Luby's shooting

"With its large ammunition capacity, quick reloading, light trigger pull, and utter reliability, the Glock was hugely innovative — and an instant hit with police and civilians alike. Headquartered in Deutsch-Wagram, Austria, the company says it now commands 65 per cent of the American law enforcement market. The Toronto and Durham police forces are also all-Glock, with Toronto’s emergency task force equipped with the same gun Loughner is alleged to have used. With all those customers and that visibility, it’s no surprise that the Glock has also been the gun of choice for some prolific psychopaths. Byran Uyesugi used a Glock 17 to kill seven people at a Xerox office in Honolulu in 1999. Seung-Hui Cho, who murdered 32 at Virginia Tech in 2007 before killing himself, used the same Glock 19 model that Loughner is accused of firing in Tucson. Steven Kazmierczak packed a Glock 17 when he shot 21 people, killing five, at Northern Illinois University in 2008. The smooth-firing Glock did not cause these massacres any more than it holds up convenience stores. But when outfitted with an extra-large magazine, it can raise the body count. The shooters in Arizona, Illinois, Virginia, Hawaii, and Texas could not have inflicted so many casualties so quickly had they been armed with old-fashioned revolvers. In its 2010 catalog, the manufacturer boasts that while the Glock 19 is “comparable in size and weight to the small .38 revolvers it has replaced,” the pistol “is significantly more powerful with greater firepower and is much easier to shoot fast and true.” The Tucson gunman demonstrated those qualities all too vividly. Loughner is said to have emptied his 33-round clip in a minute or two, a feat requiring no special skill."

"The Glock 17, the pistol used in the slaying of 22 people in Killeen, Tex., yesterday, is a partly plastic semi-automatic weapon that is popular with drug dealers and at one time was banned by the New York City Police Department, which feared that terrorists could sneak it through airport metal detectors."

"Its payback time. Its payback time. Is it worth it? Is it worth it?"

"In the deadliest shooting spree in U.S. history, a man crashed his pickup truck into a cafeteria crowded with lunchtime patrons here Wednesday afternoon and began firing rapidly and indiscriminately with a semiautomatic pistol, killing 22 people. The gunman later was found dead of a gunshot wound in a restaurant restroom, police said. The massacre resulted in injuries to 20 others, many of them listed in "very critical condition."... Officials said Hennard was armed with a 9-millimeter Glock 17, described as a lightweight, Austrian-made handgun now in use by many federal, state and local law enforcement agencies."

"In addition to the 22 shot to death, 23 people were wounded in the rampage. At least 11 remained hospitalized Thursday, two in critical condition. Wounded himself by police, Hennard put a 9-millimeter Glock 17 semiautomatic pistol to his head and killed himself."

"On Feb. 21, Mikes Gun House in Henderson, Nev., sold a Glock 17 pistol to a member of the Hennard family, said a spokesman for Glock Inc. in Marietta, Ga. The shop, owned by Michael ODonoghue, on March 29 also sold the Ruger semiautomatic that Mr. Hennard used along with the Glock in the shooting, The Associated Press reported. The news service reported that a Las Vegas undersheriff, Eric Cooper, said that Mr. Hennard signed for both guns and listed himself as unemployed on both registrations."

"Examples of Mass Shootings in the United States Involving Glock Pistols Mass Shooting Incident Luby’s Cafeteria Killeen, Texas October 16, 1991 Shooter: George Hennard Casualties 24 dead (including shooter), 20 wounded Firearm(s) Glock 9mm pistol Sturm Ruger P‐89 9mm pistol"

"Date: October 16, 1991 Location: Lubys Cafeteria, Killeen, Texas Alleged Shooter: George Hennard People Killed: 24 (shooter committed suicide) People Injured: 20 Firearm(s): Ruger P-89 9mm pistol and a Glock 9mm pistol Circumstances Hennard, who had a history of mental instability and was described by friends and family as paranoid and troubled, drove his pickup truck through the window of a Lubys Cafeteria restaurant and opened fire, killing 23 people and wounding 20 others, then killed himself. How Firearm(s) Acquired Both guns were purchased legally from Mikes Gun Shop in February and March of 1991 in Henderson, Nevada. Although he had a history of mental illness, Hennard was never committed by court order to a mental health institution. Federal law prohibits firearms purchases only by people who have been committed to a mental health facility under court order."

"Some mass shootings have taken aim at women simply because they are women. On 16 October 1991, a 35-year-old civilian named George Jo Hennard drove his pickup truck into the plate glass window of Luby’s Cafeteria in Killeen, Texas – home to the enormous Fort Hood army base – while some 150 patrons were having dinner. Armed with a Glock 17 and a Ruger P89, he then jumped out of his vehicle and into the restaurant yelling: “All women of Killeen and Belton are vipers!” Then he began shooting, killing 23 people, 14 of them women whom he appeared to be targeting, yelling “bitch!” as he shot. The violence ended when he shot himself."

"A man smashed a pickup truck into a busy restaurant at lunchtime here today, stepped out of the cab, shot 22 people dead and wounded at least 20 others. As blood-drenched patrons and employees tried to scramble to safety, dozens of police officers arrived and exchanged gunfire with the man, apparently wounding him. He then shot and killed himself with a bullet through the left eye, witnesses said. The 23 deaths make the attack the worst mass shooting ever to occur in the United States. The police said the killer, a 35-year-old man, reloaded and emptied his Glock-17, a semiautomatic .9 millimeter pistol, several times. ...a spokesman for the Texas Department of Public Safety...identified the gun that Mr. Hennard used as a Glock-17. The gun, which is made in Austria, normally carries a 17-round magazine."

"...Hennard rammed his truck through the front window and completely into the crowded cafeteria, stopping about 12 feet from the table. Police said Hennard was armed with two 9mm semiautomatic pistols -- a Glock 17, a model favored by many law-enforcement officers, and a Ruger P89. The Glock holds 17 bullets and the Ruger 15. Police said they were bought in February and March, while Hennard was living in Henderson, and legally registered.... Police said yesterday that George Hennard used two 9mm semiautomatic pistols -- a Glock 17 and a Ruger P89 -- in his shooting spree at Lubys Cafeteria in Killeen Texas Wednesday. Type: Glock model 17 auto pistol Caliber: 9mm, 17-shot magazine Length: 7.40 inches Weight: 21.8 oz. Price: $511.60 Type: Ruger P85 Caliber: 9mm, 15-shot magazine Length: 7.84 inches Weight: 32 oz. Price: $325"

"Hennard began his assault on Lubys at the height of the lunch hour by crashing his pickup truck through the glass front of the cafeteria at 12:39 p.m. As the pickup truck came smashing through the glass, the stunned diners were showered with glass fragments. Initially thinking the truck had crashed accidentally, some of the diners went to help the driver only to be shot down where they stood. Hennard instantly stepped out of his truck, one gun in each hand and, bellowing “This is what Bell County did to me! This is payback day!” and opened fire. Carrying Glock 17 and Ruger P89 pistols with plenty of spare clips, Hennard methodically circled the cafeteria where about 140 people were now scrambling to avoid the onslaught. As he roamed around the dining room it seemed to be most intent on killing women, frequently passing over men who were equally at his mercy. He seemed to pick his targets with more care than the typical lone gunman, many of whom simply kill anybody who appears in front of them. He also went largely for shots most likely to be fatal -- 10 of the 23 people killed were murdered with gunshots to their heads rather than Hennard aiming randomly. With seemingly total focus on killing as many people as possible, he stalked round and round the cafeteria like a predator, picking his targets, killing with an almost automatic precision and absolute ruthlessness."