Jonestown: Encyclopedia II - Jonestown - Shootout

Jonestown - Shootout

On Tuesday November 14, 1978, Congressman Leo Ryan, a Democrat from San Francisco, California, flew to Georgetown, Guyana, along with a team of 18 people, consisting of officials, media representatives and members of a group called Concerned Relatives of Peoples Temple Members. The purpose of the visit was to investigate allegations made by escaped members and relatives of members still at Jonestown that human rights were being violated daily, people were being held against their free will, had their money and passports taken and held, and that rehearsals of mass suicide were being conducted.

From the time they arrived in Georgetown, at midnight, before Wednesday the 15th, there were signs that things would not run smoothly. Previously booked hotel rooms were mysteriously occupied and most members of the team had to sleep in the lobby. In the days that followed Mr. Lane and Mr. Garry (Jones's representatives in Georgetown) refused to allow Ryan's party access to Jonestown. Finally, by late Friday morning Ryan advised Lane and Garry that he was leaving for Jonestown at 2:30 p.m., regardless of Jones's willingness to allow him access. They left (including Lane and Garry) for Jonestown at approximately that time, Friday, November 17, Guyana time (12:30 p.m., EST, Washington, D.C.) and came to Port Kaituma airstrip, 10 km. from Jonestown, some hours later.  After more trouble, where only Ryan and 3 others were initially accepted, they finally all got into Jonestown, after dark.

It was later reported that Jones had run rehearsals in how to receive Ryan's delegation, to convince them that everyone was happy and in good spirits. On the night before Ryan's arrival, Jones warned everyone, with the exception of a few trusted people, not to speak to Ryan's party. Some were angry and saw the Congressman's visit as trouble brought in from outside. A few quietly complained of the dire situation within the compound.

When Jones learned about some of his followers' reactions and that some of them wished to leave, he was angry and believed that those who wanted to leave the community would "lie" and destroy Jonestown. Jones and many other members of the Peoples Temple saw themselves as a family that had the right and the duty to stay together. Like most families they felt that they had the duty to defend themselves against people who tried to take away their members. At first Jones was angry, but then was reassured when other members told him it was actually a compliment that out of over 1,000 people only a few dozen wished to leave. Jones then gave them permission to leave, some money and their passports. Jones also told them they would be welcome to come back at any time.

Because more people were leaving than was expected and the limited amount of seats available on the Cessna, Ryan was going to send the first group to Georgetown and stay behind with the rest when Don Sly, a member of the Temple, possibly acting directly under Jones's orders, attacked the congressman with a knife. Although he wasn't hurt in the attack, he realised that the visiting party and the defectors were in danger. Ryan's party and 16 ex-Temple members left Jonestown and reached the nearby Port Kaituma airstrip at 4:30pm, where they planned to use two planes, a six-passenger Cessna and a twin-engine Otter, to fly to Georgetown, the capital of Guyana. At the last minute a fanatic follower, Larry Layton, demanded to join the group. The rest of the defectors voiced their suspicions about the motive for Larry joining the group but Ryan insisted that anyone who wanted to go would go.

Before the Cessna took off, Layton took out a gun and started shooting at the passengers. He killed two people, including defector Monica Bagby, before his gun was taken away by another defector. Jones's armed guards, or "Red Brigade," then emerged in a tractor pulling a wagon, pulled up within 30 feet of the Otter, and proceeded to open fire while circling the plane. Leo Ryan, three journalists, and one 18-year-old Jonestown defector were killed in the five minute shooting, which was captured on camera. Camera operator Robert Brown was among the dead while Jackie Speier was injured from five bullets. The Cessna was able to take off and fly to Georgetown, leaving behind the gunfire-damaged Otter. They carried with them filmed footage of the surprise attack, a first glimpse of Jonestown for the outside world.

Adapted from the Wikipedia article "Shootout", under the G.N U Free Docmentation License. Please also see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki