Twenty-one people are shot to death at McDonald’s

On July 18, 1984, 21 people were killed and 19 were injured in a massacre in a McDonalds restaurant in San Ysidro, California and was the worst mass slaying by a single shooter in US history at that time. The perpetrator, James Oliver Huberty, was the neighbor of a friend of mine who lived in Massillon. He said it was only a matter of time before he went off, and he was relieved when he moved away. It seemed like everyone who knew him expected it to happen. An excerpt from the article:

"James Oliver Huberty opens fire in a crowded McDonald’s restaurant in San Ysidro, California, killing 21 people and wounding 19 others with several semi-automatic weapons. Minutes earlier, Huberty had left home, telling his wife, “I’m going hunting…hunting for humans.”

Huberty, who had a history of mental problems, lost his job in Ohio the previous year. He brought his family to San Diego and worked as a security guard until he was fired again, a month before the shootings. His wife claimed that Huberty called a mental health clinic to make an appointment for counseling but was never called back. Huberty had a love affair with guns, keeping a small arsenal in his bedroom. Neighbors described him as very angry."