Incident Summary:
08/21/1989: A packaged gas bomb was mailed to the Southeastern regional headquarters office of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) in Atlanta, Georgia, United States, causing minor injuries to eight people when it exploded and emitted a white-yellow caustic smoke similar to tear gas. There was no property damage incurred from the incident. The perpetrator was later identified to be Walter Moody, who also sent mail bombs which killed a judge and a civil rights lawyer in December 1989 as well as intercepted bombs and threatening letters, which were signed the "Americans for a Competent Federal Judicial System," to other federal courts and NAACP officials . Moody was sentenced to seven life terms plus 400 years in prison without the possibility of parole.
Overview
GTD ID:
198908210014
When:
1989-08-21
Country:
United States
Region:
North America
Province/administrative
region/u.s. state:
Georgia
City:
Atlanta
What
Attack Information
Type of Attack () |
Bombing/Explosion |
Successful Attack? () |
Yes |
Target Information ()
Target Type: NGO |
Name of Entity |
National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) |
Specific Description |
NAACP Southeastern regional headquarters office in Atlanta, Georgia |
Nationality of Target |
United States |
Additional Information
Hostages |
No |
Ransom |
No |
Property Damage |
No |
How
Weapon Information
Type |
Sub-type |
Explosives |
Other Explosive Type |
Weapon Details |
packaged gas bomb containing a substance similar to tear gas, that emitted a white-yellow smoke and caused burning eyes and throats |
Additional Information
Suicide Attack? | No |
Part of Multiple Incident? | No |
Criterion 1 () |
Yes |
Criterion 2 () |
Yes |
Criterion 3 () |
Yes |
Additional Information |
The package, which was addressed to the NAACP and not to any particular individual, was opened by two staff members just after noon and immediately emitted sparks, a white-yellow smoke, and two loud pops. The gas spread from the NAACP office through air-conditioning ducts into surrounding offices in the two-story building. The eight people injured in this incident included a 4-month-old infant and a 12-year-old; no one was seriously hurt. Two employees sustained minor injuries of burning eyes and throat from the gas. This incident is coded as "doubt terrorism proper" as it may have been purely an act of revenge against the court system for denying Moody's appeal and upholding his prior conviction of possessing pipe bombs. |
Who
Perpetrator Statistics
Number of Perpetrators |
1 |
Number of Captured Perpetrators |
1 |
Casualty Information
Total Number of Casualties |
0 Fatalities / 8 Injured |
Total Number of Fatalities |
0 |
Number of U.S. Fatalities |
0 |
Number of Perpetrator Fatalities |
0 |
Total Number of Injured |
8 |
Number of U.S. Injured |
8 |
Number of Perpetrators Injured |
0 |
Sources
Sources
"Killer Who Sent Bombs Is Given Life Sentences," New York Times, August 21, 1991. |
Robert Byrd, "Atlanta NAACP Office Hit With Tear-Gas-Type Bomb," The Associated Press, August 21, 1989. |
Michael Isikoff, "Georgian Indicted in Pipe Bombings; Federal Judge, Civil Rights Lawyer Killed in December Incidents," The Washington Post, November 8, 1990. |
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