It was mostly forgotten in time and overshadowed by 9/11. Thirty-five years later, the case remains unsolved.
It happened on December 29, 1975. A bomb with an equivalent force of 25 sticks of dynamite had been placed in a locker adjacent to a luggage carousel.
At 6:30 pm, as LaGuardia bustled with travelers, the bomb went off, collapsing the floor and ceiling and hurling shrapnel from the lockers into the air.
Eleven people were killed, mostly by shrapnel wounds, and 79 injured.
So who could have been responsible? Investigators initially suspected the Puerto Rican separatist group FALN, which took credit for the lethal bombing at Fraunces Tavern earlier that year.
The PLO and JDL were also on the short list. But nothing led police back to these groups.
Then in 1976, after a hijacking from LaGuardia by a Croatian nationalist, investigators thought they finally had a suspect.
But after the hijacker was arrested in Paris, he didn’t take responsibility. Law enforcement officials consider him the strongest possible suspect, but to this day, he maintains his innocence.
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Tags: bomb and LaGuardia Airport, bombings in New York City, FALN, Fraunces Tavern bombing, LaGuardia Christmas Bombing 1975, New York City crime 1970s, New York City in 1975, NYC bombings
September 14, 2011 at 6:26 pm |
I was flying from West Germany to Lexington KY that day. I was at a bar close to the TWA Terminal that morning then flew to Pittsburg and on to Lexington. I cannot remember the carrier, maybe Allegheny, regardless I was wondering if you had access to what time of day my flight left? I am pretty sure it was morning. Never heard from any Law Enforcement about it either.
This has always bothered me and I hope it is still being investigated. I don’t remember anything now and could not place anything out of the ordinary that morning right after I heard of it.
I did run into a fellow soldier from my hometown of Campbellsville KY at that terminal and had also met my Army room mate flying back to Germany earlier at Charles De Gaulle Airport. Those 2 incidents were weird coincidences but understandable.
Trying to remember my life and experiences and never was able to figure this one out.
Anyone else there that sad day?
December 25, 2011 at 8:46 pm |
I was at the 75 Bombing, I was shooting spot news at the time, I think that we were actually in route to a babysitter homicide at the time of the job. I can remember the FDNY box 37 being transmitted and we were there. A photo of myself wound up in either the Post or Daily News I was helping someone into th eback of an ambulance had a new swade jacket on at the time and it was covered in blood. I would guess the Post used the photo… I still can not find it. Kevin D
January 5, 2012 at 6:57 pm |
[...] years ago that killed 11 & injured 79 at LGA (and, mostly forgotten & seldom mentioned): http://ephemeralnewyork.wordpress.co…-bomb-of-1975/ This morning, coming out of our nearby Home Depot and into the nearly empty parking lot, [...]