Westernville New Year's Day shooting explained
The Westernville New Year's Day shooting was a mass murder that occurred at a family gathering in Westernville, New York, United States on New Year's Day in 1969. Ralph MacLachlan (aged 35 or 37),[1] [2] a meat cutter and church elder, armed with a semi-automatic .22-caliber rifle, killed four people, including his wife, and injured five others. The next morning, MacLachlan committed suicide by shooting himself following an exchange of gunfire with police.[3] [4] [5] Following the shooting, MacLachlan's brother stated that he had "no indication he was acting abnormally" during a phone conversation around an hour before the shooting. At the time, according to his brother, MacLauchlan was watching a New Year's Day bowl game on the television.[6]
Victims
Four people were shot and killed, and a further five were injured. The fatalities include:
- Anita Turke MacLachlan, 33,[7] the perpetrator's wife
- Jane Turke Ringrose, 35, the perpetrator's sister-in-law
- Barbara Jean Ringrose, 12, the perpetrator's niece
- Milton James Pepper, 14,[7] the family's neighbor
Additionally, the shooter injured his father-in-law, mother-in-law, 10-year-old niece, brother-in-law, and another neighbor.[3] MacLachlan and Anita's two-year-old and nine-month-old sons were unharmed after Anita hid them in a bedroom closet.[8]
Notes and References
- News: Pelkey . Herbert G. . Slayer of Four Kills Self In Shoot-Out with Police . 8 January 2024 . Democrat and Chronicle . 3 January 1969 . 8 January 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240108162145/https://www.newspapers.com/image/136554256/?clipping_id=134981123&fcfToken=eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJmcmVlLXZpZXctaWQiOjEzNjU1NDI1NiwiaWF0IjoxNzA0NzI2NTQ1LCJleHAiOjE3MDQ4MTI5NDV9.IZs1bEM1VsaOg7OR3nY2sN_G6tN_LKbo-3jTnQ5S-1w . live .
- News: Mass Slayer Kills Himself, Ending Rampage of Gunfire . 8 January 2024 . The Daily Iowan . 3 January 1969 . 25 November 2015 . https://web.archive.org/web/20151125084847/http://dailyiowan.lib.uiowa.edu/DI/1969/di1969-01-03.pdf . live .
- Web site: Twellman . Chip . Horrific 1969 crime scene: Four murdered, five wounded in deadly domestic dispute . Daily Sentinel . 29 November 2020 . 30 June 2023 . 30 June 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230630041030/https://romesentinel.com/stories/horrific-1969-crime-scene-four-murdered-five-wounded-in-deadly-domestic-dispute,107168 . live .
- News: Marital Problems: Motive For Killings? . Advance news. (Ogdensburg, N.Y.) 1967-current, January 05, 1969, Image 20 . Advance News . 5 January 1969 . 20 . en . 2023-06-30 . 2023-06-30 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230630041025/https://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/lccn/sn90066433/1969-01-05/ed-1/seq-20/ . live .
- News: Gunman Kills Four Persons; Takes Own Life . da.tj.news . The Daily Gleaner . January 2, 1969 . June 30, 2023 . June 30, 2023 . https://web.archive.org/web/20230630041024/https://da.tj.news/viewer?opub=The_Daily_Gleaner&date=19690102&page=1&filename=0002_DG_A7451 . live .
- News: Man Kills Self After Slaying 4 . 8 January 2024 . . 3 January 1969 . 22 . 8 January 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240108162145/https://www.newspapers.com/newspage/331716772/ . live .
- News: Pelkey . Herbert G. . Gunman Kills 4 Persons, Wounds Eight Others in Adirondack Community . 8 January 2024 . Ogdensburg Journal . 2 January 1969 . 8 January 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240108162146/https://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/?a=d&d=oj19690102-01.1.1&e=-------en-20--1--txt-txIN---------- . live .
- News: Future Of Two Orphaned Children Remains The Unanswered Question . 8 January 2024 . Advance News . 5 January 1969 . 8 . 8 January 2024 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240108162145/https://nyshistoricnewspapers.org/?a=d&d=an19690105-01.1.8&e=-------en-20--1--txt-txIN---------- . live .
