Shootout
A shootout, also called a firefight, gunfight, or gun battle, is a combat situation between armed parties using guns. The term can be used to describe any such fight, though it is typically used in a non-military context or to describe combat situations primarily using firearms (generally excluding crew-served weapons, combat vehicles, armed aircraft, or explosives).
Shootouts often pit law enforcement against criminals, though they can also involve groups outside of law enforcement, such as rivalling gangs, militias, or individuals. Military combat situations are rarely called "shootouts", and are almost always considered battles, engagements, skirmishes, exchanges, or firefights.
Shootouts are often depicted in action films, Westerns, and video games.[1]
Notable shootouts in the United States and territories
Gunfight at the O.K. Corral
On October 26, 1881, Deputy
Frisco shootout
On December 1, 1884, lawman Elfego Baca ignited an intense shootout with 40–80 cowboys, depending on the source, in Frisco (now Reserve), New Mexico.
Battle of Matewan, West Virginia
On May 19, 1920, private agents from the
Kansas City massacre
On June 17, 1933, in an attempt to free their friend, a criminal gang ambushed seven FBI agents and Kansas City police at the train station as they were escorting captured fugitive Frank Nash back to prison. The FBI agents were unarmed, but the local police exchanged fire with the criminal gang. The gang unintentionally killed Nash along with the law officers.
The FBI claimed that the gang included Charles "Pretty Boy" Floyd, but the evidence is debatable and contradicts with Floyd's alleged presence.
Battle of Barrington
On November 27, 1934, in
Truman assassination attempt
On November 1, 1950,
Austin Tower sniper
On August 1, 1966, Charles Whitman barricaded himself at the top of the tower at the University of Texas at Austin and proceeded to fire randomly from the tower. He then exchanged fire with Austin Police Department officers and armed civilians. After killing several people, he was killed in a final exchange when his perch was stormed by Austin police.
Newhall massacre
On April 6, 1970,
Davis was later arrested, while Twinning killed himself following a long standoff with police.
Marin County Courthouse shootout
On August 7, 1970, in an attempt to free his brother, imprisoned
As they attempted to flee the scene, a shootout broke out between the hostage takers and Marin County Sheriffs deputies providing security at the courthouse. By the end of the gun battle, Jonathan Jackson, McClain, Christmas, and judge Harold Haley were killed. According to the other hostages, Haley was executed by the hostage takers with a shotgun that had been taped to his throat. Magee was severely injured, but survived the battle and was sentenced to life in prison. One juror and the D.A., Gary W. Thomas, were also wounded. One of the weapons used by Jackson was later traced to Black Panther icon Angela Davis, who was tried (but acquitted) for participation in the crime.
Symbionese Liberation Army (SLA) shootout
On May 17, 1974, a confrontation and gun battle occurred between officers of the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD) and six members of the Symbionese Liberation Army at a residential home at 1466 East 54th Street, Los Angeles.
This remains one of the largest police shootouts in history with a reported total of over 9,000 rounds being fired (5,000 by police, 4,000 by the SLA). Every round fired by SLA members at the police missed the officers. During the incident, police fired tear gas into the house, unintentionally starting a fire. All six SLA members were killed, either by police bullets or the fire. The SLA's leader, Donald DeFreeze, committed suicide.
Norco bank robbery shootout
On May 9, 1980, a bank robbery led to a prolonged shootout and chase between police in Norco, California, and five heavily armed bank robbers wearing military-style fatigues and armed with semi-automatic rifles and thousands of rounds of hollow-point bullets as well as various explosive and incendiary devices.
Police responded to a bank robbery call in Norco. Upon arriving the police were ambushed and outgunned. After the robbers unloaded over 300 rounds at police cruisers, the officers were forced to retreat behind their cruisers or nearby obstacles, all the while being fired upon. The suspects attempted to escape in their own vehicle. During this attempt, the driver of the suspects was killed by a stray police shot. The suspects then hijacked a nearby vehicle and became involved in a prolonged chase, in which the suspects shot at police and disabled and destroyed 33 police vehicles (as well as civilian cars) with explosives thrown from the back of a truck. The suspects also disabled a police helicopter by shooting at it. Later, the suspects lay in wait for police as they chased them, and ambushed them, resulting in the death of a police officer and wounding two others. Heavily outgunned, the police were pinned down until one officer arrived with an
Brink's armored truck robbery
On October 20, 1981, an attempted armed robbery of a
Shannon Street massacre
On January 11, 1983, Memphis Police Department Officer Bobby Hester was taken hostage at a house at 2239 Shannon Street after a confrontation occurred between Hester, his partner Ray Schwill, and the house's owner, cult leader Lindberg Sanders. After 30 hours of negotiations, a Memphis Police assault team raided the house, killing Sanders and six of his followers, after which they found the body of Hester beaten to death.
