View source for James Swann

{{about||the New Zealand weightlifter|James Swann (weightlifter)|those of a similar name|James Swan (disambiguation)}}
{{Infobox spree killer
| name        = James Swann
| birth_name  = James Edward Swann, Jr.
| occupation  = Former security guard
| birth_date  = {{Birth year and age|1964}}
| birth_place = [[Iselin, New Jersey]], [[United States|U.S.]]
| death_place = 
| cause       = 
| alma mater  =
| religion    =
| penalty     = 
| parents     = James Swann, Sr.
| spouse      = 
| date        = February 23 – April 19, 1993
| time        = 
| targets     = 
| country = United States
| locations   = [[Washington, D.C.]]
| fatalities  = 4
| injuries    = 5
| weapons     = Shotgun
| motive      = Mental illness
}}
'''James Edward Swann Jr.''' {{aka}} '''The Shotgun Stalker''' (born 1964), is an African-American [[serial killer]] whose random drive-by shotgun shootings in [[Washington, D.C.]] in 1993 earned him his nickname in the press. Swann was living in the [[Iselin, New Jersey|Iselin]] section of [[Woodbridge Township, New Jersey]] before the attacks.<ref name="sp">
{{cite news
 | first = Serge F. 
 | last = Kovaleski
 | title = ''N.J. man arrested after another shotgun slaying''
 | newspaper = Washington Post
 | date = 20 April 1993
 }}</ref> He has been confined to St. Elizabeths Hospital since 1994 as a forensic patient since he was found not guilty by reason of insanity. His request for a furlough in 2011 was denied.

== Murders ==
Swann drove to Washington to carry out the attacks, which took place in the [[Mount Pleasant, Washington, D.C.|Mount Pleasant]] and [[Columbia Heights (Washington, D.C.)|Columbia Heights]] neighborhoods. Each of the attacks followed a standard format: Swann would slow his car down next to a pedestrian and fire a 20-gauge shotgun at the target before driving away. Swann killed four people and injured five in 14 attacks before he was apprehended by the Metropolitan Police on April 19, 1993.<ref name="sp" />

== In custody ==
Swann was found [[not guilty by reason of insanity]] and confined to [[Saint Elizabeths Hospital]].<ref name="sp2">
{{cite web
 | last = Duggan
 | first = Paul
 | title = Shotgun stalker ruled insane, not guilty
 | work = washingtonpost.com
 | date = 27 September 1994
 | url = https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2011/02/15/AR2011021501898.html}}
</ref> He claimed to have been driven to the killings by voices in his head, including that of the ghost of [[Malcolm X]], who told him to kill people in [[Washington DC (northwest)|Northwest Washington]]—the "[[civil rights]] side of town"—because they had been responsible for the civil rights leader's [[Malcolm X#Assassination|assassination in 1965]].<ref name="sp2" /><ref>
{{cite web
 | url = http://www.dcjack.org/shotgun%20stalker.html
 | work= DCJACK.org
 | last = McKay
 | first = Jack
 | title = The Shotgun Stalker -- a two-month nightmare
 | access-date = 2007-12-19
}}</ref>

In 2011, Swann applied for a 12-hour furlough from the psychiatric hospital where he has been committed in order to visit his father. Such a visit was to be under his father's supervision. Witnesses for Swann noted that he had earned an associate degree in Computer Science while incarcerated.<ref name="Alexander">{{cite web | last = Alexander | first = Keith L. | title = D.C. shotgun shooter seeks 12-hour release from St. Elizabeths   | work = washingtonpost.com | date = 15 February 2011 | url = https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2011/02/15/AR2011021505489.html}}</ref> A psychologist testifying on his behalf said that he had reviewed Swann's records, which showed that Swann "had not had a violent episode at the hospital since 2003, and his aggression with his [[psychosis]] was gone." This psychologist felt that Swann has a "low risk" of violence. But Swann was still suffering from [[hallucination]]s as recently as 2008.<ref name="Alexander"/> According to Assistant U.S. Attorney Colleen Kennedy, who opposed the furlough, Swann's father had given him a t-shirt with the phrase "Thrill to Kill" emblazoned on it, which Swann enjoyed wearing.<ref name="Alexander"/> The request for a furlough was denied.<ref>{{cite web | last = Alexander | first = Keith L. | title = Judge denies D.C. shotgun stalker 12-hour release from St. Elizabeth's | work = washingtonpost.com | date = 25 February 2011 | url = https://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2011/02/25/AR2011022506502.html}}</ref>

== See also ==
* [[List of serial killers in the United States]]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Swann, James}}
[[Category:1964 births]]
[[Category:20th-century African-American people]]
[[Category:Crimes in Washington, D.C.]]
[[Category:Drive-by shootings]]
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:People acquitted by reason of insanity]]
[[Category:People from Woodbridge Township, New Jersey]]
[[Category:People with schizophrenia]]


{{crime-bio-stub}}
[[Category:Serial killers from Washington, D.C.]]