The Easter Sunday Massacre took place on Sunday, March 30, 1975, in Hamilton, Ohio. On that day, 41 year old James Urban Ruppert entered his mother’s home at 635 Minor Avenue and fatally shot eleven members of his own family, making it one of the deadliest family massacre in U.S. history.
Ruppert’s victims included:
His mother, Charity Ruppert (65)
His brother, Leonard Ruppert Jr. (42), and sister‑in‑law, Alma (38)
Their eight children (ages 4–17): Leonard III (17), Michael (16), Thomas (15), Carol (13), Ann (12), David (11), Teresa (9), and John (4)
On the afternoon of March 30, Ruppert, a draftsman who had been living with his widowed mother armed himself with a .357 Magnum and two .22 caliber handguns. While the family gathered for Easter dinner, he descended from the upstairs bedroom and began shooting in the kitchen, first killing his brother and sister‑in‑law, then his mother. He then moved into the living room, systematically killing each of his nephews and nieces, ensuring each was shot again to prevent any possibility of survival. By the time the massacre ended, an event that lasted fewer than five minutes, he had fired 44 rounds, 40 of which struck their targets
Aftermath and Arrest :
Three hours after the killings, Ruppert called the police and waited inside the front door until officers arrived. All eleven victims were found inside the house, and neighbors later reported that the amount of blood on the first floor had soaked through to the basement. Law enforcement recovered all three weapons at the scene.
Legal Proceedings :
In June 1975, Ruppert was tried in Hamilton, Ohio, and initially sentenced to 11 consecutive life terms after being found guilty on 11 counts of aggravated murder.
A mistrial on procedural grounds led to a retrial in Findlay, Ohio, later that July. There, a three-judge panel found him guilty on two counts of aggravated murder (for killing his mother and brother) but not guilty by reason of insanity on the other nine counts. He again received two life sentences to be served consecutively.
Ruppert’s appeals were denied, and he remained incarcerated without parole, repeatedly ruled ineligible by parole boards (1995, 2005, 2015). His next hearing had been scheduled for April 2025.
Later Life and Death :
After spending decades in Ohio’s prison system, including stints at Allen Correctional Institution and Southern Ohio Correctional Facility, was moved to Franklin Medical Center in Columbus in 2019 due to declining health. He died of natural causes on June 4, 2022, at age 88, still serving his life sentences.
Legacy :
The Easter Sunday Massacre remains the deadliest shooting by a lone gunman in Ohio’s history. Investigations and psychiatric evaluations concluded that Ruppert had long harbored resentment toward his family, believing they showed him little affection. His actions and motives have been extensively studied as a stark example of familicide driven by psychosis and perceived grievances.
