George Hennard

Mass Murderer

George Hennard and the 1991 Luby's Cafeteria Massacre

Background

George Pierre Hennard was born on October 15, 1956, in Sayre, Pennsylvania. He was the son of an Army physician, and his family moved several times while he was growing up because of his father's military assignments. Hennard graduated from Mayfield High School in Las Cruces, New Mexico, in 1974. He later served in the United States Navy and worked for years as a merchant mariner. By the late 1980s, Hennard's career and personal life had deteriorated. His merchant-mariner credentials were suspended following drug-related and disciplinary problems, and he began moving between temporary jobs. He eventually settled in a family-owned home in Belton, Texas, approximately eight miles from Killeen. People who encountered Hennard before the massacre described increasingly hostile behavior, particularly toward women. He complained that women had rejected, humiliated, or conspired against him. In a disturbing letter sent to two young women who lived near his Belton home, he referred to women in Killeen and Belton as "vipers." Former coworkers also recalled that he made alarming statements about killing people shortly before the attack.

Preparations and Weapons

In February 1991, Hennard purchased two 9-millimeter semiautomatic pistols in Henderson, Nevada: a Glock 17 and a Ruger P89. He acquired several magazines and enough ammunition to conduct a prolonged attack. Investigators found no evidence that another person assisted him or that he belonged to an organized extremist group. Approximately ten days before the massacre, Hennard left a job at a cement company in Copperas Cove. On October 16, 1991, the day after his thirty-fifth birthday, he armed himself with both pistols and drove his blue 1987 Ford Ranger pickup truck from Belton toward Killeen.

The Attack at Luby's Cafeteria

At approximately 12:39 p.m. on Wednesday, October 16, 1991, Hennard deliberately drove his pickup truck through the large plate-glass front window of Luby's Cafeteria at 1705 East Central Texas Expressway in Killeen, Texas. The restaurant was crowded with roughly 150 customers and employees during the lunchtime rush. It was also Boss's Day, and several groups had gathered for workplace lunches. The truck crashed through the dining area, scattering tables, chairs, glass, and debris. Some customers initially believed that the collision was an accident. Hennard quickly emerged from the vehicle carrying his two pistols and began firing at people inside the cafeteria. Hennard moved through the dining room, firing at customers who were seated, attempting to hide, or trying to escape. Witnesses reported that he made hostile statements about women and blamed the people of Killeen and Belton for what he believed had been done to him and his family. Although both men and women were killed, many witnesses believed that Hennard displayed particular hostility toward female victims. Customers crawled beneath tables, hid behind furniture, or fled through exits. Some people escaped through windows. Survivor Tommy Vaughan threw himself through a plate-glass window, creating an opening that allowed numerous other customers to escape from the building. Several victims attempted to protect relatives or confront the gunman. Alphonse "Al" Gratia tried to rush Hennard after seeing his wife, Ursula Gratia, threatened. Hennard shot and killed him. Ursula was also killed. Their daughter, Suzanna Gratia, survived by escaping through a broken window. Hennard continued shooting as police officers arrived outside the restaurant. Officers from the Killeen Police Department and the Texas Department of Public Safety entered the building and exchanged gunfire with him. Hennard was wounded during the confrontation and retreated toward an area near the restrooms. Officers ordered him to surrender, but he refused. At approximately 12:51 p.m., only about twelve minutes after driving through the restaurant window, Hennard placed a pistol to his head and died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. ...

Confirmed Victims: (23)

Patricia B. Carney 57 yr old Female

A gunman killed 23 people at a Luby's in Killeen 30 years ago. It ...