In the crisp autumn air of a November evening in 1980, the vibrant life of Greenwich Village was shattered by an act of targeted violence that would come to be known as the West Street Massacre. On November 19th, Jorg Wenz, a 24-year-old Dutch immigrant, was working as a doorman at the Ramrod, a popular gay leather bar on West Street. Shortly before 11 p.m., a former transit police officer named Ronald K.
Crumpley began a shooting spree in the neighborhood, fueled by a deep-seated hatred for gay men.
Crumpley, a 38-year-old married father of two and the son of a minister, had a history of encounters with law enforcement, having been dismissed from the transit police for stealing credit cards. His animosity towards the gay community was something he would later vocalize, claiming they were 'instruments of the Devil' and were trying to 'steal my soul just by looking at me.' Prior to his attack in Greenwich Village, Crumpley had committed a robbery at a gun store, arming himself for the violence to come.
That evening, Crumpley first opened fire on several men outside a delicatessen before making his way to the Ramrod. Armed with an Uzi submachine gun, he fired indiscriminately into the crowd of people waiting to enter the bar and through the establishment's windows. The scene descended into chaos and tragedy. Vernon Kroening, a 32-year-old organist for a local church, was killed instantly. Jorg Wenz was grievously wounded in the attack and succumbed to his injuries the following day at St. Vincent's Hospital. In total, two lives were lost, and eight other individuals were injured in the rampage.
The shooter fled the scene in his father's car but was apprehended by police shortly after, hiding under a truck. Following his arrest, Crumpley expressed his remorseless motive, stating, 'I'll kill them all,' referring to gay people. He was subsequently put on trial for murder and attempted murder. However, in 1981, Ronald K. Crumpley was found not guilty by reason of insanity. He spent the remainder of his life in mental institutions and died in April 2015. His petitions for release over the years were unsuccessful, with court proceedings revealing his continued homophobic views. The Ramrod bar, the site of this tragic event, never reopened its doors.
