doing everything we possibly can to comfort and console the families and whatever we can do. There's no protection for mad acts that occur like this. There was nothing...

Nothing that we could say that we wish we could have done to avoid this, no. The Mayor Pro Tem of Killeen, Fred Latham, says a memorial trust fund has been set up for the families of shooting victims. Luby's Cafeteria has donated the first $10,000 to that fund. And as Ana reported just a few minutes ago, Luby's has also reserved 50 motel rooms in Killeen for families of the victims. And the Red Cross has also set up a counseling program to offer assistance to grieving relatives and survivors of today's shooting.

The town of Killeen, Texas was completely devastated with the loss of 23 lives 24 if you count the gunmen At the time, Killeen only had a population of around 60,000 so it was a pretty tight-knit community And the Luby's restaurant, once a staple in town, was now eerily quiet as the weight of heartbreak and sorrow had silenced everything

Friends, neighbors, and loved ones clung to each other as they tried to make sense of the tragedy. And they came together as a community to honor the lives lost. Patricia Carney, Jimmy Eugene Carruthers, Kermit Held Kitty Davis, Lieutenant Colonel Stephen Charles Doty, United States Army, Al Gracia Jr.,

Ursula Susie Gracia, Deborah Ann Gray, Dr. Michael Griffith, Venice Allen Henahan, Clodine Humphrey, Sylvia King, Zona Hunnicutt-Lynn, Connie Dean Miller, Ruth Pajal, Suzanne Neal Rashad, John Raymond Romero Jr., Thomas Earl Simmons, Glenn Arvill Spivey, Nancy Faye Stansbury, Olga Cotaylor, James Welch, Lula Welch, and Juanita Williams.

That night, as the news hit the national media, America mourned right along with the town of Killeen, Texas. Back in 1991, before Columbine and Sandy Hook, a senseless act of violence like this wasn't common like it is today. People couldn't understand how something like this could have happened. And like with every tragedy,

People just wanted to know why. Why would a man set out to shoot and kill as many people as he could? Sadly, we are still asking these questions today and we still don't have answers.

Following the shooting, the identity of the shooter was released to the public: 35-year-old George Joe Henard. Interestingly, George's real name was George Pierre Henard, but shortly before the shooting, he had changed it to George Joe. But from here, investigators would try to piece together the puzzle as to what made George snap.

Something obviously snapped today in the brain of a 35-year-old Belton resident, Belton being about seven or eight miles from here. 35-year-old George Henard, no prison record, but unemployed and apparently a very angry man. He was the subject of numerous complaints to the Belton Police Department.

Soon enough, the nation would learn about the disturbed individual responsible for the shooting and that there were clearly warning signs that had been missed.

A thorough search of his home in Belton produced little evidence, but they did find a lot of stuff that proved George was a disturbed individual. They learned that he harbored a deep hatred of women and that he had a fascination with murder. Investigators seized a desk calendar that had cryptic messages, angry notes, video shrines, photos from his travels,

model planes, and the original boxes of the Ruger and Glock. Inside the master bedroom, they located a picture of George playing his drums in the desert. On the back was written a handwritten note that read, "Love you mother, June 91, Nevada desert. George, Grant, final solo." It was also clear that in the months before the shooting, George was clearly going through a mental health crisis.

After speaking with family members and looking through his belongings, it painted a picture of a paranoid man who truly believed women were out to get him. Survivor stories from inside Luby's that day confirmed this, as George was walking through the restaurant, being very vocal about his hatred towards women. Reporters would also speak with Mary Mead, the owner of the convenience store where George would buy his breakfast every morning. And here's what she had to say about him:

He seemed like he was by himself and he felt like everybody was against him. Clerk Mary Mead says George Henard started his day as usual, at 6 o'clock, at a convenience store near the two-story Colonial that belonged to his mother. Henard bought $3 worth of snacks and signed the receipt, promising to return to pay later in the day. The clerk remembers her customer's violent temper and the day several months ago when he gave her an ominous morning fit.

