1977 Hanafi Siege

Please note that the content of this book primarily consists of articles available from Wikipedia or other free sources online. On March 9 11, 1977, three buildings in Washington, D.C. were seized by 12 African-American Muslim gunmen, led by Hamaas Abdul Khaalis, who took 149 hostages and killed a radio journalist and a police officer. After a 39-hour standoff all other hostages were released from the District Building (city hall; now called the John A. Wilson Building), B'nai B'rith headquarters, and the Islamic Center of Washington.One of those killed was 24-year-old Maurice Williams, a young radio reporter from WHUR-FM, who stepped off a fifth floor elevator into the crisis. (The fifth floor is where the Mayor and City Council Chairman have their offices). The gunmen also shot DC Protective Service Division, Police Officer Mack Cantrell, who died a few days later in the hospital of a heart attack. Then-D.C. Council member, later four term mayor, and currently a D.C. Council member, Marion Barry walked into the hallway of the District Building after hearing a commotion and was hit by a ricocheted shotgun pellet just above his heart. He was taken out a window and rushed to a hospital.