In the early morning hours of September 25, 1982, a wave of violence shattered the community of Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, leaving thirteen people dead, including one-year-old Foraroude Banks. The young female was one of the many victims in a shooting rampage carried out by George Emil Banks.
The tragedy unfolded across two locations in the Wilkes-Barre area. George Banks, a former prison guard, used a semi-automatic rifle to kill members of his own family and bystanders.
At a home on Schoolhouse Lane, he killed eight people, including several of his children and their mothers. He then proceeded to a trailer park in nearby Jenkins Township, where he claimed more lives. Foraroude Banks was among those killed in the initial attack at the house in Wilkes-Barre.
The perpetrator, George Emil Banks, was quickly identified and a standoff with police ensued. He eventually surrendered to authorities. During his trial, Banks's defense attorneys argued that he was legally insane at the time of the killings. Despite this, a jury found him guilty of twelve counts of first-degree murder and one count of third-degree murder. In June 1983, he was sentenced to death for his crimes.
Following his conviction, George Banks spent decades on death row, with his case going through numerous appeals. His execution was ultimately stayed after he was declared mentally incompetent. On November 2, 2025, George Emil Banks died in prison of natural causes at the age of 83, closing the final chapter on a case that had haunted the Wilkes-Barre community for over four decades.
