Alvin Lee King III – The Daingerfield Church Massacre (June 22, 1980)
Background
Alvin Lee King III, age 45 at the time, was a former high school math teacher living in Daingerfield, Texas. He faced serious criminal charges — his daughter had accused him of sexual assault, and he was scheduled to go on trial the following day on incest charges. Many members of his local church had declined to testify in his defense.
The Attack
On the morning of
June 22, 1980, during a church service at the First Baptist Church in Daingerfield:
- King burst in wearing army fatigues, a flak jacket (two flak jackets, in some accounts), and a steel helmet.
- He was heavily armed with an AR-15 (or Colt AR-15 SP1) rifle equipped with a bayonet and scope, an M-1 carbine with a bayonet, a .22-caliber revolver, and a .38-caliber revolver (though the latter two may not have been used).
- As worshippers sang, he shouted “This is war!” and opened fire, fatally shooting five individuals and injuring around ten others.
Victims
- Gene Gandy, age 49 — killed
- Mary Regina “Gina” Linam, age 7 — killed
- James Young “Red” McDaniel, age 53 — killed
- Thelma May Richardson, age 72 — killed
- Kenneth Alton Truitt, age 49 — killed
- Additionally, three individuals were wounded and survived:
- Arthur Greaves, age 69 — wounded
- Robert Jack Dean, age 56 — wounded
- Laverne McDaniel — wounded
In all, five people were killed and eleven were wounded.
...Read More
Account
