Edwin Grace

Mass Murderer

Edwin James Grace and the 1972 Cherry Hill Office Massacre

Background

Edwin James Grace Jr. was a 33-year-old security guard from Brooklyn, New York, whose anger over his employment difficulties culminated in a mass shooting at a New Jersey office building on June 21, 1972. The attack left six men dead and six others wounded. Another man was injured while escaping through a window. Grace later died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound, bringing the total number of deaths connected to the incident to seven. Grace was born on January 29, 1939, in Brooklyn. He graduated from James Madison High School in 1956 and briefly attended St. Francis College before leaving during his sophomore year. He later served in the United States Army, including a period of duty in Okinawa. During his adult life, he held several security-related positions, including work for the Pinkerton protective organization and the civil court system. People who knew Grace frequently described him as quiet, reserved and interested in reading. His employment history, however, had become unstable. He was reportedly dismissed from one security position in December 1971 because of repeated absences associated with a family emergency. He later returned to security work, but continued searching for a more permanent position in his preferred field.

Conflict With the Employment Agency

Grace had contacted Key Personnel Incorporated, an employment agency operating from the Heritage Building at 383 Kings Highway North in Cherry Hill, New Jersey. He hoped the agency would help him obtain a security-related job. Investigators later concluded that Grace became deeply resentful because he believed the agency had failed to find suitable employment for him. There was no indication that the people working in the building expected Grace to become violent. His preparations, however, showed that the shooting was not a spontaneous argument. Grace obtained two .22-caliber Armalite AR-7 semiautomatic rifles and shortened their barrels and stocks. He also assembled a large supply of ammunition and loaded multiple magazines before traveling to Cherry Hill. Before the shooting, Grace stayed at the Saxony Motel in Turnersville, New Jersey. Investigators later found additional ammunition, gun parts and personal belongings in his room. Police also discovered a map in his automobile on which Cherry Hill and nearby Pennsauken had reportedly been marked. A written passage from the poem "Invictus" was found among his effects, ending with the declaration that the writer was the master of his fate and the captain of his soul.

The Arrival at the Heritage Building

On the afternoon of Wednesday, June 21, 1972, Grace left the motel and drove his Volkswagen to the Heritage Building. The two-story office building contained approximately 16 offices occupied by several businesses, including Key Personnel and the Heil Process Equipment Corporation. About 40 people were believed to be inside when the attack began. Grace parked behind the building and entered through a rear doorway shortly after 2:30 p.m. He was dressed in clothing that resembled a security or official uniform, including dark trousers, a shirt and tie, a blazer, a gun belt and a straw hat. Beneath or alongside his clothing, he carried the two shortened rifles and approximately 120 rounds of ammunition. At approximately 2:33 p.m., Grace moved into the office area and began firing. Witnesses reported that he deliberately directed women out of his path while selecting male employees and visitors as his targets. He walked through hallways and offices, shooting men at close range, pausing to reload and then continuing through the building. ...

Confirmed Victims: (6)

Joseph Boyd 48 yr old Male

Edwin James Grace (1939-1972) - Find a Grave Memorial