On this day, April 26, in 1982, South Korean police officer Woo Bum-kon went on one of the largest killing rampages in modern history, slaughtering 57 people and wounding 35 others before killing himself.
The attacks lasted eight hours and decimated the town of Gyeongsangnam-do. Woo prevented residents from calling for help by making the town’s three telephone operators his first kills.
The tragedy was sparked by an argument between Woo and his live-in girlfriend. He stormed out of the house and went straight to the police armory, where he began drinking. Other officers were out at a meeting, making it easy for Bum-kon to make off with an arsenal of guns and grenades.
After killing the telephone operators, Woo went from house to house, shooting everyone inside. The rampage ended when he blew himself up with grenades.
