1993 Long Island Rail Road shooting
On December 7, 1993, a mass shooting occurred aboard a Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) train in Garden City Park, New York, United States. As the train arrived at the Merillon Avenue station, passenger Colin Ferguson began firing at other passengers with a semi-automatic pistol. Six of the victims were killed and nineteen others were wounded before Ferguson was tackled and held down by other passengers on the train.
| 1993 Long Island Rail Road shooting | |
|---|---|
The Merillon Avenue station (pictured in 2011) where the shooting occurred | |
| Location | Merillon Avenue, Garden City Park, New York, U.S. |
| Date | December 7, 1993 (EST) |
| Target | Long Island Rail Road (LIRR) commuters |
Attack type | Mass shooting, mass murder |
| Weapons | Ruger P89 semi-automatic pistol |
| Deaths | 6 |
| Injured | 19 |
| Perpetrator | Colin Ferguson |
| Motive | Racism against white people |
| Convicted | February 17, 1995 |
| Charges | 6 counts of murder, 19 counts of attempted murder |
Ferguson's trial was noted for a number of unusual developments, including his dismissing his defense counsel, insisting on representing himself and questioning his victims on the stand. He was convicted in February 1995 on six counts of murder and nineteen counts of attempted murder, and sentenced to life imprisonment. He is currently incarcerated at Great Meadow Correctional Facility, with an earliest possible release date of August 6, 2309.