Fiesta's Terror: Lessons from the San Antonio Battle of Flowers Parade Mass Shooting
This April 27th will mark the 45th anniversary (1979) of the Battle of Flowers Parade and its aptly-named Fiesta Sniper shooting, a mass shooting that killed two, injured more than 50, and created parade mayhem for thousands of spectators as police attempted to locate and neutralize the barricaded suspect.
Important note: the perpetrator of this shooting will not be named throughout this article in order to do our part in not publicizing or glorifying it. Additionally, the reason why this article has been released early is in order to bring awareness to the month of April and the vast list of potential violent commemoration dates that can be found toward the end of the article.
The Battle of the Flowers Parade has been a staple of San Antonio life since 1891 when it was first commemorated to honor the heroes of the Alamo and to celebrate the victory of San Jacinto (Battle of Flowers, n.d.). Today, it has become a celebration of the city’s history, people, and culture, and is one of the largest annual parades in the United States – regularly attracting hundreds-of-thousands of spectators (Bexar County, 2023). Organized and produced entirely by women, the annual economic impact of the multi-day event has been estimated to be over $340 million (Bexar County, 2023).
But this iconic parade is not without its sad history.
It was a sunny morning in San Antonio on April 27th, 1979 as thousands of spectators began lining the streets in anticipation of the parade that was scheduled to begin shortly. Chairs and tables were set up and a string of parked recreational vehicles were located all along the parade route. It was meant to be a fun and festive day; and it was for the first couple of hours.
Then at about 1:00 pm (Schwab, 1979), shots rang out from one of those stationary vehicles – a green and white motorhome (KSAT, 2019) parked near a tire shop at the parade starting point (Thompson, 1979). Dozens of women and children were immediately shot as the suspect fired into a crowd of thousands – but he specifically targeted police officers as he yelled “traitors, traitors, traitors” as he shot at them (El Paso Times, 1979). Outgunned and taken by surprise, 6 officers would get shot within just the first few minutes of the rapidly developing mass-casualty crisis (Schwab, 1979).
With so many tables and chairs obstructing effective evacuation, many attendees could only drop to the ground in an attempt to escape the unfolding hell. Further down the route, officers, parade organizers and attendees unaware of the unfolding ordeal as thousands continued to enjoy the festivities while the firefight was still developing (KENS 5, 1979). The police standoff would last for about 30 minutes before it is believed that the suspect took his own life (Schwab, 1979).
With more than a dozen victims shot in the neck and chest it was a miracle that only 2 perished – both of them mothers seated with their children about 15 feet away from the motorhome (The Victorian Advocate, 1979).
Not much is known about the mass-casualty rescue efforts of first responders since this shooting was not widely publicized during its day.
Today, it is nearly forgotten.
Being Weary of April Violence
Of all the months in the calendar year, some of the most notable recent domestic acts of violence have occurred in April. In the case of the Fiesta Sniper however, it is difficult to point to extremism since some reports suggest PCP was present in the suspect’s blood (Longview News-Journal, 1979), while others say that he had sought mental health assistance from police but no one took him seriously (The Galveston Daily News, 1979). Nevertheless, it is important for both EM, HLS, and IC officials to recognize that the month of April can pose an increased risk for acts of violence. It may also be worth noting that OSHA has designated the month of April to be Workplace Violence Prevention Month (OSHA, n.d.).
Note: While the Global Terrorism Database (GTD) shows that April is not a statistical outlier in terms of terrorism (University of Maryland, n.d.), it certainly is home to quite a few high-profile mass shootings, riots, and acts of violence (not covered in the database) that some groups may find inspiration in commemorating.
Therefore, it may be a good idea to keep a watchful eye on the following dates:
Martin Luther King assassination (April 4, 1968)
Abraham Lincoln’s assassination (April 15, 1865)
Boston Bombing (April 15, 2013)
Virginia Tech Shooting (April 16, 2007)
US Embassy Bombing in Beirut (April 18, 1983)
Start of the Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775)
Waco FBI/ATF operation (April 19, 1993)
Oklahoma City Bombing (April 19, 1995)
Adolph Hitler’s birthday (April 20, 1889)
Columbine High School shooting (April 20, 1999)
Others of note:
Oikos University Oakland shooting (April 2, 2012)
Binghampton Immigration Services Center shooting (April 3, 2009)
Old National Bank shooting (April 10, 2023)
Palm Sunday Massacre (April 15, 1984)
Indianapolis Airport FedEx Facility shooting (April 15, 2021)
Los Angeles – Rodney King Riots (April 29, 1992)
Using this dataset of high-profile events, April 15th and 19th seem to be the most likely commemorative and motivational dates for violent action.
