July 5, 1999: Murder in Bloomington

Benjamin Nathaniel Smith, a former Indiana University student and a member of the white supremist “World Church of the Creator,” went on a three-day shooting rampage that began in Decatur, Illinois and ended in Bloomington, IN. In Illinois, Smith murdered Ricky Byrdsong, a black man who once was the basketball coach of Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois. In Bloomington, Smith killed Won-Joon Yoon, a Korean doctoral student at Indiana University. Smith also wounded nine other minorities before taking his own life during a multi-state car chase with police. Purportedly, Smith began his rampage because he was angry that the state of Illinois had refused to grant a law license to Matthew Hale, leader of the “World Church of the Creator.” Bloomington residents reacted strongly against Smith’s actions and engaged in several campaigns to denounced hate speech and hate crimes.

References:
• Blejwas, A., Griggs, A., & Potok, M. (Summer 2005). Terror from the right. Intelligence Report, 118, p. 41
• Bloomington United (2005, March 7). History. Retrieved May 1, 2006, from http://www.bloomington.in.us/%7Ebu/history.htm
• Midwest shooting spree ends with apparent suicide of suspect. (July 5, 1999). Retrieved May 1, 2006, from http://www.cnn.com/US/9907/05/illinois.shootings.02/