Back to Search ResultsIncident Summary:
07/29/1983: Three bombs exploded at the downtown Hotel Rajneesh, owned by followers of Indian guru, Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh, in Portland, Oregon, United States. The explosions caused an estimated $180,000 in damages to the four-story hotel and its contents, and seriously injured one of three perpetrators, Stephen Paster, who suffered injuries to both hands, both arms, his face and torso from the first bomb. The second and third explosions caused minor injury to a police officer on the scene who was treated for smoke inhalation. Paster, who was not part of the Rajneeshee sect, was charged and convicted of arson and sentenced to 20 years in prison. Authorities suspected that he was part of a Muslim sect, and the incident has been attributed to Jamaat-al-Fuqra by sources, but this is unclear. Police were also searching for two other perpetrators who were believed to also be responsible for the incident.Overview
GTD ID:
198307290006
When:
1983-07-29
Country:
United States
Region:
North America
Province/administrative
region/u.s. state:
Oregon
City:
Portland
What
| Target Type: Business | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Name of Entity | Rajneesh Hotel | ||
| Specific Description | hotel owned by disciples of Indian guru, Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh | ||
| Nationality of Target | India | ||
| Hostages | No |
| Ransom | No |
| Property Damage | Yes |
| Extent of Property Damage | Minor (likely < $1 million) |
| Value of Property Damage | $180,000.00 |
How
| Type | Sub-type |
|---|---|
| Explosives | Pipe Bomb |
| Weapon Details | |
| pipe bombs | |
| Suicide Attack? | No |
| Part of Multiple Incident? | No |
| Criterion 1 (more) | Yes |
| Criterion 2 (more) | Yes |
| Criterion 3 (more) | Yes |
| Additional Information | The first blast occurred at about 1:19am in the room of Stephen Paster, less than an hour after Paster had checked-in to the hotel; the second and third explosions happened about 90 minutes later, just before 3a.m. The perpetrator, Stephen Paster, had stayed at Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh's ranch and central commune, called Rajneeshpuram, about 150-200 miles away from the hotel in Oregon the night before the explosions. Additionally, he lodged at the ranch with two other men, who registered with the names "Robert D. Greenwood" and "Edward C. Lindsey," who were being sought by police as potential additional perpetrators in the hotel bombing. During Paster's trial for arson, authorities said they found a bomb factory and manuals describing the construction of homemade bombs and munitions at Paster's apartment in Los Angeles. The Rajneeshees had received death threats for months prior to this event, and there were violent acts and explosions against the group when members were in India as well. |
Who
| Group Name | Claimed Responsibility |
|---|---|
| Jamaat-al-Fuqra (suspected) | No |
| Number of Perpetrators | 1 |
| Number of Captured Perpetrators | 1 |
| 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 | 1 |
| Number of Perpetrators Injured | 1 |
Sources
| Anthony Kneidek, "Muslim sect may be involved in hotel bombing," United Press International, August 2, 1983. |
| Denise Meyer, The Associated Press, July 29, 1983. |
| "Hotel Rajneesh bomber gets 20 years," United Press International, November 9, 1985. |
Copyright © 2009-2022 University of Maryland
National Consortium for the Study of Terrorism and Responses to Terrorism
An Emeritus Center of Excellence of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security Data and Privacy | End User Agreement | Contact
National Consortium for the Study of Terrorism and Responses to Terrorism
An Emeritus Center of Excellence of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security Data and Privacy | End User Agreement | Contact