2011 IHOP shooting

2011 IHOP shooting
Location Carson City, Nevada, U.S.
Coordinates 39°07′53″N 119°46′10″W / 39.1313°N 119.7695°W / 39.1313; -119.7695Coordinates: 39°07′53″N 119°46′10″W / 39.1313°N 119.7695°W / 39.1313; -119.7695
Date September 6, 2011 (2011-09-06)
8:58 a.m. – 9:06 a.m.[1] (UTC-08)
Attack type
Mass shooting, murder-suicide
Weapons Norinco Mak 90 semi-automatic rifle
Deaths 5 (including the perpetrator)
Non-fatal injuries
7
Motive Unknown[2]

On September 6, 2011, a gunman, identified as 32-year-old Eduardo Sencion,[3] opened fire in a branch of the IHOP in Carson City, Nevada, killing four people, including three members of the National Guard, and wounding seven others.

The shooting

At 8:58 a.m., Sencion arrived at a local strip mall in a blue minivan that was registered in his brother's name.[4] He got out, shot, and wounded a woman on a motorcycle with a Norinco Mak 90 semi-automatic rifle.[5][6] At around 9:00 a.m. he walked inside the center's IHOP and made his way to the back where he started shooting. He first targeted a group of uniformed National Guardsmen, all of whom were eating at the same table; five of them were shot, three of them fatally. He then targeted other patrons, killing a 67-year-old woman.

Sencion then left the restaurant and began shooting into three nearby businesses, injuring no one.[7][8] During the massacre, Ralph Swagler, who owned a neighboring restaurant, grabbed his own gun with the intention of shooting Sencion, but was unable to due to the rapid gunfire. Police arrived at 9:06 a.m., in response to which Sencion shot and wounded himself in the head, later dying at the hospital. Police would later find a Romarm Cugir rifle and a Glock 26 semi-automatic pistol in his van outside the restaurant. Due to the severity of the massacre and fears that it would become more widespread, Nevada officials declared a lock-down on the state capitol and Supreme Court buildings for around 40 minutes, while extra security was set up at state and military buildings in northern Nevada.[4][9][10]

Victims

A total of five people, including the gunman, were killed in the shooting. They were identified as:

  • Florence Donovan-Gunderson, 67
  • Nevada National Guard Major Heath Kelly, 35
  • Nevada National Guard Sgt 1st Class Miranda McElhiney, 31
  • Nevada National Guard Sgt 1st Class Christian Riege, 38

Florence Donovan-Gunderson, Nevada National Guard Major Heath Kelly, and Nevada National Guard Sgt 1st Class Christian Riege were all declared dead at the scene, while Nevada National Guard Sgt 1st Class Miranda McElhiney later died at a local hospital. About three hours after the massacre, Sencion died at Noah J. Medical Center from a self-inflicted gunshot wound.[5][11]

Seven other people survived the shooting with injuries, all of them caused by gunshot wounds. Four were taken to the Renown Regional Medical Center in Reno, three by helicopter, while the remaining three went to another hospital in Carson City to undergo surgery.[7][8][11] Four were in critical condition, while the remaining three suffered minor wounds. Two of the surviving victims were members of the National Guard.[4]

The perpetrator

Eduardo Sencion
Eduardo Sencion
Born July 22, 1979
Mexico
Died September 6, 2011(2011-09-06) (aged 32)
Reno, Nevada[5]
Cause of death Suicide by gunshot wound
Nationality Mexican American
Other names Eduardo Perez-Gonzalez
Motive Unknown

Eduardo Sencion (also known as Eduardo Perez-Gonzalez; July 22, 1979  September 6, 2011) was born in Mexico and had a valid U.S. passport. He had no previous criminal history and worked at his family's business located in South Lake Tahoe.[4][12] Diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia when he was eighteen years old, he had no traces of antipsychotic drugs in his body on the day of the massacre, according to toxicology reports. In January 2009, he filed for bankruptcy, listing more than $42,000 in outstanding debts for a car, several credit cards, and medical expenses.[4] His motive for the attack is unknown by law-enforcement officials, though there was no indication that it was a terrorist attack, and that he had no known connection to the military, nor motivation for shooting the National Guardsmen.[2][4][5][13]

Reaction

After the massacre, Nevada Senator Harry Reid issued a statement, saying, "I'm deeply saddened by this senseless act and extend my sympathies to those afflicted this morning. I applaud the first responders for their professionalism, and my thoughts are with the victims and their families during this difficult time."[7] Nevada U.S. Representative Joe Heck and Nevada State Senator Ben Kieckhefer also expressed their condolences on Twitter.[8] Nevada Governor Brian Sandoval said in a written statement, "The [Carson City] mayor and I ... want to assure all Nevadans and especially residents of Carson City that everything is being done to ensure the public's safety." Sandoval also ordered flags flown at half-staff until Friday at dusk in honor of the slain National Guardsmen.[7]

See also

References

  1. 911 tapes from Carson City shooting reveal frantic scene, Las Vegas Sun (September 7, 2011)
  2. 1 2 Martha Belleisle (September 1, 2012). "IHOP shooting one year later: 85 seconds that changed Carson City". Reno Gazette-Journal. Retrieved 24 May 2013.
  3. "Gunman kills 4 at Nevada pancake house, shoots self". Reuters. 2011-09-07. Retrieved 2016-03-16.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Nevada IHOP attack leaves 5 dead, including gunman, CBC News (September 6, 2011)
  5. 1 2 3 4 IHOP shooting: Nevada gunman kills four in diner, BBC News (September 7, 2011)
  6. "Sheriff: Gun in Nevada IHOP shooting was illegally altered to fully automatic machine gun". The Washington Post. October 5, 2011. Retrieved October 6, 2011.
  7. 1 2 3 4 Four dead in shooting at Nevada restaurant, Reuters (September 6, 2011)
  8. 1 2 3 Gunman Kills Two National Guard Members, One Other in Shooting Rampage at Nevada IHOP, Fox News Channel (September 6, 2011)
  9. Gunman kills 3, wounds others at Nevada IHOP, CNN (September 7, 2011)
  10. IHOP SHOOTING: Friends, family remember victims of shooting, Nevada Appeal (September 8, 2011)
  11. 1 2 National Guard Members Among Four Dead in Carson City Nevada IHOP Shooting Rampage, ABC News (September 6, 2011)
  12. Shooting at IHOP Press Releases, carson.org
  13. Fatal Shooting At Nevada Pancake Restaurant, Sky News (September 6, 2011)


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