He said that if they didn't stop messing around his house, that something bad was gonna happen. And he wanted me to tell everybody. I don't know why he told me,

Reporters also spoke with Jane Bug and her two daughters, who recounted their terrifying experiences with George Hennard, the threatening letters and phone calls, how he would wait outside and flash his headlights at them. The warning signs were all there. Jane Bug knew he was a danger the entire time. She even tried warning the police about him, but...

no one seemed to take her seriously. Here is Jane Bug reading parts of that ominous letter to reporters. "Do you think the three of us can get together someday? Please give me the satisfaction of someday laughing in the face of all those mostly white, treacherous female vipers from those two towns who tried to destroy me and my family."

I will no matter what prevail over the female vipers in those two rinky-dink towns in Texas. I will prevail in the bitter end.

It also came out that George Henard would actually call the police department all the time. In some instances, he would call to report that people were stealing things from him. He also called the police regularly to tell them that people were bugging his phone and that sometimes people would call him and play loud music.

In other calls to the police, he said that people would call him and that the person on the other end would just start laughing. Of course, it's believed that none of this was actually true. And interestingly, George had a very strange message on his answering machine. If people called and he didn't answer, they would hear this voicemail message that said, Yo, cuz, you've reached public street. Leave your name, number, time, and message. Hang up phone calls are absolutely prohibited and you'll get bugged if you do so.

As reporters spoke to the people who lived around George, no one had anything nice to say about him. One neighbor said that at one point, a young boy had stepped on his property to grab a baseball that had landed in his yard.

and George just started screaming at the young boy. Another resident said that George was known to play loud rock music at all hours of the night and refused to turn it down. But the one thing that everyone noticed was his love for his truck. His 79-year-old neighbor said that George washed it every single day in the front yard of the mansion. So it was unsettling

knowing that he used that very truck to commit his crime. Slowly but surely, after speaking with the police and neighbors, the community of Killeen was learning more about this disturbed individual, someone who had clearly been showing red flags for months now. "Bernard had several run-ins with police. He called them three and four times a day, complaining about imaginary noises in the neighborhood.

Police told neighbors, "Honard planned to move. His mother's house is for sale. So too is the antique shop she operated until it went out of business." Other neighbors complained Honard yelled obscenities at them as he lived in the yard. He acted like he knew me. I never said a word and he cussed me out and said, "Just keep pushing. Just keep pushing. Okay, just keep pushing, but worse than that."

Bernard's father, a Swiss-born orthopedic surgeon, moved out of the two-story colonial after a divorce several years ago.

When potential buyers toured the home, they suspected the gunman may have been hiding drugs. Well, some people toured it and made an offer on it, and they said he was extremely impolite to them, and he didn't want them to come in one room, which seemed strange. There was something on a table or something that was covered up. They didn't know what it was.

Now, as to a motive, neighbors have several theories as to a possible motive, including the fact that Honard may have been on drugs. They also theorize that, according to the letter that you just heard a portion of aired, he wanted to lash back at a few small towns, two small towns in Texas. We know that Belton was one of those small towns. Now, whether Colleen was the other small town, he did not mention in the letter that he sent to the neighbors.

Investigators will certainly be looking into that over the next few days. As Murray was telling us, some of his neighbors had also complained to police, saying the man would be screaming out loud in the middle of the night, waking them up. Lived in a fairly well-to-do neighborhood, but many of the neighbors called police and said something is wrong with the man. He continues to yell and scream. He's talking to himself. So he does have a record of some mental aberrations.

Now, as all of these disturbing details were revealed, everyone wanted to know how this individual fell through the cracks of law enforcement.

This wasn't a guy who operated in the shadows. His disturbing behavior was right out in the open, and the police knew about it. However, Captain Cosper would later say, quote, there was nothing to suggest that he was capable of becoming a mass murderer. I don't see how anybody can suggest that even if he had been arrested, it would have prevented this tragedy, end quote.

And one thing we want to note is in the last episode, we referred to the mansion as his father's home, but it was actually given to George's mom after his parents divorced. So it technically was her home.

