Incident Summary:

8/18/1972: In a series of five related incidents, the Puerto Rican Revolutionary Movement set off a firebomb at the Lerner Shop in Manhattan, New York, United States. There were no casualties but the resulting fire caused major damage to the store.

GTD ID:
197208180005

When:
1972-08-18

Country:
United States

Region:
North America

Province/administrative
region/u.s. state:

New York

City:
New York City

Location Details:
Manhattan

Attack Information
Type of Attack (more) Facility/Infrastructure Attack
Successful Attack? (more) Yes
Target Information (more)
Target Type: Business
Name of Entity Lerner Shop
Specific Description Lerner Shop, 412 Fifth Avenue
Nationality of Target United States
Additional Information
Hostages No
Ransom No
Property Damage Yes
Extent of Property Damage Minor (likely < $1 million)
Value of Property Damage Unknown
Weapon Information
Type Sub-type
Incendiary Gasoline or Alcohol
Weapon Details
Ping-Pong balls filled with flammable liquids that were triggered and timed to ignite by chemical reactions
Additional Information
Suicide Attack?No
Part of Multiple Incident?Yes
Criterion 1 (more) Yes
Criterion 2 (more) Yes
Criterion 3 (more) Yes
Additional Information This is part of a multiple attack with 197208170002, 197208170003, 197208180006, and 197208180007. The incendiary device caused several hundreds of thousands of damage. The firebomb ignited at 2:25 AM. The Puerto Rican Revolutionary Movement claimed the incident in a phone call to the Associated Press. In the call, they stated that there were also bombs placed in the United Nations, but this proved to be false.
Perpetrator Group Information
Group Name Claimed Responsibility
Puerto Rican Revolutionary Movement Yes (Confirmed: Unknown; Mode: Call (post-incident))
Perpetrator Statistics
Number of Perpetrators Unknown
Number of Captured Perpetrators Unknown
Casualty Information
Total Number of Casualties 0 Fatalities / 2 Injured
Total Number of Fatalities 0
Number of U.S. Fatalities 0
Number of Perpetrator Fatalities 0
Total Number of Injured 2
Number of U.S. Injured 2
Number of Perpetrators Injured 0
Sources
Robert D. McFadden, "Incendiary Table Tennis Balls Set Fires in 4 Midtown Stores," New York Times, August 19, 1972.
"Clues Are Uncovered in Series of Fires Set in Five Stores Here," New York Times, August 20, 1972.
"Four Manhattan Stores Fall Victim to Ping Pong Ball Arsonists," Eugene Register Guard, August 19, 1972.