September 3, 1927
Youngstown, Ohio
Tony de Capua (alt. spelling Decapua) kills 7 family members and a neighbor after becoming despondent from being unemployed
De Capua (42) was an out-of-work steel mill worker; it appears his unemployment was the motive behind the mass murder. On September 3, de Capua used a revolver to shoot those in the home, including six children. As the bodies of the fallen were scattered throughout the house, it was surmised de Capua had chased his victims to gun them down.
Police arrived on the scene and injured de Capua during a shootout. He was arrested and committed to an asylum, with the condition that he be tried should his mental health improve. The last information regarding de Capua involved multiple attempted suicides, so it seems he was never released from the asylum.
Killed were his wife Mary de Capua, daughters Elizabeth (11), Anna (7), Maria (6), and Catherine (2 months), granddaughters June (23 months) and Gladys May (3 months), and neighbor Ferdinand Goodwinski (53). He wounded his 24-year-old daughter-in-law Gladys de Capua, bystander Gavriel Grigorsida, and police officer Leo Tyrell. (Earlier reports incorrectly listed the victims’ names and ages.)
Horrific history from today:
1878: Reverend murders his mistress (2017)
1902: Farmer’s reception drives off President’s son (2017)
1925: Crash of the Shenandoah (2017)
1998: Mother strangles 6 children before attempting suicide (2017)
Horror-related anniversaries:
Today in Horror History: September 3
