Gang Lu and the 1991 University of Iowa Mass Shooting
Overview
On November 1, 1991, former University of Iowa physics graduate student Gang Lu carried out a targeted shooting on campus in Iowa City, killing five people and injuring one before dying by suicide. The attack unfolded between approximately 3:42 p.m. and 3:52 p.m. Central Time, primarily inside Van Allen Hall and Jessup Hall.
Background
Gang Lu, 28, had earned his Ph.D. in physics and astronomy from the University of Iowa in May 1991. In the months leading up to the shooting, he expressed resentment tied to academic disputes, including not receiving the prestigious D.C. Spriestersbach Dissertation Prize. He wrote letters outlining grievances and intent prior to the attack.
The Attack: November 1, 1991
Lu arrived at a space plasma physics group meeting in Room 309 of Van Allen Hall armed with a .38-caliber revolver (a Taurus). He shot three people in the meeting room, then went to the second floor and shot the department chair in his office. Leaving Van Allen Hall, he walked to Jessup Hall and entered Room 208, where he shot the Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs, and then shot a student employee nearby. He subsequently shot himself in Room 203 of Jessup Hall.
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