The Galveston Daily News from Galveston, Texas • Page 8

8-A THE GALVESTON DAILY NEWS FRIDAY MORNING, OCTOBER 18, 1991 Massacre in Killeen House rejects ban on assault rifles, large clips Associated Press WASHINGTON The House rejected a proposed ban on semiautomatic assault weapons and large ammunition clips Thursday, spurning the appeals of gun control advocates who seized upon the Texas shooting rampage to make their case. By 247-177, the lawmakers voted to strike from a broad anti-crime bill a provision that would have banned 13 models of assault-style weapons, along with 17-round ammunition clips such as those used by gunman Wednesday to slay 22 people and himself in a Killeen, Texas, cafeteria. Supporters of the gun control measure had taken heart when Gun control advocates used Killeen massacre to make their case Rep. Chet Edwards announced that the massacre in a cafeteria in his home district had persuaded him to drop his longstanding opposition. But gun control opponents noted that the proposed list of weapons that would be banned did not include the models of pistols the gunman used.

"This is a feel-good measure," said Rep. James Sensenbrenner, R-Wis. "It is not going to affect criminals in any way, shape or form." Supporters of the ban contended a proposed seven-bullet limit on ammunition clips might have saved some people because the gunman would have had to stop shooting to reload more often. "The killer was in the cafeteria for over 10 minutes," Sensenbrenner countered. "He had plenty of time to change clips, and apparently he did." Still, supporters of the ban, many of them hunters, said the Texas shootings emphasized a need to prohibit possession of weapons and clips designed to "spray" bullets.

"I don't need an assault weapon to go out there and kill a deer," said Rep. John Bryant, D-Texas. "The fact of the matter is that no- body needs an assault weapon except cowards and criminals and weirdos who have to own an assault weapon in order to feel like a man." The White House expressed sympathy for the victims in Texas but said President Bush was not changing his stance on gun controls. "You can't legislate behavior," said Judy Smith, a deputy White House press secretary. Gun control advocate Sarah Brady, whose husband James was critically wounded in an assassination attempt in 1981 on former President Reagan, expressed bit- terness over the vote on an amendment backed by the National Rifle Association.

"This is totally irresponsible to the American public's safety," she said. "It's just one more reason to be utterly disgusted with the U.S. Congress." The author of the proposed prohibitions, covering sale or possession of 13 models of assault-type semiautomatic weapons as well as ammunition clips with more than seven rounds, acknowledged before the vote that he faced an "uphill battle." "The tragedy yesterday added some momentum in our direction, but at this point I don't think it is enough," said Rep. Charles Schumer, It was enough for Edwards, whose district includes Killeen, site of Wednesday's deadliest mass shooting in the nation's history. "It takes away from being an issue of statistics, numbers, charts and legal issues," he said.

"For me, the old arguments ring hollow." "It's a human story now, a human tragedy," Edwards said, "and I just simply have to vote to put some limit on assault weapons that could be used by drug kingpins and crazed killers to murder innocent victims." Isle attorney remembers gunman was 'intense' By ROY MAYNARO The Daily News GALVESTON A Galveston attorney who once represented mass-murderer George Hennard described his former client as "intense," but said he was "as shocked as anyone" by Hennard's actions. Hennard drove his pickup through the front of a Luby's Cafe- teria in Killeen Wednesday, and shot and killed 22 people before killing himself during a 10-minute spree. Attorney David McCormick represented Hennard, 35, when the U.S. Coast Guard pulled his seaman's license in 1989. "I tried to help him get his seaman's license back," McCormick said.

"He was very upset and intense about getting it he said it was the only thing he knew how to do." The Coast Guard's actions stemmed from a 1981 marijuana charge and a fight aboard a ship, McCormick said. He represented Hennard before a Coast Guard administrative law judge in August 1989, but Hennard failed to prove to the judge he'd given up marijuana. Hennard appealed, and the final appeal was turned down in February. McCormick said he'd been in contact with Hennard periodically during that period. "As far as his criminal record goes, there was no real indicator that something like this would happen," McCormick said.

"That fight on the ship in 1989 was a racially motivated deal, from the way George described it. But really, there was nothing else." Hennard displayed no anger to- ward women when he was dealing with McCormick, the attorney said. "He got along with my secretary just fine," he said. But in looking back, McCormick said there were some warning signs that Hennard was unbalanced. McCormick is a criminal defense attorney who has an office in Galveston and one in Houston.

Hennard a frightening loner who called women 'vipers' Jane Bugg, center, with her daughters Jill Fritz, right, and Jane Jerrigan holds a letter she received from George Hennard. Associated Press BELTON He referred to women as "treacherous female vipers," and some neighbors complained of bizarre and frightening behavior. But the question of who was George Hennard remained as much a mystery Thursday as why he methodically gunned down 22 strangers. Hennard, 35, a former merchant seaman and the unemployed son of wealthy, divorced parents, left behind an angry letter venting hatred toward women. But authorities said they had few clues about what triggered the worst mass shooting in U.S.

history. "It's like a jigsaw puzzle," said Killeen Police Chief F.L. Giacomozzi. "We may never know the answers." Neighbors described Hennard as a handsome loner who obsessively mowed his yard and washed his blue pickup truck. On Wednesday, he drove the truck through the front window of a Luby's Cafeteria in nearby Killeen at lunchtime, then opened fire on the crowd with a pair of semiautomatic pistols.

