James Pough

Mass Murderer

James Edward Pough and the 1990 Jacksonville Massacre

Background

James Edward "Pop" Pough was a 42-year-old Jacksonville, Florida, laborer who carried out a two-day shooting rampage on June 17 and June 18, 1990. He murdered eleven people during the rampage, wounded six others and died by suicide at the final crime scene. Nine of the fatalities resulted from his attack on a General Motors Acceptance Corporation office in Jacksonville's Baymeadows area. Pough was born on February 16, 1948, in Jacksonville. People who knew him described him as quiet and withdrawn, although he reportedly became angry during disputes involving money, automobiles and personal relationships. His life deteriorated during the years preceding the massacre. His mother died, his marriage ended and he experienced continuing financial problems. Pough had also committed a previous homicide. On May 8, 1971, he became involved in an argument with his friend, 27-year-old David Lee Pender. During the confrontation, Pough obtained a .38-caliber revolver and shot Pender three times. Pender later died at a hospital. Pough was initially charged with a serious homicide offense, but the case was reduced after he pleaded guilty to aggravated assault. He received five years of probation.

Financial Problems and the Repossessed Car

In December 1988, Pough acquired a red 1988 Pontiac Grand Am. He soon fell behind on the payments, and the vehicle was voluntarily repossessed by General Motors Acceptance Corporation, commonly known as GMAC, in January 1990. GMAC later sought more than $6,000 in remaining expenses and unpaid obligations connected to the account. Pough reportedly became deeply resentful about the repossession and the continuing debt. His final known contact with the GMAC office occurred in April 1990. Investigators later considered the automobile dispute an important possible motive for the massacre, although authorities could not determine whether it was the only cause of his actions. Approximately two months before the attack, Pough purchased a Universal M1 carbine from a pawnshop. He also possessed a .38-caliber revolver and a 9mm semiautomatic pistol. His acquisition of firearms became controversial after the massacre because of his earlier criminal record and documented history of violence.

The First Murders on June 17, 1990

Pough began his final rampage shortly after midnight on Sunday, June 17, 1990, in northwestern Jacksonville. Carrying the M1 carbine concealed in a blanket, he approached several men gathered near a street corner. Without any established personal dispute with the group, he opened fire and fatally wounded 39-year-old Louis Carl Bacon. Minutes later and only a few blocks away, Pough encountered 30-year-old Doretta Elaine Drake in or near a vacant parking area. He struck Drake with his vehicle, got out and shot her in the head. Investigators believed the attacks on Bacon and Drake were essentially random. Later that night, Pough stopped two teenagers and asked them for directions. After they responded, he shot both of them in the shoulder. Christopher Jerome Shorter, 17, and Lynette Patrice Johnson, 18, survived their wounds. Pough was also linked to robberies committed during the weekend. On the morning of June 18, he entered a Jacksonville convenience store carrying a handgun, threatened the clerk and demanded money from the cash register. He reportedly indicated that he believed he had nothing left to lose. He then left the store and continued preparing for the attack on GMAC. ...

Confirmed Victims: (11)

Louis Carl Bacon 39 yr old Male

James Edward Pough - Wikipedia