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 a young boy named Kissmayu Banks. Kissmayu, a 5-year-old male, was among the first victims in a shooting rampage carried out by his own father, George Emil Banks, a 40-year-old prison guard. The tragedy unfolded across two locations, beginning at Banks's home on Schoolhouse Lane and ending at a trailer park in Jenkins Township.
The night before the massacre, George Banks had been drinking gin and taking prescription medication. The next morning, dressed in military fatigues and armed with an AR-15 semi-automatic rifle, he began his deadly assault. At his home, he shot and killed three of his girlfriends and five of his children. After the initial shootings, Banks went outside and opened fire on two men he saw across the street, killing one and injuring the other.
Following the initial carnage, Banks drove to the Heather Highlands mobile home park where his former girlfriend, 24-year-old Sharon Mazzillo, lived with their son, Kissmayu. He forced his way into the trailer and shot Sharon. He then turned the weapon on his sleeping son, Kissmayu, killing him. Before leaving, Banks also murdered Sharon's mother, Alice Mazzillo, and her 7-year-old nephew, Scott Mazzillo. The only survivors in the trailer were Sharon's two brothers, who hid and later identified Banks as the shooter.
After the shootings, George Banks fled, carjacking a vehicle before visiting his mother and confessing to the crimes. He then went to a friend's house, where a four-hour standoff with police ensued. Police attempted various tactics to get him to surrender, including a false radio report that the children were still alive. Ultimately, a former co-worker was able to talk him into giving himself up.
George Banks was charged with multiple counts of murder, attempted murder, and other offenses. During his trial in June 1983, his defense argued that he was insane, but Banks insisted on testifying, claiming he had only wounded some of the victims and that police were responsible for their deaths. The jury found him guilty of twelve counts of first-degree murder and one count of third-degree murder. He was sentenced to death. However, his execution was repeatedly stayed after he was deemed incompetent due to his deteriorating mental state. George Banks died in prison on November 2, 2025, at the age of 83.