Now, she lived in Henderson, Nevada, so when George was living there, it was just him in the house all by himself. But after the shooting, reporters would speak to George's mother, and she said that she had just spoken on the phone with him a few days prior, on his 35th birthday, and that he sounded perfectly fine. So, she was shocked to learn that he was responsible for the deadly mass shooting. She would later say, This is so frightening, so devastating. I don't know what to do. I don't know what to say. I'm interested in one thing. This

this tragedy and the death of my beautiful son it was also found that george was estranged from his own father at the time of the shooting it had been about a year since the two had spoken to each other the reporters would eventually speak to dr hannard and he said that he had no idea why his son would commit this crime but despite everything he said that they did care about george and that they were making arrangements for his funeral

As the reporters continued to dig into George's past, they uncovered even more about the disturbed killer. Isaiah Williams, an old coworker of his, would later describe George as, quote, "Hyper vindictive and always in a hurry," end quote. He went on to say that George was always getting into fights with people

saying, quote, "He always wanted to straighten out the score. He acted like he didn't confide in anybody or trust in anybody," end quote. Another coworker named Pete Martinez said he was, quote, "Always a loner type around here. We didn't know of him befriending anybody in San Pedro," end quote. As all of these accounts came to light,

Killeen Police Chief Gia Cosmosi told the public that clearly the gunman had a problem with women, which was evident as 14 of the 23 victims were female. Interestingly, another story eventually came to light showing just how misogynistic he truly was.

In the 1980s, a law professor named Anita Hill would come forward with sexual harassment allegations against Supreme Court Justice nominee Clarence Thomas. And back when all of that was happening, George Hennard walked into a store and saw Anita Hill pop up on a TV. And as soon as he saw her, he became enraged. Witnesses would later say that he threw a tantrum right there in the store.

In the weeks after the massacre, many other women in town came forward with horrifying stories of George. One young woman said that George had been stalking her. She worked at this bank in town and one day while she was working, she looked up to see George just standing there with this creepy grin on his face. Then a few weeks later, she was shopping in town.

when George walked through the front door and greeted her with that same creepy smile. Another girl would come forward saying that she called the police on George once after he made an obscene gesture at her, but of course nothing ever came of it.

But these countless stories helped paint a picture of the disturbed mass shooter. To everyone that knew him, it was known that George hated women, but no one really knew why. They also didn't know why he was motivated to massacre 23 people in Luby's. The police chief would later say in a press conference, quote, "The who's what's and why's we may never be able to figure out."

End quote.

But from here, the town of Killeen was forced to pick up the pieces of this horrible tragedy. For every funeral held, the town came together to show their respect, with hundreds of people filling up the churches. Outside of the funerals, everyone cried and held each other in disbelief. A billboard even went up in town that read, "Lord, comfort our town in our time of loss."

And something everyone wanted the public to know was that the gunman was not one of them. He wasn't from Killeen, and neither were the guns he used in the shooting. Killeen is a strong community who care about their neighbors. George Henard was not this kind of person. But as strong as they are, the emotional scars that this tragedy left behind were heavy. In the months and years after the shooting, many of the survivors reported on the severe PTSD they had.

Tommy Vaughn, the man who busted out one of the windows during the shooting, which ultimately saved the lives of around 15 people, says that he thinks about a potential mass shooting wherever he goes. And anytime he steps into a restaurant, he carefully picks a seat, where he can see everything going on around him. Another person affected by the tragedy was Officer Al Morris. Al helped to take the gunman down that day. Like we mentioned earlier, he served in Vietnam as crew chief mechanic.

Al said that during his time in Vietnam, his helicopter had been shot down five different times. And then at one point, a bullet even passed right through his shirt. After Vietnam, he experienced PTSD as many soldiers did. But following the Luby's massacre, he was no longer having flashbacks of being in the jungles of Vietnam. Now, when he closed his eyes, he said, "I had a constant VCR in my head and all I could see were bodies lying on the floor."

which I'm sure was the case for many survivors of that day. And one specific survivor that you'll hear about when researching this story is Suzanne Gracia Hupp. After witnessing the death of her parents, she was desperate to make a change in legislation. Like we had mentioned, Suzanne had left her weapon inside her car that day because, in 1991, Texas was not a concealed carry state.

