32 Facts About Howard Unruh

Howard Barton Unruh was an American mass murderer who shot and killed thirteen people during a twelve-minute walk through his neighborhood in Camden, New Jersey, on September 6,1949 in an incident that became known as the Walk of Death.

Howard Unruh was the son of Samuel Shipley Unruh and Freda E Vollmer.

Howard Unruh had a younger brother, James; they were raised by their mother after their parents separated.

Howard Unruh grew up in East Camden, New Jersey, attended Cramer Junior High School and graduated from Woodrow Wilson High School in January 1939.

Howard Unruh enlisted in the United States Army on October 27,1942, and saw active service as an armor crewman across Europe between October 1944 and July 1945.

Howard Unruh was remembered by his section chief, Norman E Koehn, as a first-class soldier who never drank, swore, or chased girls and spent much time reading his Bible and writing long letters to his mother.

Howard Unruh was awarded the European Theater of Operations Medal, the Victory Medal, and the Good Conduct Medal.

Howard Unruh was honorably discharged at the end of the war and returned to New Jersey to live with his mother.

Howard Unruh briefly found work as a sheet-metal worker before enrolling at the Temple University School of Pharmacy in Philadelphia but quit after a month citing "poor physical condition" as the reason.

At approximately 7 am on September 6,1949, Howard Unruh ate a breakfast prepared by his mother, who then left to visit a neighbor, Carolina Pinner.

Howard Unruh missed his shot by a few inches and the driver unsuccessfully attempted to warn residents.

Howard Unruh visited the shop of one of his neighbors, shoemaker John Pilarchik, whom he shot and killed instantly.

Howard Unruh next visited the barbershop of another neighbor, Clark Hoover, who was cutting the hair of six-year-old Orris Smith.

Howard Unruh shot Hoover in the head and Smith in the neck, both fatally.

Howard Unruh proceeded to the rear of the pharmacy and saw Cohen and his wife Rose running up the stairs into their apartment.

However, Howard Unruh discovered the closet Rose was hiding in and shot three times through the door before opening it and firing once more into her face.

Howard Unruh then followed Cohen onto a porch roof and shot him in the back, causing him to fall to the pavement below.

Howard Unruh then walked into the middle of River Road and fired at an approaching sedan, killing the driver, Alvin Day, and causing the car to careen onto the sidewalk.

Howard Unruh then visited the business of tailor Thomas Zegrino; he was not there, but his wife Helga was and was killed by the gunman.

Zegrino was the only one of Howard Unruh's intended targets to survive the rampage.

Howard Unruh then fired through an apartment window, killing two-year-old Thomas Hamilton.

Howard Unruh later claimed that he didn't know whom he saw in the window or whether he hit them.

Howard Unruh next fired upon another car coming down the street; its occupants, Charles Peterson and James Crawford, managed to escape to a nearby tavern and survived.

Howard Unruh fired at several other people across the street, missing them.

Howard Unruh then found Madeline Harris and her son Armand outside their home hanging out blankets to dry and shot at them; both were injured but survived.

Howard Unruh answered in what was described as "a strong, clear voice" and had the following conversation with Buxton:.

Under police interrogation, Howard Unruh gave a meticulous account of his actions, which was later released by Camden County prosecutor Mitchell Cohen.

Only at the end of this interrogation did police discover that Howard Unruh had a bullet wound in his left thigh.

Howard Unruh was taken to Cooper Hospital for treatment, where his thirteenth victim, John Wilson, was already dying.

Howard Unruh was eventually diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia by psychologists and found to be insane, making him immune to criminal prosecution.

When he was able to leave Cooper Hospital, Howard Unruh was sent to the New Jersey Hospital for the Insane, to be held in a private cell in the maximum-security Vroom Building.

Howard Unruh remained incarcerated there until his death in 2009.