This Day in History: December 13th
A book written by Gary c. King depicts the Texas 7.
December 13, 2014
2000– The “Texas 7” escaped from the John Connally Unit near Kenedy, Texas. The escape occurred during the slowest period of the day when there was less surveillance of certain locations, such as the maintenance area. They decided to rob an Oshman’s Sporting Goods in nearby Irving. On December 24, 2000, they hijacked the store, gagged and tied up all the staff and stole at least 40 guns and sets of ammunition. An off-duty employee standing outside of the store noticed the commotion inside and called police. Irving police officer Aubrey Hawkins responded to the call, arrived on the scene and was almost immediately ambushed. His autopsy later showed that he had sustained 11 gunshots and had been run over by the fleeing gang. Hawkins died at Parkland Memorial Hospital in Dallas shortly after his arrival. They were apprehended a little more than a month later, on January 21–23, 2001, as a direct result of the television show America’s Most Wanted.
