On December 29, 1975, a bomb, with the blasting capacity of 25 sticks of dynamite, exploded in the main terminal at New York’s LaGuardia Airport, killing 11 and injuring 74 others.  The explosive device had been placed in a coin operated locker near a luggage pickup carousel.

At 6:30 pm, as the airport bustled with holiday travelers, the bomb exploded, collapsing the floor and ceiling.  The bomb hurled shrapnel from the metal lockers into the air, piercing the bodies of the unfortunate victims.   Smoke, broken glass and debris filled the terminal, causing more than $750,000 worth of physical damage.

The crime scene investigation was slowed by two anonymous phone calls about additional bombs, which prompted the shutdown of the airport.  Investigating Officers thought they might have found another device when a dog trained to sniff explosives sat down near a locker in another part of the terminal.  No one was amused when the locker was opened and a package of hot-dogs, apparently left by a passenger, had attracted the K-9's attention.

No person or organization claimed responsibility for the explosion during the days and weeks that followed.   At the time, suspects included the Puerto Rican nationalist group FALN, , the Jewish Defense League, the Palestinian Liberation Organization, and Croatian nationalists.  To date, no individual or group has ever made a credible claim of responsibility for the bombing.

No person has ever been arrested for this crime committed on December 29, 1975.

Sources and more information:

LaGuardia Christmas bombing remains unsolved 27 years later, by John Springer, CNN Justice

Encyclopedia of Terrorism, by Harvey W. Kushner, p. 212 (SAGE  2003)

Terrorist’s Release Reopens Wound of Unsolved Bombing, New York Times, August 9, 2008