Zebra murders

The Zebra murders were a number of connected murders performed by a black supremacist serial killer ring that took place in San Francisco, California in 1973 and 1974. They were dubbed the Zebra Killings because of the radio channel used by the San Francisco Police ("Z") exclusively for this case.

The Killings Resume

The new year came and went, and there was, it turned out, a respite in the violence.

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However, on April 1, 1974, two Salvation Army cadets where walking toward Mayfair market just two blocks away from the Salavation Army School for Officers' Training Center when a black man who was following them overtook them, wheeled around, fired four shots at them, and fled. One of them, Thomas Rainwater, died; the other cadet survived. Two cops arrived at the scene within 15 seconds and although a manhunt was initiated in an effort to find the killer, it proved to be futile. They knew that the Zebra killers have struck again because of the 32-caliber casings found on the sidewalk.

Related Topics:
April 1 - 1974 - Salvation Army

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On Easter Sunday, two other people were wounded while waiting for a bus.

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On April 16, 23-year old Nelson T. Shields IV, heir to a wealthy Du Pont executive, accompanied a friend who lived in the Ingleside district to buy a rug. They went back to the friend's house on Vernon St., and while Shields was working at the back of the station wagon they borrowed to transport the rug, he was shot repeatedly. A witness later testified that she saw a black man rushing up Vernon St. at the time of the shooting. The police knew at once that it was a Zebra murder because of the .32-caliber shell casings found at the scene.

Related Topics:
April 16 - Du Pont - Ingleside

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