Larry Gene Ashbrook



Larry Gene Ashbrook (July 10, 1952 – September 15, 1999) was an American mass murderer who killed seven people and injured a further seven at a post See You at the Pole Rally featuring a concert by the Christian rock group Forty Days, before committing suicide. It occurred at Wedgwood Baptist Church in Fort Worth, Texas, on September 15, 1999.

Ashbrook, who was involved in the Christian Identity movement and also allegedly had ties to the Phineas Priesthood, interrupted a teen prayer rally in the Wedgwood Baptist Church, slamming his hand on a door to make his presence known. Spouting anti-Baptist rhetoric, he opened fire with a 9 mm semi-automatic handgun and a .380-caliber handgun. He reloaded several times during the shooting; three empty magazines were found at the scene. Seven people were killed, four of whom were teenagers (a 14-year-old boy, two 14-year-old girls and a 17-year-old boy). Three people sustained major injuries while four others received relatively minor injuries. After a brief confrontation with one of the people there, Ashbrook committed suicide.

At Ashbrook's home, police found a pipe, end caps to enclose the pipe, gunpowder and a fuse. Ashbrook had thrown a pipe bomb into the church, but it exploded vertically, and did not injure anyone.