Additional American Considerations
Unabomber arrested (April 3, 1996)
Confederate General Robert E. Lee surrenders to the Union (April 9, 1865)
Tax Day (April 15)
Titanic Sinks (April 15, 1912)
Bay of Pigs invasion failure (April 17, 1961)
Derek Chauvin found guilty in death of George Floyd (April 20, 2021)
American hostage rescue failure in Iran (April 24, 1980)
First English settlers land at Chesapeake Bay (April 26, 1607)
Passover Observance
Additional Foreign Considerations
Khomeini ends the Iranian Revolution (April 1, 1979)
Falkland Islands seized by Argentina (April 2, 1982)
Stalin rises to power (April 3, 1922)
Rwanda Genocide begins (April 7, 1994)
Baghdad falls to American Forces (April 9, 2003)
Boko Haram kidnaps 275 girls in Nigeria (April 14, 2014)
Vladimir Lenin’s birthday (April 22, 1870)
Hermann Goring forms the Gestapo (April 26, 1933)
Saddam Hussein is born (April 28, 1937)
In Memorium
Ida Dollard
Amailia Castillo
Additional Reading
Fiesta Sniper: Remembering the 1979 Battle of Flowers Parade: https://texashillcountry.com/fiesta-sniper-1979-battle-flowers-parade/
The Day Madness Went on Parade: https://www.mysanantonio.com/fiesta/article/The-day-madness-went-on-parade-5427968.php
Remembering the 1979 Battle of Flowers Parade: https://www.sanantoniomag.com/remembering-the-1979-battle-of-flowers-parade/
Videos:
[Viewer Discretion Advised]
(Archival Footage) Fiesta Sniper Victims (1979) - Paul Schaefer Collection https://texasarchive.org/2021_00589
(Archival Footage) Final Standoff with the Fiesta Sniper (1979) - Paul Schaefer Collection https://texasarchive.org/2021_00544
(Archival Footage) Aftermath of the Fiesta Sniper Attack (1979) - Paul Schaefer Collection https://texasarchive.org/2021_00543
Raw Footage: Battle of Flowers Shooting 1979 – KENS 5 News https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RBfyOKxUIlc&ab_channel=KENS5%3AYourSanAntonioNewsSource
Officer who took down the 1979 Fiesta sniper breaks his silence on that day's horrors https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a2qcLgu-K_4&ab_channel=KENS5%3AYourSanAntonioNewsSource
KSAT archive footage shows scene of 1979 Battle of Flowers parade shooting https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oXcpFaJ-mF0&ab_channel=KSAT12
40 Years Later: Who was “” the Battle of Flowers Gunman? – KENS 5 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xCWTboE1wUM&ab_channel=KENS5%3AYourSanAntonioNewsSource
KENS 5 Reporter Margo Spitz reports on 1979 deadly shooting at Battle of Flowers Parade https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yIDkBEIn2IQ&ab_channel=KENS5%3AYourSanAntonioNewsSource
References
Battle of Flowers®. (n.d.). Parade History Overview. Battle of Flowers. https://www.battleofflowers.org/about-us/history/parade-overview/
Bexar County. (2023). Battle of flowers. Bexar County, TX. https://www.bexar.org/Calendar.aspx?EID=5249
El Paso Times. (1979, April 29). Parade Horror: He Believed Police Stalked Him. El Paso Times, 1. https://www.newspapers.com/image/435154905/?terms=battle%20of%20flowers%20parade&match=1
KENS 5 (Director). (1979). Deborah Knapp speaks to Frantic Crowd in the Wake of 1979 Battle of Flowers Shooting [YouTube Video]. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qv2Shz1qnBg&ab_channel=KENS5%3AYourSanAntonioNewsSource
KSAT. (2019). KSAT Archive Footage Shows Scenes of 1979 Battle of Flowers Parade Shooting (Video). Battle of Flowers Parade Marred By Terror 40 Years Ago Today; KSAT. https://www.ksat.com/news/2019/04/27/battle-of-flowers-parade-marred-by-terror-40-years-ago-today/
Longview News-Journal. (1979, May 5). Doctors Report Parade Sniper was on PCP. Longview News-Journal, 5. https://www.newspapers.com/image/208234063/?terms=battle%20of%20flowers%20parade&match=1
OSHA. (2023, April 5). Workplace Violence Prevention Awareness Month. Occupation Safety and Health Administration. https://hr.nih.gov/working-nih/civil/workplace-violence-prevention-awareness-month
Schwab, R. (1979, April 28). Sniper’s Bullets Shatter Fiesta. Austin American - Statesman, 1 & 10. https://www.newspapers.com/image/362206142/ ; https://www.newspapers.com/image/362207995
The Galveston Daily News. (1979, May 5). Traces of Narcotic “Angel Dust” Found in San Antonio Sniper’s Blood. The Galveston Daily News, 12. https://www.newspapers.com/image/16921842/
The Victoria Advocate. (1979, April 28). Fiesta Parade Canceled; Witnesses Relate Incident. The Victoria Advocate, 1 & 6. https://www.newspapers.com/image/437562322/ ; https://www.newspapers.com/image/437562342/
Thompson, G. (1979, April 29). Fiesta in Full Swing Despite Killing of 2. Honolulu Star-Bulletin, 14. https://www.newspapers.com/image/271653679/?terms=battle%20of%20flowers%20parade&match=1
University of Maryland. (n.d.). Global Terrorism Database. https://www.start.umd.edu/gtd/