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Joseph VanderPaauw

Case from Ridgewood, NJ dated Oct 10, 1991

Victim Details

Joseph VanderPaauw

Male

Ridgewood

NJ

1991-10-10

59

Joseph

VanderPaauw

07/13/2026

Case Description

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On October 10, 1991, Joseph VanderPaauw, a 59-year-old male mail handler from Prospect Park, New Jersey, arrived for his shift at the Ridgewood post office, unaware of the horrific events that would shortly unfold. His life was tragically cut short in a violent rampage carried out by a disgruntled former postal worker, Joseph Harris. Dressed in combat fatigues and a ninja mask, Harris was armed with a machine gun, grenades, and a samurai sword, bent on revenge for his dismissal from the same pos ...
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Links to Additional Sources (5)

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  • THE RIDGEWOOD BLOG.: >Remembering the 1991 Ridgewood Postal Shooting
  • Fired postal worker suspected of killing two hostages, two others - UPI
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    Forum Posts (2)

    I recently came across a newspaper article about the Ridgewood post office tragedy that took Joseph ... ...Read More
    09/20/2024
    Wow, I just read about the horrific spree killing by Joseph Harris in 1991, and it's so surreal. One... ...Read More
    03/12/2023
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