She would later go before the Texas Senate and say, "I was fully prepared to blow this guy away. I had good position with the table to prop my arm on, and he was standing up with his back turned three quarters in my direction. I reached back for my purse, and that's when I realized I'd taken the gun out and left it in the car. I was very angry at my legislators for legislating me out of the right to protect myself and my family, and I was angry at myself for having obeyed a stupid law that I think got a lot of people killed."

She would later say, Could I have hit the guy? He was 15 feet from me. He was up. Everybody in the restaurant was down. I've hit much smaller targets at much greater distances. Was I completely prepared to do it? Absolutely. Could my gun have jammed?

It's a revolver, so it's possible, but is it likely? Could I have missed? Yeah, it's possible, but the one thing no one can argue with is that it would have changed the odds. Dr. Susanna Gradia-Hupp would also say that she wasn't angry with the gunman, comparing him to a rabid dog. Her anger was directed towards legislators, who she believed stripped away her right to defend herself. She would later tell the Associated Press, quote,

"You can't help it, but every time you close your eyes, you relive it. And then you relive it with a gun in your hand. What if?" Susanna would also make a very chilling and accurate statement. She said, "There's somebody out there right now thinking I could get a bigger body bag count."

And she couldn't have been more right. There are people out there with these exact thoughts. People who want to set a record. And there are people who have. We see it all the time here in America. And that's why Susanna sought out to put guns in the hands of the good guys.

And I know we get a lot of comments of people thinking we are anti-gun, but we are all for good guys with guns. And I know there are a ton of people out there that carry who wouldn't hesitate to take out a bad guy with a gun if they were given the chance. And for our Texas listeners who carry, you can thank Susana Gradia for this because she's actually the one who helped make that possible. After her legislative fight in 1995,

Senate Bill 60 passed, which allowed legalized concealed carry in the state of Texas. - But over the years, Texas has passed even more gun laws, which has caused a lot of controversy.

In 2013, the open carry law was passed which allowed citizens to openly carry their handguns in public spaces. According to an article in Texas Monthly, today you can saunter down Main Street with a semi-automatic rifle hanging jauntily from your shoulder strap. On August 1st, 2016, the 50th anniversary of the UT Tower shooting, concealed carry became legal on public university campuses. And as of 2021, Texans no longer need a permit

or training to carry a firearm. - But in 1991, for about six months after the shooting, the Luby's in Killeen, Texas remained closed. However, the company continued to pay its 45 employees who witnessed the massacre firsthand. But in March of 1992,

they reopened the restaurant with a new look. Instead of the floor-to-ceiling plate glass windows that allowed the gunmen to drive straight into the restaurant, they installed a series of panes that stopped at a three-foot high still. In addition, an extra emergency door was added near the serving line. But I can imagine that the shooting was hard on their business.

And on September 9th, 2000, Luby's would close their doors permanently and a Chinese buffet named Yangxing would take its place. Today, Yangxing remains open on East Central Texas Expressway, but the city memorialized their victims by adding a pink granite memorial behind the Killeen Community Center. The names of the deceased are etched into the stone along with the date of the event.

It serves as a permanent reminder of the lives lost and how at any moment tragedy can strike. The mayor of Killeen would later release a statement to the Killeen Daily Herald that said, "No community is, or ever could be, prepared for the tragedy which struck Killeen on October 16, 1991. Our hope and prayers are that a similar event will never again occur in any community."

However, that would not be the case because 18 years later, another mass shooting would mark their community where gunmen shot and killed 13 people at Fort Hood. Like with the Luby's massacre, the community was devastated that they had once again become victimized by gun violence. It was like ripping off an old scab that they had been trying to heal for nearly two decades. The Observer recently spoke with a pastor from Killeen named Jimmy Towers who talked about the countless tragedies their town had gone through. Jimmy told them,

We've had our share. There's a sense that Colleen has the resilience because of life experience with Fort Hood. The Observer continues, It's not uncommon for Colleen residents to travel to the airport to greet caskets carrying fallen soldiers coming home to the Army's top training spot for heavy forces. But Jimmy told them,

