Incident Summary:
10/25/1972: Four self described "white-middle class revolutionaries" attempted to rob the Arlington Trust Company branch in Crystal City, Virginia, United States. Two of the perpetrators cut the bank's telephone lines and then, dressed as telephone repairmen and armed with guns, entered the building and asked to meet with the bank manager. Upon telling manager Harry J. Candee of their intentions to rob the bank, Candee made a sudden movement and was shot and killed. Gladys Willier, a bank teller, was shot and wounded in the incident. Subsequently, Arlington Police Officer Israel P. Gonzalez, summoned into the bank to investigate the dead telephone lines, drew his gun on the perpetrators but was also shot and killed. However, he did manage to wound one of the robbers. The perpetrators escaped from the bank before they could steal any money.
Overview
GTD ID:
197210250002
When:
1972-10-25
Country:
United States
Region:
North America
Province/administrative
region/u.s. state:
Virginia
City:
Arlington
Location Details:
Crystal Mall
What
Attack Information
Type of Attack () |
Armed Assault |
Successful Attack? () |
No |
Target Information ()
Target Type: Business |
Name of Entity |
Arlington Trust Company |
Specific Description |
Arlington Trust Company, Crystal City Virginia |
Nationality of Target |
United States |
Additional Information
Hostages |
No |
Ransom |
No |
Property Damage |
No |
How
Weapon Information
Type |
Sub-type |
Firearms |
Unknown Gun Type |
Weapon Details |
Armed with firearms |
Additional Information
Suicide Attack? | No |
Part of Multiple Incident? | No |
Criterion 1 () |
Yes |
Criterion 2 () |
Yes |
Criterion 3 () |
Yes |
Additional Information |
Four days after the incident, the perpetrators hijacked a plane and escaped to Cuba. During the robbery, Charles Tuller guarded the main lobby, while Jonathan and Bryce Tuller, dressed as telephone repairmen, met with the bank manager. William White Graham drove the getaway car. Jonathan fired the weapon that shot and killed both Office Israel Gonzalez and Henry Candee. Bryce Tuller was wounded in both hands by Officer Gonzalez. The Tullers return to the United States and turned themselves in to authorities in 1975, while William White Graham did not turn himself in until 1993. |
Who
Perpetrator Group Information
Group Name |
Claimed Responsibility |
Left-Wing Militants |
No |
Perpetrator Statistics
Number of Perpetrators |
4 |
Number of Captured Perpetrators |
4 |
Casualty Information
Total Number of Casualties |
2 Fatalities / 3 Injured |
Total Number of Fatalities |
2 |
Number of U.S. Fatalities |
2 |
Number of Perpetrator Fatalities |
0 |
Total Number of Injured |
3 |
Number of U.S. Injured |
3 |
Number of Perpetrators Injured |
1 |
Sources
Sources
Alfred E. Lewis and Jay Mathews, "Father, Son Give Up in '72 Killings," Washington Post, July 8, 1972. |
Jay Mathews, "Two Slain In Arlington Bank Holdup," Washington Post, October 26, 1972. |
Kristan Metzler, "Hijacker of Plane in '72 Pleads Guilty," Washington Times, October 30, 1993. |
Criteria
Criteria 1
The act must be aimed at attaining a political, economic, religious, or social goal. In terms of economic goals, the exclusive pursuit of profit does not satisfy this criterion. It must involve the pursuit of more profound, systemic economic change.
Criterion 2
There must be evidence of an intention to coerce, intimidate, or convey some other message to a larger audience (or audiences) than the immediate victims. It is the act taken as a totality that is considered, irrespective if every individual involved in carrying out the act was aware of this intention. As long as any of the planners or decision-makers behind the attack intended to coerce, intimidate or publicize, the intentionality criterion is met.
Criterion 3
The action must be outside the context of legitimate warfare activities. That is, the act must be outside the parameters permitted by international humanitarian law (particularly the prohibition against deliberately targeting civilians or non-combatants.
Doubt Terrorism Proper
The existence of a "Yes" for "Doubt Terrorism Proper?" records reservation, in the eyes of GTD analysts, that the incident in question is truly terrorism. Such uncertainty, however, was not deemed to be sufficient to disqualify the incident from inclusion into the GTD. Furthermore, such a determination of doubt is subsequently coded by GTD analysts as conforming to one of four possible alternative designations: 1) Insurgency/Guerilla Action; 2) Internecine Conflict Action; 3) Mass Murder; or 4) Purely Criminal Act.
Alternate Designation
The determination of "yes" for "Doubt Terrorism Proper" by GTD analysts is coded as conforming to one of four possible alternative designations: 1) Insurgency/Guerilla Action; 2) Internecine Conflict Action; 3) Mass Murder; or 4) Purely Criminal Act.
Successful Attack
Success of a terrorist strike is defined according to the tangible effects of the attack. For example, in a typical successful bombing, the bomb detonates and destroys property and/or kills individuals, whereas an unsuccessful bombing is one in which the bomb is discovered and defused or detonates early and kills the perpetrators. Success is not judged in terms of the larger goals of the perpetrators. For example, a bomb that exploded in a building would be counted as a success even if it did not, for example, succeed in bringing the building down or inducing government repression.
Type of Attack
This field captures the general method of attack and often reflects the broad class of tactics used. It consists of the following nine categories:
- Assassination
- Armed Assault
- Unarmed Assault
- Bombing/Explosion
- Hijacking
- Hostage taking (Barricade Incident)
- Hostage taking (Kidnapping)
- Facility / Infrastructure Attack
- Unknown
Target Information
This field captures the general type of target. It consists of the following 22 categories:
- Abortion Related
- Airports & Airlines
- Business
- Government (General)
- Government (Diplomatic)
- Educational Institution
- Food or Water Supply
- Journalists & Media
- Maritime (includes Ports and Maritime facilities)
- Military
- NGO
- Other
- Police
- Private Citizens & Property
- Religious Figures/Institutions
- Telecommunication
- Terrorists
- Tourists
- Transportation (other than aviation)
- Unknown
- Utilities
- Violent Political Parties