MOVE
On May 13, 1985, the Philadelphia Police Department engaged in a shootout with the anarcho-primitivist group MOVE, after a failed attempt to serve arrest warrants on four members of the group at their communal residence. About 10,000 rounds of ammunition were fired by the police. The police eventually dropped two bombs on the house from a police helicopter, starting a fire which burned down 62 houses and killed 11 people.
FBI Miami shootout
On April 11, 1986, two FBI agents and two suspects were killed in a prolonged and intense firefight between the FBI and bank-robbery suspects William Matix and Michael Platt in
Ruby Ridge
In a 11-day siege in August 1992, agents of the
Branch Davidian siege
On February 28, 1993, heavily armed members of the
North Hollywood shootout
On February 28, 1997, following a failed bank robbery in
Columbine High School massacre
On April 20, 1999, school shooters Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold exchanged fire with Denver Police Department officers three times. Although 12 students and one teacher died, 21 others were injured and both the shooters committed suicide, no officers were killed or injured.
Tyler courthouse shootout
On February 24, 2005, David Hernandez Arroyo attacked his ex-wife, Maribel Estrada, and her son outside the courthouse in
Pittsburgh police shootings
A shootout occurred on April 4, 2009, at 1016 Fairfield Street in the Stanton Heights neighborhood of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, stemming from an argument over a dog urinating in the house between a mother and her 22-year-old son. At approximately 7:11 a.m. EDT, 22-year-old Richard Poplawski opened fire on two Pittsburgh Police officers responding to a 911 call from Poplawski's mother, who was attempting to get the police officers to remove her son from the home. Three police officers were ultimately confirmed dead, and another two were seriously injured. Poplawski was armed with a semi-automatic AK-47-style rifle and two other guns, protected by a bulletproof vest, and had been lying in wait for the officers. According to police and witnesses, he held police at bay for four hours as the fallen officers were left bleeding nearby, their colleagues unable to reach them. More than 100 rounds were fired by the SWAT teams and Poplawski, who surrendered after suffering a gunshot wound to the leg. Poplawski was later convicted of capital murder and was sentenced to death.
Lakewood police officer shooting
On Sunday, November 29, 2009, four Lakewood, Washington police officers (Sergeant Mark Renninger, Officer Ronald Owens, 37, Officer Tina Griswold, 40, Officer Greg Richards, 42) were shot and killed at a coffee shop in the
Christopher Dorner shootings and manhunt
From February 3–12, 2013, former
On September 16, 2013, at the headquarters of the Naval Sea Systems Command (NAVSEA) inside the Washington Navy Yard in southeast
Twin Peaks shootout
On May 17, 2015, in one of the deadliest gang shootings in American history, a brawl between rival biker gangs in front of a Twin Peaks restaurant in Waco, Texas escalated into a shootout between rival gangs as well as police. Nine people were killed and 18 others were injured.
Umpqua Community College shooting
On October 1, 2015, after killing nine civilians and injuring nine others at Umpqua Community College near Roseburg, Oregon, shooter Christopher Harper Mercer engaged in a shootout with responding police officers before killing himself.
Dallas shootings
On July 7, 2016, enraged by the shootings of black men
St. Joseph Courthouse Shooting
On July 11, 2016, inmate Larry Darnell Gordon opened fire on the third floor of the Berrien County Courthouse in St. Joseph, Michigan, killing two bailiffs and injuring a sheriff's deputy. Gordon, who was facing a multitude of charges that carried a possible life sentence, was being taken to a holding cell following a courthouse hearing when he disarmed an officer and attempted to take hostages. Moments after taking hostages, other court officers shot and killed Gordon.
Sutherland Springs church shooting
On November 5, 2017, shooter Devin Patrick Kelley was confronted by and traded fire with Stephen Willeford, a local resident and former firearms instructor who was armed with an
2019 Miramar shootout
On December 5, 2019, the Miami-Dade Police Department engaged in a shootout with jewelry store robbers at a busy intersection.
2021 Sunrise shootout
On February 2, 2021, FBI agents served a search warrant on a house of suspect who was suspected of abusing minors. The suspect ambushed the FBI agents, shooting five agents, two of whom were mortally wounded. The suspect was killed on the scene.
Robb Elementary School shooting
On May 24, 2022, 18-year-old
Other notable shootouts
Beer Hall Putsch
On November 9, 1923, Adolf Hitler and at least 2,000 members of the Nazi Party, which Hitler belonged to, attempted to launch a coup in Munich, Weimar Republic. The resulting shootout between Bavarian Police and Nazi supporters left twenty people dead and many injured.
Battle of Bamber Bridge
In the early hours of 25 June 1943, tensions between black troops and white military police stationed in Bamber Bridge, Lancashire, England, flared into mutiny, with both sides shooting at each other in the middle of the town. The "Battle of Bamber Bridge" was one of the few instances of a gun battle in the United Kingdom during World War II, and left one dead and four wounded.[6]
Milperra massacre
On 2 September (Father's Day in Australia) 1984, rival motorcycle gang members engaged in a firearm battle in Milperra, a south-western suburb of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. The shootout had its roots in an intense rivalry that developed after a group of Comancheros broke away and formed the first Bandidos Motorcycle Club chapter in Australia. Seven people were killed and twenty-eight injured when the two groups clashed at Milperra. The event was a catalyst for significant changes to gun laws in New South Wales.
