1933 Cleveland shootings

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1933 Cleveland shootings
Route taken by Herman Klink during the shooting
LocationCleveland, Ohio, U.S.
DateMarch 6, 1933 (1933-03-06)
TargetCivilians
Attack type
Mass murder, spree shooting, mass shooting, shootout
Weapon.22 caliber rifle loaded with expanding bullets[1]
Deaths6 (including the perpetrator)
Injured6
PerpetratorHerman Klink
DefenderJay Cook

On March 6, 1933, Herman Klink, a 40-year-old mentally ill man, shot 11 people in Cleveland, Ohio, United States, with a .22-caliber rifle. Two of the victims died at the scene of the shooting, while three others later died at the hospital. Klink died after engaging in a brief shootout with the police and armed civilians.[2]

Shootings[edit]

On March 6, 1933, Klink went home after reading about a bank holiday in the newspaper and armed himself with a rifle. Despite most of the attack occurring near the Lorain Street Savings and Trust Co. bank, Klink had never deposited any money there, nor had he made any transactions with the bank.[3] However, he had been seen arguing about financial matters at the bank earlier that day.[4]

After arming himself with a .22-caliber rifle, Klink walked out of his Whitman Avenue home and shot a man in the shoulder. The man managed to survive after running for cover behind a tree. Klink then shot 52-year-old Louis Kallay, who had walked out of his house to investigate the gunshot he heard.[3] He also fatally shot 43-year-old Roy Kneale.[5] Klink proceeded on foot to West 38th street, where he mortally wounded Herman Pahler, a patrolman directing traffic in front of St. Mary’s Catholic School, after shooting him in the abdomen, groin, and legs. As Albert Marquis, 67, and Joseph Sapko, 22, ran for cover in opposite directions, Klink shot them both in their abdomens. Pahler, Marquis, and Sapko died from their injuries in the hospital days after the shooting.[6] Klink continued to shoot at people who tried to help the other victims.[7]

Police officers and armed neighbors chased Klink for several blocks. After opening fire on a squad of detectives pursuing him, Klink was shot to death by detective Jay Cook on Lorain Avenue.[8][9]

Victims[edit]

Five victims died as a result of the shooting:[10]

  • Louis Kallay (aged 52)
  • Roy Kneale (aged 43)
  • Albert Marquis (aged 67)
  • Herman Pahler (aged 45)
  • Joseph Sapko (aged 22)

Six others were injured during the shooting, the youngest being 11 years old and the oldest being 45 years old.

Perpetrator[edit]

Herman Klink (1893 – March 6, 1933) suffered from persecutory delusions and Dementia praecox.[11] Because of his mental illnesses, he believed that the government was spying on him.[12] Eight months prior to the shooting, Klink was fired from his job as a woodworker because his employer believed he posed a danger to his colleagues.[2] His neighbors described his behavior as strange. His coworkers also thought he was a potential danger, but took no action in reporting him. Klink remained unemployed in the months leading up to the attack.

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Pahler, Patrolman Herman". Police Memorial Society. Retrieved November 19, 2022.
  2. ^ a b "Maniac Death Toll Up To 5". (Associated Press) Youngstown Vindicator. March 7, 1933. p. 2. Archived from the original on November 1, 2015. Retrieved November 17, 2022.
  3. ^ a b "Death Toll in Shooting Now Stands At Five". Elyria Chronicle Telegram. March 7, 1933. p. 2. Retrieved November 19, 2022.
  4. ^ "Maniac Kills Two, Shoots Ten". The New York Times. March 7, 1933. p. 32. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved November 19, 2022.
  5. ^ "2 MORE DIE OF BULLET WOUNDS". Painesville Telegraph. March 7, 1933. p. 1. Archived from the original on October 31, 2015. Retrieved November 19, 2022.
  6. ^ "Death Toll In Shooting Now Stands At 6". Elyria Chronicle Telegram. March 8, 1933. p. 1. Retrieved November 18, 2022.
  7. ^ "3 KILLED IN CLEVELAND GUN BATTLE". Painesville Telegraph. March 6, 1993. p. 1. Retrieved November 19, 2022.
  8. ^ "Demented Man Shoots 2 Dead And Is Killed". The Gettysburg Times. March 7, 1933. Retrieved November 19, 2022.
  9. ^ "THREE KILLED IN BATTLE WITH CRAZED MAN". (UPI) Taylor Daily Press. March 6, 1933. p. 1. Retrieved November 19, 2022.
  10. ^ "Cleveland, OH - March 6, 1933". Mass Shooting Victims. Retrieved November 18, 2022.
  11. ^ "FIVE DIE FROM MANIA ATTACK ON PEDESTRIANS". (Associated Press) Deseret News. March 9, 1993. p. 1. Archived from the original on July 23, 2022. Retrieved November 17, 2022.
  12. ^ "Heroes Roll Call: Patrolman Herman B. Pahler, #177". Cleveland Police Museum. March 20, 2020. Retrieved November 18, 2022.
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