The community's resilience through the years of life, death, and tragedy has helped us handle it well. For me, I'm still dealing with the PTSD of a number of people. We're being presented to the world as a place of tragedy. When the challenges come, we've been exposed to and trained by people who say, "Meet the challenge." But are there emotional scars? You bet. When I go to lunch with people, they still don't want to sit with their back to the door of the restaurant.

which is still the case for a number of survivors of the Luby's massacre. Sure, many of their physical wounds have healed, but their emotional wounds still haunt them

over 30 years later. We mentioned one survivor named Kirby Lack. On the day of the shooting, he watched his best friend, Dr. Michael Griffith die right in front of him. Kirby was also shot in the hip that day. So he knows what it's like to live with PTSD. Kirby is now a pastor in Killeen and a city councilman. But even though he has worked on healing for the past 30 years,

he still has difficult days. Kirby would later say that when he woke up in the hospital after the shooting,

he started having nightmares. One was that the gunman had a cousin who came into the hospital with a gun to finish the job. Nowadays, he doesn't have nightmares like that anymore, but he definitely stays on guard wherever he goes. Sometimes, Kirby said he even goes to the restaurant where the shooting took place. Like we mentioned, it is now a Chinese restaurant, but when he goes, he sits at the same table where he was shot.

To him, it's his way of taking control, a reminder to himself that his past no longer controls him. Another survivor is Tommy Vaughn, the one who busted through the window that day. He would later tell the Colleen Daily Herald, "It changed me. Not a day goes by where I don't watch the people that come around me, not in a scared way,

but i just want to know what they're doing when i go to a restaurant i want to see who's coming in and who's going out out of second nature i'll look for ways to get out end quote and lastly there's al morris the police officer who helped take down the gunman he would retire from the killeen police department in the year 2000 but the luby's massacre is something he will always remember saying quote i don't think

"I don't think you'll ever forget. "Every time there's a shooting at another location, "you'll always remember the Luby's massacre. "It's never going out of your mind. "Every year when October 16th comes up, "you still remember like your birthday or anniversary."

Many survivors of mass shootings share these exact same feelings. And while over time things do get better, you never quite forget, even decades later, something the people of Killeen, Texas know all too well.

This is actually one of our last episodes of the year as we're taking our holiday break, but we'll still be posting episodes to our Patreon. So if you want to continue listening and get access to those bonus episodes that will be posted throughout December, make sure to head over to patreon.com and sign up to be a member. We will also be posting all of the crime scene photos from this case, which we feel are important to understand just how depraved and

gruesome these mass shootings are on our Patreon. And lastly, in honor of this episode, we will be making a donation to Everytown for Gun Safety, which is an organization that works to end gun violence here in America.

Hey everybody, it's Colin here. Thank you for listening this year to Murder in America. Courtney and I are going to be coming out with some Christmas stuff and some end of the year stuff. So you can look forward to that at the end of December. But we are just so happy and so proud and just so delighted to have everybody out there listening. This is a story that we've wanted to tell for years, especially because it impacted Texas, the state that we call home.

And there's just so much, I mean, it's just crazy too how that happened in the 90s and it's still happening today. In Texas specifically, there's Sutherland Springs, there's Uvalde. It just doesn't seem to end.

But if you want to listen to more episodes, if you want to continue listening to the bonus stuff that we're posting on our Patreon, be sure to sign up for Patreon. You can get early ad-free access to all of our episodes, bonus episodes of the show, updates from Courtney and I. There's tons of stuff on there. And if you love Murder in America, you should join our growing community on Patreon. We love every single person that is helping support the show on there.

Also, be sure to follow us on Instagram at Murder in America to see photos from every case that we cover. And if you've never checked out my YouTube channel, you can either check out the Paranormal Files or the Conspiracy Files and listen to my other show, the Conspiracy Files. Basically, if you like Courtney and I and what we're doing here, there's a lot of ways you can help support us and things you can go watch.

But anyways, we wish you all the best December, the happiest of holidays. We'll be back in a couple of weeks and we'll miss you guys. But yeah, so much love to everybody. Catch you on the next one.