1977 Klamath Falls nightclub shooting
| 1977 Klamath Falls shooting | |
|---|---|
  Uncle Albert's Lounge Uncle Albert's Lounge (Oregon) | |
| Location | 42°13′30″N 121°46′54″W / 42.2249°N 121.7817°W Uncle Albert's Lounge, 5711 S. Sixth St., Klamath Falls, Oregon, United States |
| Date | July 23, 1977 12:15 a.m. (UTC-5) |
Attack type | Mass shooting |
| Weapon | Colt AR-15 Sporter .223-caliber semi-automatic rifle |
| Deaths | 7 (including an unborn child) |
| Injured | 3 (including the perpetrator) |
| Perpetrator | DeWitt Henry |
| Convictions | 6 counts of murder, 2 count of attempted murder |
A shooting occurred on July 23, 1977, at the Uncle Albert's Lounge near Klamath Falls, Oregon, United States. 26-year-old DeWitt Henry, an unemployed truck driver, armed with a Colt AR-15 Sporter[1][2] semi-automatic rifle, opened fire at the club. Six people were killed.[3]
Perpetrator
Henry was adopted as an infant in Bakersfield, California, by married couple Andrea Henry and Dewitt Henry. He was a 6'3", 230 pound unemployed trucker at the time of the shooting, but he used to work as a bouncer at the establishment he would later attack. Prior to the shooting, he was convicted of negligent homicide.[4]
Attack
Henry got into an argument with Bill Ransom over a bar bill. Ransom struck Henry during the argument. Henry said "I always liked you – just get on out of here." to James Williamson, the dishwasher at the establishment. After Williamson left, Henry opened fire, killing six people, including a pregnant woman. He also opened fire on two state troopers, who eventually arrested him after a gunfight, where the shooter was wounded.[5][6]
Victims
Deceased:
- Robert Dale Seater, of Klamath Falls, Oregon
- Carrol Ann Seater, of Klamath Falls, Oregon
- Michael Mortensen, of Klamath Falls, Oregon
- Gary Lee Anderson, of Klamath Falls, Oregon
- Andrew Walker, of Medford, Oregon
- James Trueman, of Kodiak, Alaska[7]
Trial and imprisonment
Dewitt Charles Henry was tried in Multnomah County Circuit Court in November 1979. He pleaded not guilty due to a "mental defect".
The jury did not believe the defense's arguments, and DeWitt was found guilty on six counts of first-degree murder and two counts of attempted murder. He was given six consecutive life sentences. He was not a candidate for the death penalty because Oregon did not have capital punishment at the time. [8]
As of 2002, DeWitt Henry was incarcerated at the Oregon State Penitentiary without possibility of parole.[3]
According to the Oregon Department of Corrections website, as of July 2025, Henry was incarcerated at the Snake River Correctional Institution, a medium-security prison. The website described him as 74 years old, 6 feet 5 inches tall, and weighing 459 pounds.
See also
- 1981 Salem, Oregon shooting
- 1984 Autzen Stadium shooting
- 1998 Thurston High School shooting
- 2015 Umpqua Community College shooting
- 2022 Bend, Oregon shooting
References
- ^ "The Curse of the AR-15". The New Republic.
- ^ "Most Comprehensive Mass Shooter Database".
- ^ a b "State's worst mass murder in KF 25 years ago". Herald and News. July 23, 2002. Retrieved February 15, 2025.
- ^ "Article clipped from The Times Standard". The Times Standard. July 26, 1977. p. 5. Retrieved May 7, 2025.
- ^ Staff, Newsroom (October 7, 2015). "Roseburg shootings trigger mass murder memories in Klamath Falls". KOBI-TV NBC5 / KOTI-TV NBC2. Retrieved May 7, 2025.
{{cite web}}:|first=has generic name (help) - ^ "Article clipped from Abilene Reporter-News". Abilene Reporter-News. July 24, 1977. p. 98. Retrieved May 7, 2025.
- ^ Oregonian/OregonLive, Michelle Brence | The (October 9, 2015). "Mass shootings in Oregon: a list". oregonlive. Retrieved May 7, 2025.
- ^ Eugene Register-Guard. Eugene Register-Guard.