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Long Island Rail Road shooting
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==Shooting== On December 7, 1993, Colin Ferguson boarded the 5:33 p.m. eastbound train at Penn Station in Manhattan, [[New York (state)|New York]], which stopped at the [[Jamaica (LIRR station)|Jamaica station]] in [[Queens]]. He boarded the third car of the eastbound [[Long Island Rail Road]] (LIRR) commuter train from [[Pennsylvania Station (New York City)|Penn Station]] to [[Hicksville (LIRR station)|Hicksville]], along with more than eighty other passengers. He sat on the southwestern end of the car,<ref name="Clines1209">{{Cite news |last=Clines |first=Francis X. |title=Death on the L.I.R.R.: The Rampage; Gunman in a Train Aisle Passes Out Death |work=The New York Times |date=December 9, 1993 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1993/12/09/nyregion/death-on-the-lirr-the-rampage-gunman-in-a-train-aisle-passes-out-death.html |access-date=November 4, 2009}}</ref> carrying a [[Ruger P89]] [[semi-automatic pistol]] and a canvas bag filled with 160 rounds of ammunition.<ref name="Schemo1209">{{Cite news |last=Schemo |first=Diana Jean |title=Death on the L.I.R.R.: The Confrontation; 3 Credited In Capture Of Gunman |work=The New York Times |date=December 9, 1993 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1993/12/09/nyregion/death-on-the-lirr-the-confrontation-3-credited-in-capture-of-gunman.html |access-date=November 4, 2009}}</ref><ref name="Rabinovitz1211"/> As the train approached the [[Merillon Avenue (LIRR station)|Merillon Avenue station]] in [[Garden City Park, New York|Garden City Park]], [[Long Island]], Ferguson drew the gun, dropped several cartridges on the floor, stood up, and opened fire at random. During the next three minutes, he killed six people and injured another nineteen. Some passengers mistook the gunshots for caps or fireworks until a woman shouted, "He's got a gun! He's shooting people!" Ferguson walked east (forward) on the train, pulling the trigger steadily about every half second. Several passengers tried to hide beneath their seats, while others fled to the eastern end of the train and tried to enter the next car. Ferguson walked down the aisle of the train and shot people to his right and left as he passed each seat, briefly facing each victim before firing. An article in ''[[The New York Times]]'' called Ferguson's actions "as methodical as if he were taking tickets."<ref name="Clines1209"/> Ferguson said, "I'm going to get you," over and over as he walked down the aisle.<ref name="Schemo1209"/> Other passengers farther away in the train did not realize that a shooting had occurred until after the train stopped, as a crowd of panicked passengers fled from the third car into neighboring cars. One man appeared annoyed by their unruliness and said, "Be calm," before they forced a train door open and fled into the station.<ref name="Clines1209"/> Two people were injured in the [[human stampede|stampede]] of passengers. The train's [[conductor (rail)|conductor]] was informed of the shooting, but he decided against opening the train doors right away because two of the cars were not yet at the platform. An announcement was made ordering conductors not to open the doors, but [[Train driver|engineer]] Thomas Silhan climbed out the window of his cab and opened each door from the outside so that panicked passengers could escape.<ref name="Barron1209"/> Ferguson had emptied two 15-round [[Magazine (firearms)|magazines]] during the shooting. While he was reloading his third magazine, somebody yelled, "Grab him!"<ref name="Clines1209"/> Passengers Michael O'Connor, Kevin Blum, and Mark McEntee tackled him and pinned him to one of the train's seats.<ref name="Schemo1209"/> Several other passengers ran forward to grab his arms and legs and helped to pin him across a three-seat row with his head towards the window and legs towards the aisle. While he was pinned, Ferguson said, "Oh God, what did I do? What did I do? I deserve whatever I get."<ref name="Clines1209"/> He also repeatedly pleaded with those holding him, "Don't shoot me. I'm sorry, I'm sorry." Five to six people continued to hold him pinned for several minutes while they awaited relief. Andrew Roderick, an off-duty LIRR police officer who was picking up his wife from the train, then boarded the train and handcuffed him.<ref name="Schemo1209"/> Of the people who were killed, five died on the day of the shooting while the sixth died five days later.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.deseret.com/1993/12/13/19081477/moving-to-new-town-to-escape-sad-memories-ends-tragically/|title=MOVING TO NEW TOWN TO ESCAPE SAD MEMORIES ENDS TRAGICALLY|work=Associated Press|agency=Deseret News|date=December 13, 1993|accessdate=July 12, 2024}}</ref> The dead ranged in ages from 24 to 52.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/1993/12/09/nyregion/victims-of-railroad-shooting.html|title=Victims of Railroad Shooting|work=Associated Press|agency=New York Times|date=December 9, 1993|accessdate=July 12, 2016}}</ref>
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