10:18

Friday October 13, 1981
New York Times Editorial Staff

Guggenheim Gunshots Kill 4

A man diagnosed with paranoid schizophrenia opened fire with an AK-47 today while visiting the Guggenheim museum. Witnesses say that he started screaming and then brought out the gun from a backpack before spraying the crowd of visitors. Two students from NYU were killed immediately and an elderly couple later succumbed to gunshot wounds. 15 other people were also injured in the attack; none seriously.

The man then escaped across 5th Avenue into Central Park but was apprehended later in the day trying to enter the American Museum of Natural History. No further details are known at this time.

In an odd twist, a beaver was found unconscious and covered in blood at the site of the shooting. He had apparently been standing close to the murdered student although no one recalls seeing him there prior or have any idea how he managed to enter the building. The beaver has been temporarily transported to the Central Park Zoo and is under observation by zoo veterinary staff.

The Museum is now investigating new security procedures regarding bringing bags into the building as well as looking into how a wild animal was found to be roaming the premises.