LIRR on A&E today

[The RailMan]

I was just browsing the program listings for the day and came across a program not about the Long Island Railroad, but what happened on the LIRR in 1993. The program is called "American Justice" and is on today at 1 PM Eastern and is on again ta 7 PM today (June 7) and the episode is titled "Long Island Railroad Massacre"

If I knew about it sooner, I'd have let everyone know, but as soon as I saw it I figured I'd post it.

[SeldenJrFireman]

I think it is when the guy went crazy and shot 10 people during rush hour on a train.

[LI Loco]

Selden is correct. In December 1993, Colin Ferguson, an immigrant from the Caribbean down on his luck started shooting passengers on a crowded rush hour train as it sat in the Merillon Ave. station in Garden City.

The incident came at a time when Long Island was already reeling from the Amy Fisher case, the troubled teen who shot her older boyfriend's wife. The LIRR shooting fanned racial tensions since Ferguson's initial attorney, William Kuntsler claimed that Ferguson acted due to "black rage." Ferguson later chose to act as his own lawyer. He was convicted and sentenced to a life term.

IMHO, this case fanned support for restoration of the death penalty in New York and the subsequent defeat of Mario Cumo by George Pataki in the 1994 gubenetorial election.

Another political outcome was the rise of Carolyn McCarthy, whose husband was killed and son injured in the massacre. McCarthy became an advocate for banning assault weapons. After her local Congressman opposed the measure, she ran for his seat and won and is now in her fourth term. BTW, I live in her district.