Incident Summary:
06/14/1975: In the United States, members of the Armed Forces for National Liberation (FALN) bombed the United Insurance building in Chicago, Illinois, housing the United American Bank on the first floor of the building. FALN members claimed the attack by calling the Associated Press and stating that they placed three bombs at "capitalist institutions in Chicago" as well as telling of a type-written note left at a phone booth in a food shop at Union Station in Chicago. This explosion occurred in conjunction with Chicago's Annual Puerto Rican day parade. Three people had minor injuries from the attack and the blast shattered windows through the tenth floor of the Insurance Building.
Overview
GTD ID:
197506140006
When:
1975-06-14
Country:
United States
Region:
North America
Province/administrative
region/u.s. state:
Illinois
City:
Chicago
Location Details:
The incident occurred at bank in the United Insurance building
What
Attack Information
Type of Attack () |
Bombing/Explosion |
Successful Attack? () |
Yes |
Target Information ()
Target Type: Business |
Name of Entity |
United American Bank |
Specific Description |
United American Bank in the United Insurance Building |
Nationality of Target |
United States |
Additional Information
Hostages |
No |
Ransom |
No |
Property Damage |
Yes |
Extent of Property Damage |
Minor (likely < $1 million) |
Value of Property Damage |
Unknown |
How
Weapon Information
Type |
Sub-type |
Explosives |
Dynamite/TNT |
Additional Information
Suicide Attack? | No |
Part of Multiple Incident? | Yes |
Criterion 1 () |
Yes |
Criterion 2 () |
Yes |
Criterion 3 () |
Yes |
Additional Information |
This event is one in a series of bomb blasts by FALN members in Chicago on the same day (197506140005; 197506140002). In one event, a bomb, targeting the First National Bank, was carried away in a black bag by a married couple, and once they realized in their car that the bag held dynamite, they threw it out the window. This blast caused damages to the Mid-Continental Plaza building, shattering windows through the fifth floor of the building. The second attack was an attempted bombing of a Federal Building in Chicago; the bomb did not detonate. All three attacks were claimed by FALN in both a phone call and note left for police, and the events coincided with the Puerto Rican Day parade in Chicago. |
Who
Perpetrator Statistics
Number of Perpetrators |
Unknown |
Number of Captured Perpetrators |
Unknown |
Casualty Information
Total Number of Casualties |
0 Fatalities / 3 Injured |
Total Number of Fatalities |
0 |
Number of U.S. Fatalities |
0 |
Number of Perpetrator Fatalities |
0 |
Total Number of Injured |
3 |
Number of U.S. Injured |
3 |
Number of Perpetrators Injured |
3 |
Sources
Sources
"FALN claims credit for Chicago bombings," The Baltimore Sun, June 15, 1975. |
William Sater, "Puerto Rican Terrorists: A Possible Threat to U.S. Energy Installations?," RAND, October 1981. |
Marcia McKnight Trick, "Chronology of Incidents of Terroristic, Quasi-Terroristic, and Political Violence in the United States: January 1965 to March 1976," National Advisory Committee on Criminal Justice Standards and Goals: Report of the Task Force on Disorders and Terrorism, 1976. |
Criteria
Criteria 1
The act must be aimed at attaining a political, economic, religious, or social goal. In terms of economic goals, the exclusive pursuit of profit does not satisfy this criterion. It must involve the pursuit of more profound, systemic economic change.
Criterion 2
There must be evidence of an intention to coerce, intimidate, or convey some other message to a larger audience (or audiences) than the immediate victims. It is the act taken as a totality that is considered, irrespective if every individual involved in carrying out the act was aware of this intention. As long as any of the planners or decision-makers behind the attack intended to coerce, intimidate or publicize, the intentionality criterion is met.
Criterion 3
The action must be outside the context of legitimate warfare activities. That is, the act must be outside the parameters permitted by international humanitarian law (particularly the prohibition against deliberately targeting civilians or non-combatants.
Doubt Terrorism Proper
The existence of a "Yes" for "Doubt Terrorism Proper?" records reservation, in the eyes of GTD analysts, that the incident in question is truly terrorism. Such uncertainty, however, was not deemed to be sufficient to disqualify the incident from inclusion into the GTD. Furthermore, such a determination of doubt is subsequently coded by GTD analysts as conforming to one of four possible alternative designations: 1) Insurgency/Guerilla Action; 2) Internecine Conflict Action; 3) Mass Murder; or 4) Purely Criminal Act.
Alternate Designation
The determination of "yes" for "Doubt Terrorism Proper" by GTD analysts is coded as conforming to one of four possible alternative designations: 1) Insurgency/Guerilla Action; 2) Internecine Conflict Action; 3) Mass Murder; or 4) Purely Criminal Act.
Successful Attack
Success of a terrorist strike is defined according to the tangible effects of the attack. For example, in a typical successful bombing, the bomb detonates and destroys property and/or kills individuals, whereas an unsuccessful bombing is one in which the bomb is discovered and defused or detonates early and kills the perpetrators. Success is not judged in terms of the larger goals of the perpetrators. For example, a bomb that exploded in a building would be counted as a success even if it did not, for example, succeed in bringing the building down or inducing government repression.
Type of Attack
This field captures the general method of attack and often reflects the broad class of tactics used. It consists of the following nine categories:
- Assassination
- Armed Assault
- Unarmed Assault
- Bombing/Explosion
- Hijacking
- Hostage taking (Barricade Incident)
- Hostage taking (Kidnapping)
- Facility / Infrastructure Attack
- Unknown
Target Information
This field captures the general type of target. It consists of the following 22 categories:
- Abortion Related
- Airports & Airlines
- Business
- Government (General)
- Government (Diplomatic)
- Educational Institution
- Food or Water Supply
- Journalists & Media
- Maritime (includes Ports and Maritime facilities)
- Military
- NGO
- Other
- Police
- Private Citizens & Property
- Religious Figures/Institutions
- Telecommunication
- Terrorists
- Tourists
- Transportation (other than aviation)
- Unknown
- Utilities
- Violent Political Parties