Back to Search ResultsIncident Summary:
09/18/1973: Twin brothers, Roger and Ralph Bankston, were shot to death by a pistol and shotgun in Edison, New Jersey in the United States. They were found in the front seat of their car parked in the lot behind the Local 980 United Automobile Workers Union Hall across the street from the Ford plant on Route 1, where the brothers were employed. The perpetrators were members of the New World sect, as were the brothers, who were apparently killed due to disobeying orders. This event was one in a series of related Black Muslim attacks. Two members of the New World of Islam sect, Albert Chavies and Lamont Calloway were later convicted of the Bankston murders.Overview
GTD ID:
197309180002
When:
1973-09-18
Country:
United States
Region:
North America
Province/administrative
region/u.s. state:
New Jersey
City:
Edison
Location Details:
In a car parked behind the United Automobile Workers Local 980 Union hall across the street from the Ford plant on Route 1.
What
| Target Type: Private Citizens & Property | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Name of Entity | Roger and Ralph Bankston, captains in the New World Sect | ||
| Specific Description | brothers Roger and Ralph Bankston | ||
| Nationality of Target | United States | ||
| Hostages | No |
| Ransom | No |
| Property Damage | No |
How
| Type | Sub-type |
|---|---|
| Firearms | Unknown Gun Type |
| Suicide Attack? | No |
| Part of Multiple Incident? | No |
| Criterion 1 (more) | Yes |
| Criterion 2 (more) | No |
| Criterion 3 (more) | Yes |
| Additional Information | This event was one of a series of related attacks during this time (see events 197309040001, 197310180002). On September 4, 1973, a Black Muslim leader, James Shabazz is murdered by members of New World of Islam, a rival faction of Black Muslims. On October 18, 1973, two more Black Muslim dissidents are killed and beheaded by others in the New World sect in the midst of feuding Black Muslim factions. This case in particular may not be terrorism because the Bankston brothers were allegedly murdered for disobeying orders so this is a case of inner-party conflict. Also, two members of the New World, Albert Chavies and Lamont Calloway, were later convicted for the murder of the Bankston brothers. Chavies and Calloway were also convicted and sentenced for the Shabazz murder. |
Who
| Group Name | Claimed Responsibility |
|---|---|
| Black Muslims (suspected) | Unknown |
| Number of Perpetrators | 2 |
| Number of Captured Perpetrators | 2 |
| Total Number of Casualties | 2 Fatalities / 0 Injured |
| Total Number of Fatalities | 2 |
| Number of U.S. Fatalities | 2 |
| Number of Perpetrator Fatalities | 0 |
| Total Number of Injured | 0 |
| Number of U.S. Injured | 0 |
| Number of Perpetrators Injured | 0 |
Sources
| "Police Check Link in Twins' Slaying," New York Times, September 20, 1973. |
| Philip Wechsler, "Decapitated Bodies of 2 Men Discovered in Newark Park," New York Times, October 19, 1973. |
| Harry Camisa and Jim Franklin, "Inside Out: fifty years behind the walls of New Jersey's Trenton State Prison," Windsor Press and Publishing, 2003. |
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