August 19, 1940
Chicago, Illinois
Carroll “Kickey” Corcoran is shot to death in his car

Corcoran, the partner of a bookie, was the fifth person suspected to be killed in Chicago’s south side handbook war. The other four were two racketeers/musclemen, a gambler, and a union business agent with ties to the city’s underground gambling ring.

Corcoran was shot in the head and chest by two killers, police suspected. A discarded .38 caliber revolver was found near the scene as well as two spent .45 caliber shells a short distance away. The assassination came as somewhat of a surprise to authorities who noted that while Corcoran was a professional gambler, he didn’t have any known enemies in the criminal underworld.

Other stories from today:

1895: Outlaw murdered following argument (2017)
1918: Man tarred, feathered for not proving loyalty to US (2018)
1987: The Hungerford Massacre (2018)

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Today in Horror History: August 19