Incident Summary:
9/11/1979: Six members of the May 19 Communist Order robbed an armored car leaving the Bamberger's Department Store at Garden State Mall in Paramus, New Jersey in the United States. Two guards were temporarily held hostage and $105,000 were stolen. No casualties resulted from this incident.
Overview
GTD ID:
197909110004
When:
1979-09-11
Country:
United States
Region:
North America
Province/administrative
region/u.s. state:
New Jersey
City:
Paramus
What
Attack Information
| Type of Attack () |
Armed Assault |
| Successful Attack? () |
Yes |
Target Information ()
| Target Type: Business |
|---|
| Name of Entity |
Bamberger's Department Store |
| Specific Description |
Bamberger's Department Store, Paraums New Jersey |
| Nationality of Target |
United States |
| Target Type: Business |
|---|
| Name of Entity |
Armored truck |
| Specific Description |
|
| Nationality of Target |
United States |
Additional Information
| Hostages |
Yes |
| Number of Hostages |
2 |
| US Hostages |
2 |
| Hours of Kidnapping |
0 |
| Outcome |
Unknown |
| Ransom |
No |
| Property Damage |
Yes |
| Extent of Property Damage |
Minor (likely < $1 million) |
| Value of Property Damage |
$105,000.00 |
How
Weapon Information
| Type |
Sub-type |
| Firearms |
Handgun |
| Weapon Details |
|---|
| Nine millimeter handguns and handcuffs |
Additional Information
| Suicide Attack? | No |
| Part of Multiple Incident? | No |
| Criterion 1 () |
Yes |
| Criterion 2 () |
No |
| Criterion 3 () |
Yes |
| Additional Information |
The tactics used in this incident were almost the same as 197812190014. The robbery took place at 11:00 AM. Mutulu Shakur provided look out while Sekou Odinga, Kuwasi Balagoon, and Mtayari Sundiata confronted the security guards. The two guards were handcuffed and held captive at gunpoint while the perpetrators confiscated their weapons. Tyrone Rison drove the getaway car. The perpetrators then switched into a car driven by Marilyn Buck. During the incident Sundiata's gun accidently discharged, but this did not alert the authorities. It is believed that some of the proceeds from this robbery were given to Black radical Assata Shakur (Joanne Chesimard) after she escaped from prison two months later. All of the perpetrators were eventually captured except for Mtayari Sundiata who was killed in a shoot-out with police in 1981. |
Who
Perpetrator Statistics
| Number of Perpetrators |
6 |
| Number of Captured Perpetrators |
5 |
Casualty Information
| Total Number of Casualties |
0 Fatalities / 0 Injured |
| Total Number of Fatalities |
0 |
| Number of U.S. Fatalities |
0 |
| Number of Perpetrator Fatalities |
0 |
| Total Number of Injured |
0 |
| Number of U.S. Injured |
0 |
| Number of Perpetrators Injured |
0 |
Sources
Sources
| John Castellucci, "The Big Dance," Dodd, Mead & Company, 1986. |
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
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