David Malcolm Gray
On 14 November 1990, after a shooting rampage which killed up to 13 people (including a police officer) in the small seaside township of Aramoana, New Zealand, members of the Special Tactics Group (STG) surrounded the house where shooter David Malcolm Gray was hiding and a gunbattle took place after failed attempts to lure him out. At the end, Gray ran out of the house, firing his rifle from the hip before being shot by STG officers.
1991 Lokhandwala Complex shootout
On November 16, 1991, Additional Commissioner of Police
Mayerthorpe incident
On March 3, 2005, James Roszko ambushed and killed
. The resulting shootout with other present RCMP officers came to an end when Roszko committed suicide after being wounded.Spiritwood incident
On July 7, 2006, Constables Robin Cameron and Marc Bourdages of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police were both shot in the head through the windshield of their cruiser after a 27 km car chase and shootout with Curtis Dagenais in rural Saskatchewan.
Mumbai massacre
On November 26, 2008, 10 members of the Pakistani militant group Lashkar-e-Taiba carried out shooting sprees at several different locations throughout the Indian city of Mumbai, India. The terrorists, heavily armed with automatic weapons and explosives, overwhelmed the initial response from lightly armed and minimally-trained police and held out for nearly three days, inflicting almost 500 casualties, with 157 deaths (including 17 police officers and soldiers). Nine of the 10 attackers were killed, while the 10th was arrested and later executed.
Manila hostage crisis
On 23 August 2010, in Rizal Park, Manila, Philippines, former police officer Rolando Mendoza boarded a bus carrying tourists from Hong Kong and took the occupants hostage. After freeing four children, senior citizens, and a disabled woman, the shootout began after the on-board TV broadcast showing the arrest of his younger brother. Enraged, Mendoza took the tour guide and shot him in the head at the door. After two hours, a police sniper shot and killed Mendoza. The assault killed eight hostages (the youngest being 14), and wounded seven hostages, one journalist, and one bystander.
2013 Annaberg shooting
On 16 September 2013, Austrian federal police received a call about a suspected poacher in the woods. Police officers sought to inspect the vehicle of 55-year-old Alois Huber, but he sped off upon spotting them and later crashed his car in a ditch near Annaberg, Lower Austria.[8] Huber then proceeded on foot and shot two police officers posted near a checkpoint in Annaberg. A Red Cross paramedic was also shot while providing aid to the wounded. One of the officers and the paramedic later died in the hospital,[9] while the other officer survived his wounds. At another checkpoint, Huber shot and killed another officer while taking a fourth hostage. He then stole a police car and drove it to his farmhouse near Melk. Austrian Armed Forces assisted in the manhunt with soldiers and armoured vehicles.
2015 Île-de-France attacks
Between 7–9 January 2015, three
Saint-Denis raid
On 18 November 2015, five days after the November 2015 Paris attacks, in Saint-Denis, Seine-Saint-Denis, France, police raided an apartment that thought to be housing the mastermind behind the attacks, Abdelhamid Abaaoud. Following a seven-hour shootout in which police fired over 5,000 rounds of ammunition, Abaaoud, his cousin Hasna Aït Boulahcen, and fellow Paris attacker Chakib Akrouh were killed and 5 terrorists were arrested.
2022 Saanich shootout
On 28 June 2022, twin brothers Mathew and Isaac Auchterlonie engaged in a shootout with police in Saanich, British Columbia, Canada after an attempted bank robbery at a Bank of Montreal branch. The brothers had developed a strong disdain for police, especially after federal firearms restriction legislation was announced, and deliberately orchestrated the robbery to attack responding officers. Six officers were wounded and both suspects were killed after an exchange with a Victoria Police Department tactical team.
See also
- Cordon and search
- Encounter killings by police
- List of hostage crises
- Siege#Police sieges
References
- ISBN 978-0470607503.
- ^ "The Battle of Matewan". Archived from the original on 2005-11-19. Retrieved 2005-08-05.
- ^ "Drama at Blair House: the attempted assassination of Harry Truman".[permanent dead link]
- ^ "Riverside sheriffs association account". Archived from the original on August 24, 2006.
- ^ "Related news article about event". Archived from the original on September 11, 2002.
- ISBN 9780900913150.
- Indian Express. May 20, 2007. Archived from the originalon June 3, 2007. Retrieved 2007-06-01.
- ^ "Austria police storm house after gunman shoots four dead". BBC News. 17 September 2013. Retrieved 18 September 2013.
- ^ Matthias Loinig (18 September 2013). "Charred body of Austrian gunman found in bunker of house". Austrian Times. Archived from the original on 10 February 2015.