Why LIRR mass shooting in 1993 led to launch of Carolyn McCarthy's political career

Carolyn McCarthy's political career was borne from personal tragedy: the events of Dec. 7, 1993.

That evening, as a Long Island Rail Road train slowed into the Merillon Avenue station in Garden City, a 35-year-old gunman named Colin Ferguson opened fire inside a train car — in a three-minute episode of rage in which he killed six people and wounded another 19.

Among the dead was McCarthy's husband, Dennis; among the severely wounded, her son, Kevin.

The shooting was a watershed moment in Long Island history and in the life of Carolyn McCarthy.

After caring for her son, she began to consider a run for office. Newsday reported that McCarthy had a fear of public speaking and suffered from dyslexia. But she was disappointed with the lack of gun control legislation and began lobbying in Albany for better state gun control laws, telling Newsday that legislators "treated victims like they were taking up their time."

A lifelong Republican, McCarthy was inspired to become a Democrat in 1996 and challenge Rep. Dan Frisa, who held the 4th Congressional District seat. Frisa had voted to repeal the national assault-weapon ban that was expiring.

McCarthy told Newsday: "I got my Irish up."

Winning election, she soon became one of the fiercest anti-gun advocates in the House — a reputation that earned her a nickname, the "Gun Lady."

Ferguson, the man who had killed her husband and wounded her son, had come to the United States in 1982 from Jamaica, eventually taking a job as a clerical worker, and enrolling in Nassau Community College and then Adelphi University. En route, Ferguson is said to have encountered episodes of racism and numerous run-ins with the legal system.

The evening of the LIRR shooting, police said Ferguson boarded the eastbound 5:33 p.m. train from Penn Station carrying a Ruger P89 semiautomatic pistol and a canvas bag loaded with 160 rounds of 9-mm ammo. Authorities said Ferguson emptied two 15-round magazines during the shooting, before being subdued by passengers as he attempted to load a third.

Nassau police later found notes stuffed into Ferguson's pockets, labeled "Reasons for This" — and commentary that included a reference to the alleged racial incidents against him.

On Jan. 19, 1994, a grand jury returned a 93-count indictment, which carried a possible prison sentence of 175 years, leading then-Nassau County District Attorney Denis Dillon to tell reporters: "It's not quite infinity, but it will do."

Convicted by a jury on Feb. 17, 1995, Ferguson, who defended himself with help from legal advisers, received a sentence of 315 years and eight months to life in prison.

Newsday's Michael Gormley contributed to this story.

By John Valenti

john.valenti@newsday.com

John Valenti, a reporter at Newsday since 1981, has been honored nationally by the Associated Press and Society of the Silurians for investigative, enterprise and breaking news reporting, as well as column writing, and is the author of “Swee'pea,” a book about former New York playground basketball star Lloyd Daniels. Valenti is featured in the Emmy Award-winning ESPN 30-for-30 film “Big Shot.”