Congressman and group ‘shot dead’

Press, 20 November 1978, Page 8

Congressman and group ‘shot dead’

NZPA-Reuter Washington The United States State Department said yesterday that it had been told that Congressman Leo .1. Ryan, a I Democrat from California, and a number of reporters Tiad been shot dead after an iattack on the United States representative’s fact-finding mission at the airport in Port Kaituma. Guyana. I Mr Ryan was leading a 113-person delegation inivestigating a controversial American religious settlement at Jonestown in the (South American, country. I A State Department ' spokesman, Mr Tom Reston. Isaid the report had reached (Washington in a message from the United States Embassy in Guyana, formerly a British colony. Mr Reston said the shooting and Mr Ryan’s death had not been confirmed. Mr Reston said the report had been relayed by a pilot who had been flying Mr Ryan, a group of reporters, and a staff worker to the People’s Temple, a settlement of about 1200 Americans established in Guyana a year ago by Mr Jim Jones, a former San Francisco City official. The pilot had escaped by flying away from the attackers in one of two planes on the landing strip near the settlement. Before leaving San Francisco six days ago Mr Ryan said: “I am going to investigate the conditions of Americans (in the Jones settlement) who, I have been told, are working from dawn to nightfall, with terrible mental and physical punishments if they don’t work hard enough.” The State Department said it was unclear when the shootings occurred. Mr Jeff Dieterich, of the State Departments LatinAmerican desk, said the pilot, who had not been identified by name or nationality, reported it appeared that an entire N.B.C. Television network crew headed by a correspondent, Don Harris, had been shot along I with Mr Ryan. Reports were unclear about the crew’s condition, Mr Dieterich said. Also left behind after the shooting had been Mark Lane, the

lawyer representing Jame Earl Rax. Dr Martin Luthe ! King's convicted assassir iMr Lane was there as cour |sei for Mr Jones. , Mr Dieterich said report I from the I nited States mi« sion showed that two plane I had flown to Jonestown a:: I had been preparing to leav I when the shoot ing ha broken out. | He said some nine mem bers of the controversial set I dement had been leaMn with Mr Ryan, and ha boarded one of the plane when one of the nine ha pulled a gun and had begu shooting. The pilot and crew mem bers from the plane tha was to carry the depart in; sect members had jumpe. from the plane, Mr Dietetic! said, and had run to a sec ond plane and flown fron the remote Port Kaituia strip. The pilot reported genera panic, Mr Ryan and th N.B.C. crew lying as if dead others still moving bu wounded, and still other running for cover. Mr Dieterich said the Por Kaituma strip was not light ed, and was now blocked b; the damaged plane. He sai< Guyana officials were flying soldiers and policemen to i nearby, lighted airstrip. The controversial People' Temple was founded by M Jones in northern Californi; 15 years ago, and claims membership of 20,000. M Jones set up the Guyana set tlement after he resigns from his job as director o the San Francisco Housin; Authority. The Guyana settlement ii an agricultural community made up of California mem bers who followed him U South America. The controversy leading t( Mr Jones’s resignation ii San Francisco arose whei former members of the reli gious cult in California ac cused him of staging faki religious healings and beat ing members of the sect. Mr Jones had founded th* People’s Temple in Califor nia in the belief that hi could erase oppression o the poor, eradicate class dis tinctions, and prove tha people from various back grounds could live together a church news releasi claimed.