Police said they are investigating his feelings toward woman, largely because of a letter a neighbor turned over to authorities June 19. The letter said in part: "Did you and your sister find Governor related to letter recipient AUSTIN (AP) Gov. Ann Richards said Thursday she was "stunned" to learn that her cousin had received a letter months ago from mass- murderer George Hennard. Hennard wrote the letter in June to the daughters of Richards' cousin, Jane Bugg of Belton. Richards said she hoped to get in touch with her cousin to see how she was doing.

new flames yet? Do you think the three of us could get together someday? Please give me the satisfaction of someday laughing in the face of all those mostly white, treacherous female vipers from two towns who tried to destroy me and my family." After Hennard smashed his pickup through the plate-glass window at the cafeteria, witnesses said, he screamed something about Belton and "This is what Bell County has done to me!" A diner who escaped unhurt, Susan Robinson-Hester, said Hennard screamed "Look at what Belton's done to me!" Later, the shooting continuing, Hennard said: "Tell me, was it worth it? Wait 'til those women in Belton see this! I wonder if they'll think it was worth it!" His letter to the neighbors contained an eerily similar passage. "It is very ironic about Belton, Texas," Hennard wrote. "I found the best and the worst in women there. You and sister on the one side. Then the abundance of evil women that make up'the worst on the other side.

I would like to personally remind all of those vipers that I have civil rights too." Fourteen of the 22 killed in the cafeteria were women. Police searched the two-story colonial mansion Hennard lived in, but "nothing we have found would indicate this incident would occur," Giacomozzi said. The police chief said he knew of no history of mental illness or treatment, and no criminal convictions. An autopsy would determine if drugs were involved in the attack, Giacomozzi said. Hennard was arrested in El Paso in 1981 on a marijuana possession charge, but not convicted.

He also had a 1990 speeding ticket. In May, police were called to his house on a disorderly conduct complaint from a neighbor who said Hennard had yelled obscenities at her, but no charges were filed. The Victims KILLEEN Here are the names of those killed Wednesday by a gunman at Luby's Cafeteria as identified by police. 1. Olgica Andonovska Taylor 2.

Thomas Earl Simmons 3. Nancy Hedgepeth Stansbury 4. Juanita C. Williams 5. Zona Hunnicut Lynn 6.

Ctodine Humphrey 7. Ruth M. Pujol 8. Pat Carney 9. Connie Den Miller 10.

Lt. Col. Steven Charles Dody 11. B. Welch 12.

James W.Welch 1 3. Su-zann Neal Rashott 14 Jimmie Eugene Caruthers 15. Sylvia Mathilde King 1 6. Venice Ellen Henehan 17. Glen Arval Spivey 18.

Debra Gray 19. Michael Griffith 20. John Raymond Romero Jr. 21.AI Gratia 22. Ursula Kunath Gratia REDI-CASH PAWN 740-71 1 1 2724 61st Street Army town trying to cope with civilian tragedy urn Associated Press KILLEEN This central Texas town Thursday tried to come to grips with the worst mass shooting in U.S.

history', but many people here said a resiliency tied to their military background will get them through the tragedy. Shock, disbelief, and anger were the most common reactions to the shooting at Luby's cafeteria. The cordoned off restaurant continued to draw onlookers such as Victor Sanchez. "The whole town is in shock," he said. "Even if you are not related to the victims, you feel it.

Just talking about it makes my hair stand on end. This kind of thing doesn't happen in Killeen. It happens in other towns." On Wednesday George Hennard, a man described as angry and troubled, drove his pickup truck into the restaurant during lunch hour and began shooting and killing people. Within 10 minutes, Hennard had killed 22 people before killing himself, police said. The death count was double that of those killed in the Persian Gulf War who were from nearby Fort Hood.

In this town of 65,000 people on Thursday flags flew at half mast and an army of counselors, clergy and volunteers tried to console the family of victims, survivors, and anyone else who needed assistance in coping with the tragedy. A sign outside one business. "Oh God, we feel the pain." "It doesn't matter how much time you have, you are never prepared for this," said Jill Hargrove, a victim's witness coordinator for Bell County. She has been counseling several people who lost family members in the shooting. Gina Elliott, a spokeswoman at Central Texas College, said that when she first heard reports of the massacre she felt the same anguish as when the Persian Gulf conflict started, and her husband, David, an army sargent was sent to Saudi Arabia.

She said the community is reacting the same way as during the Middle East conflict. "People are trying to pick up the pieces," she said. Sue Owens, a ticket agent at a- downtown bus station said, "This town is used to a lot of hardships. We went through this when everyone went to Saudi Arabia. People left wives with children, and the community pulled together." Fort Hood deployed 23,000 troops for the Gulf war and the town has several thousand military retirees.

Fort Hood currently has 36,000 troops. Killeen high school principal Corbett Lawler said many students told him they were confused about the shooting but that no one seemed real upset. "During Operation Desert Storm, we had 700-800 kids here with loved ones in harm's way. Military communities are more resilient. They are accustomed to changes in life," he said.

As evidence that tradition will continue, the Killeen Kangaroos football team will host Pflugerville Friday in an important district game. "At this point we are going on as usual," Lawler said. Meanwhile, Sam Roggers of St. Petersburg, was taking photographs to show a friend of his who is a manager of a Luby's restaruant in Florida. Sam Roggers was en route from California to home when he heard about the shooting and decided to take a look for himself.

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