James Edward Pough

James Edward Pough was born on February 16, 1948, in Jacksonville, Florida, the eldest of nine children. He grew up near what later became Florida Community College at Jacksonville. His childhood was marked by chronic asthma and instability at home; his father left the family in 1959, leaving Pough particularly close to his mother, whom he helped support from a young age.

Pough attended a vocational school but dropped out during his sophomore year. By the age of eighteen, he was working as a common laborer, a role he would occupy for most of his life. In the final year before his death, he worked in construction maintenance at a brewery. Former classmates later recalled that he had ties to street gangs during his youth and was known for being volatile.

Beginning in his teenage years, Pough accumulated a criminal record consisting largely of minor but violent or erratic offenses. Between 1965 and 1970, he was arrested multiple times for vagrancy, attempted robbery, assault, weapons offenses, and gambling.

A defining event occurred on May 8, 1971, when Pough fatally shot his best friend, David Lee Pender, during an argument. Although initially charged with murder, the case was reduced through plea negotiations. Pough ultimately pleaded guilty to aggravated assault, received five years’ probation, and avoided a felony conviction. As a result, despite judicial intent that he never possess firearms again, the restriction was not effectively enforced, allowing him to legally purchase and register guns in later years.

The death of his friend haunted Pough for the rest of his life. Family members later stated that he never emotionally recovered from the killing.

During the 1980s, Pough’s personal life deteriorated further. He struggled financially, accumulated debt, and developed a fixation on money disputes. After the death of his mother around 1987, relatives observed a marked decline in his emotional stability. He became increasingly reclusive, angry, and paranoid, making statements that suggested suicidal ideation and threats toward others.

Pough’s marriage to his wife, Theresa, became abusive and volatile. On at least two occasions, he allegedly threatened her with a gun. The couple separated in January 1990, and on March 2, 1990, a court granted an injunction barring Pough from contacting her. After the separation, he withdrew almost completely from social contact.

At approximately 12:50 a.m. on June 17, 1990, Pough began his rampage in northwest Jacksonville. Armed with a blanket‑wrapped M1 carbine, he approached a group of men standing on a street corner and fatally shot Louis Carl Bacon, 39, twice in the chest. He then fled the scene.

Minutes later, Pough encountered Doretta Elaine Drake, 30, in a nearby parking lot. He struck her with his vehicle, exited, and shot her once in the head, killing her instantly. He continued driving through the area, later wounding two teenagers, Christopher Jerome Shorter, 17, and Lynette Patrice Johnson, 18, after asking them for directions and shooting them in the shoulders.

In the early hours of June 18, Pough committed an armed robbery at a convenience store, threatening the clerk with a pistol and stating that he had “nothing to lose.”

Later that morning, after visiting his mother’s grave and calling his supervisor to say he would not be coming to work, Pough drove to the General Motors Acceptance Corporation (GMAC) office at 7870 Baymeadows Way.

At approximately 10:44 a.m., he entered the building armed with his M1 carbine, a .38‑caliber revolver, multiple magazines, and ammunition. Without speaking, he immediately opened fire, killing customer Julia Ann Burgess, 42, and wounding David Hendrix, 25.

Pough then moved methodically through the office, shooting employees at their desks and firing at those hiding beneath furniture. In less than two minutes, he fired at least 28 rounds, killing six people at the scene and mortally wounding others. Several employees escaped through a rear exit as gunfire continued.

After exhausting his attack, Pough placed his revolver to his head and committed suicide inside the office.

Three additional victims later died from their injuries, the last being Jewel Louise Belote, 50, who succumbed on June 27, 1990. The total death toll from the two‑day spree reached eleven, with six others wounded.