Benjamin Nathaniel Smith

Case record: Benjamin Nathaniel Smith

Status

Benjamin Nathaniel Smith committed suicide by shooting himself on July 4, 1999.

Timeline

• Friday, July 2 — Smith wounded six Orthodox Jews in drive-by shootings in the West Rogers Park neighborhood of Chicago.
• Friday, July 2 (about a half-hour later) — Smith shot and killed former Northwestern University basketball coach Ricky Byrdsong, an African-American, in front of two of his three children while they were walking outside Byrdsong's Skokie, Illinois home.
• Friday, July 2 (later in the same evening) — Smith fired at an Asian-American couple in the suburb of Northbrook.
• Saturday, July 3 — Smith shot at and wounded an African-American minister in Springfield, Illinois, and later shot and wounded an African-American minister in Decatur.
• Saturday, July 3 (attack details described for Chicago-area shootings) — Smith fired on two black men Saturday morning, but no one was hit (Chicago Police Cmdr. William Hayes said).
• Saturday, July 3 (attack details described for the University of Illinois corner) — Shots were fired three of four times at six men of Asian descent standing on a corner near the University of Illinois; a 22-year-old graduate student was hit in the leg and was listed in serious condition.
• Sunday, July 4 — Smith traveled to Urbana and Bloomington, Indiana, and killed Won-Joon Yoon, a 26-year-old Korean doctoral student in computer science at Indiana University, who was on his way to the Korean United Methodist Church; he shot Yoon twice in the back outside the church in Bloomington.
• Sunday, July 4 — Smith shot at but missed another nine people during the Bloomington/Indiana phase of the spree.
• Sunday night, July 4 — Smith shot himself twice in the head and crashed his automobile into a metal post; he was later pronounced dead at the hospital.
• Monday, July 5 — Authorities reported that, while fleeing police in a high-speed chase on a southern Illinois highway, Smith shot himself twice; he then shot himself again, in the heart, fatally, and was pronounced dead at the hospital.
• Two days after Hale was denied a license to practice law in Illinois — Smith loaded his light blue Ford Taurus with guns and ammunition and ventured on a three-day, two-state shooting spree that killed two people and wounded nine others.

Background

Benjamin Nathaniel Smith was born and raised in Illinois. He grew up in the Chicago suburb of Wilmette and attended New Trier High School in Winnetka. His name was listed as one of the people who did not pose for a photograph in his senior yearbook. In his class statement, he wrote, " Sic semper tyrannis " (Thus always to tyrants). This phrase was allegedly shouted by John Wilkes Booth after he assassinated President Abraham Lincoln.

After graduating, Smith attended Indiana University at Bloomington, where he studied criminal justice. Police reported that Smith was known for passing out hate-filled fliers against Jews, blacks and Asians on university campuses. An October 1998 story about him ran on his university's PBS station.

Smith was a member of the white supremacist organization called the World Church of the Creator. The group was led by Matt Hale and was described as viewing Smith as a martyr. Smith was described as a devoted disciple of Matthew Hale. The church argued that Smith believed himself to be a soldier of the Racial Holy War movement. Matt Hale said Smith was a member from June 1998 until May 1999 and "never showed any predilection for violence." Matt Hale also described Smith as "a pleasant person who believes in his people, who believes in his people, the white people, I can't say anything bad about him."

In addition, Smith was said to have distributed anti-minority and anti-Semitic literature while a student at Indiana University. People who knew Smith described him as a racist and a troublemaker in public, but quiet and reserved in private. Police said he often roamed university campuses, passing out hate-filled fliers against Jews, blacks and Asians.

Smith appeared in a 1998 documentary for Indiana University's PBS TV station, where he described passing out racist leaflets and said: "all it really is is the truth." Smith also said: "I'm not blind. I can see that people of color do create a lot of problems for our country. It's not a personal thing. It's really just a concern with my own people," and further: "People call our literature hate literature, but all it really is is the truth that reflects on the minority as negatively," and: "basically tried to intimidate me and get me to stop" passing out fliers.

Smith also spoke about his alleged treatment by police after he passed out fliers, saying: "basically tried to intimidate me and get me to stop." He told the station that Bloomington police had grabbed him out of class and tried to stop him.

CNN reported that three weeks prior to July 6, 1999, Smith was arrested by Wilmette, Illinois, police for driving under the influence and illegal distribution of racist handbills. He appeared at a court hearing a week and a half before July 6, 1999, but the case was continued for a later date.

The offence

Smith was described as a spree killer who randomly targeted members of racial and ethnic minorities in drive-by shootings during the weekend of July 4, 1999 in Illinois and Indiana, USA.

