Michael Vernon Mass Murderer – December 1995
Overview
In December 1995, a 22-year-old man named Michael Vernon entered Little Chester Shoes, a small shoe store located near the Bronx Zoo in the Bronx, New York. What began as a robbery attempt swiftly devolved into a massacre, resulting in five deaths and three critical injuries. Vernon was apprehended after a gunfight with police, wounded, hospitalized, and later convicted.
Details of the Crime
Michael Vernon entered Little Chester Shoes on December 19, 1995, shortly before noon. While asking for a particular sneaker size—size 13½ or a certain Nike style—he became angry when he could not obtain what he wanted. Witnesses reported that he said, “You should have given me those sneakers,” before opening fire on those in the store .
He announced a holdup and began shooting with an automatic 9 mm pistol. The victims included a mother shopping with two young sons and the wife of the store’s owner. He then attempted to flee using a hostage as a human shield but was engaged by a highway patrol officer outside the store, shot, and taken into custody .
Victims
- Maria Carrasquillo, 38 (Bronx) – killed at Little Chester Shoes, December 19, 1995
- Ricardo Gonzalez, 13 – Maria’s son, killed December 19, 1995
- Rafael Gonzalez, 12 – Maria’s son, killed December 19, 1995
- Kwong Bae (sometimes spelled Kyong or Kyong Bae), 41 – wife of the store’s owner, killed December 19, 1995
- Henry W. Lucero Inga, 25 (Larchmont) – killed during the shooting, December 19, 1995
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