On the evening of May 7, 1981, a tragedy unfolded in Salem, Oregon, that claimed the life of 24-year-old Allen L. Wilcox. Wilcox, a graduate of McNary High School who worked at a local auto parts store, was at the Oregon Museum Tavern on Front Street NE during a ladies' night event. The popular tavern was crowded with patrons when the night took a devastating turn.
Shortly after 10:30 p.m., a 25-year-old unemployed mill worker named Lawrence William Moore entered the establishment.
Without uttering a word, Moore opened fire with a 9mm Browning handgun, first shooting at the bar and then turning his weapon on the fleeing patrons. The chaotic scene was brought to an end when a courageous patron struck Moore with a pool cue as he was reloading, allowing other customers to tackle and restrain him until police arrived.
Allen Wilcox was critically injured in the shooting and later died at a local hospital. The violent rampage also resulted in the deaths of three other individuals at the scene: Lori J. Cunningham, 22; John W. Cooper, 27; and Robert E. Hamblin, 24. Another victim, Dennis Scharf, succumbed to the injuries he sustained that night over three decades later. In total, the shooting left five people dead and 18 others wounded.
Lawrence William Moore was arrested at the scene and faced trial beginning on October 6, 1981. He pleaded innocent to the murder charges, claiming a mental disease or defect as his defense. Moore asserted that he was attempting to apprehend members of a "syndicate" of millionaires, Jews, and criminals who he believed were trying to poison him. The jury did not accept his plea, and he was found guilty on four counts of aggravated murder. Moore was sentenced to four life terms in prison and, as of December 2024, remains incarcerated at the Oregon State Penitentiary in Salem.