During the spree, Smith killed two people and wounded nine others. He wounded eight others and shot at and missed another nine people, according to the case summary.

Victims included:

• Won-Joon Yoon, a 26-year-old Korean doctoral student in computer science at Indiana University, who was killed outside the Korean United Methodist Church in Bloomington, Illinois.
• Ricky Byrdsong, a former Northwestern University basketball coach, who was shot and killed in Skokie, Illinois while he was walking outside his home with two of his three children.

Smith also injured multiple other people in the drive-by shootings:

• Six Orthodox Jews were wounded during drive-by shootings in West Rogers Park, Chicago.
• An Asian-American couple in Northbrook was fired upon, and a 22-year-old graduate student was hit in the leg and listed in serious condition.
• Two black men were fired upon Saturday morning, but no one was hit.
• Smith shot and wounded an African-American minister in Springfield, Illinois and later in Decatur.
• In Bloomington/Indiana, authorities said Smith shot at but missed another nine people.

Authorities reported that the killings and shootings took place during a patriotic holiday weekend in the United States, when Americans celebrated July 4, 1776. During the spree, Smith was also said to have been associated with a tattoo on his chest that said "Sabbath Breaker." Authorities said they found two guns consistent with the shootings.

Investigation

Authorities pursued an investigation into whether Smith acted alone and into reconstructing Smith's past. The FBI was attempting to trace the source of the guns found with Smith. FBI special agent Ken Kaiser said: "He was known to police in Chicago and police in Bloomington, but not to the FBI."

Authorities said shell casings at the scene of the Indiana attack were .380-caliber and were "the same kind found in some of the Chicago shootings."

The FBI spokesman in Indianapolis, Doug Garrison, was quoted saying that Smith was pursued Sunday after he commandeered a van at gunpoint in rural Marion County, Illinois, and that no one was hurt in the carjacking.

Ken Kaiser said: "Witnesses did not see anyone with Smith, but the investigation into whether he acted alone was continuing." The Anti-Defamation League Midwest counsel, Harlan Loeb, described Smith as having been under their radar and said: "on our radar screen for quite some time, which is particularly tragic for someone so young."

During early statements, Bloomington Police Chief Jim Kennedy said officers had questioned Smith twice at his apartment in the past related to pamphlets he was passing out after complaints. Kennedy said: "The biggest thing we could've arrested him for was littering."

When asked whether the shootings were related to Independence Day, Bloomington Police Capt. William Parker said: "It raises questions in our minds."

Arrest / fleeing / suicide during pursuit

Smith’s final phase involved fleeing police in a high-speed chase on a southern Illinois highway after officers pursued him.

According to FBI spokesman Doug Garrison, Smith was pursued Sunday after he commandeered a van at gunpoint in rural Marion County, Illinois. Gerald L. Benjamin, sheriff in Marion County, Illinois, said: "Smith apparently shot and wounded himself twice as officers pursued the van in a slow-speed chase." The van then crashed and Smith shot himself a third time when he was struggling with sheriff's deputies. Benjamin said: "He said that the final shot appears to have hit Smith in the chest." Benjamin also said: "All the shots were fired by him."

Other reporting stated that on Monday, July 5, while fleeing police in a high-speed chase on a southern Illinois highway, Smith shot himself twice in the head and crashed his automobile into a metal post. He then shot himself again, in the heart, fatally. He was later pronounced dead at the hospital.

CNN reporting said Smith shot himself during a police chase Sunday night and died later in a hospital.

Aftermath

Matt Hale suspected that the denial of his law license to practice in Illinois set Smith off, and Hale told CNN in an interview: "I strongly suspect that the denial of my law license set him off," and continued: "Why? Because of the timing involved and because I know he was very passionate about me getting my law license. He had testified for me at the hearing I had on the matter."

Community reactions included a quote from an unnamed neighbor from Smith's youth: "I didn't realize it was one of my neighbors until I was told it was the Smith son. Wow, it's scary that the kid next door could do this," and a quote from Smith’s African-American neighbor in Bloomington, Tyrese Alexander: "There was never really a, 'I don't like you, I hate you because you're black," and also: "He seemed to harbor intense anger, but it was never of a physical nature. He never lashed out at anybody. He just had an angry look on his face."

Authorities continued the investigation after the suicide, including checking fingerprints of the body with those of Smith and attempting to trace the source of guns. Doug Garrison said: "It looks like our guy," and also said: "adding that the FBI must double-check the fingerprints of the body with those of Smith's to make sure."