Geneva County massacre
| Geneva County massacre | |
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Location of Geneva County within the state of Alabama
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| Location | Geneva and Samson in Geneva County, Alabama, United States |
| Date | March 10, 2009 c. 3:30 p.m. – 4:17 p.m. (EST) |
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Attack type
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Mass murder, spree shooting, arson |
| Weapons |
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| Deaths | 11 (including the perpetrator) |
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Non-fatal injuries
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6 |
| Perpetrator | Michael Kenneth McLendon |
The Geneva County massacre occurred in southern Alabama on March 10, 2009. In the incident, 10 people were killed in a shooting spree by Michael Kenneth McLendon, 28, in three small communities in two counties: Kinston in Coffee County, and Samson and Geneva in Geneva County.
Five of McLendon's victims were family members, starting with his mother, and two were children. After engaging in an exchange of fire with police, McLendon committed suicide, bringing the total number of dead to eleven in the related incidents. Officials at the time said this was the worst shooting event in Alabama history. McLendon was said to have been depressed about lack of work; in a note he said that his mother's family was not giving her enough support.
McLendon first killed his mother and burned down her house in the town of Kinston. Traveling to Samson, he killed his maternal grandmother, uncle, two cousins, and others; and wounded six. When law enforcement reached him, McLendon was dead from a gunshot; initially, it was unclear whether the shot was self-inflicted. Later reports said he committed suicide.
The incident was called the worst mass shooting in Alabama's history in 2016.
McLendon began his attacks about 3:30 p.m. on March 10, 2009 at his mother's house where they lived in Kinston, a town of 540 residents. McLendon shot and killed his mother and their three dogs, and set the interior of the house on fire. He drove to his uncle's house in the small city of Samson, population about 2,000. There he shot his uncle, two cousins, and a neighbor and her infant daughter, all of whom were sitting on the porch of his uncle and aunt's house. His aunt escaped the shooting uninjured because she was inside the house, while the neighbor's four-month-old daughter survived her gunshot wounds. McLendon went next door and shot and killed his maternal grandmother.
McLendon left his grandmother's home and started driving, shooting at people from his car. The first to die was 43-year-old Sonya Smith, a gas station attendant. McLendon next shot and killed Bruce Malloy, a 51-year-old motorist who drove past him. The last fatality was 24-year-old James Starling, whom McLendon shot in the back as he tried to get away. McLendon also shot and wounded four other persons trying to escape his attack. He drove along Highway 52 toward Geneva, continuing to shoot from his car, and eventually leading police on a 24-mile chase.
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Wikipedia