On a warm summer evening in Winfield, Kansas, the air was filled with the melodies of a local band concert, drawing a large crowd to the corner of Ninth Avenue and Main Street. Among the attendees on August 13, 1903, was Roy C. Davis, a 15-year-old boy. The pleasant atmosphere of the evening was abruptly shattered when Gilbert Twigg, a 35-year-old man, concealed himself in a nearby alley and opened fire on the unsuspecting audience with a 12-gauge shotgun.
The sudden and indiscriminate
attack plunged the peaceful gathering into chaos. Twigg fired multiple shots into the crowd, striking numerous people. Roy C. Davis was one of the unfortunate victims who sustained fatal injuries during the rampage. In the immediate aftermath, the scene was one of horror and confusion, with several people killed and many more wounded.
The assailant, Gilbert Twigg, was known by some locals as "Crazy Twigg," though he was generally considered harmless. After firing into the crowd, he took his own life with a revolver as two men from the concert attempted to disarm him. A letter found in his room later suggested feelings of being shunned by the community and a desire for revenge. In total, nine people, including Roy C. Davis, lost their lives as a result of the tragic event that has since been described as a precursor to modern mass shootings. There were no arrests to be made as the lone suspect and perpetrator of the massacre was deceased at the scene.
