Pump Action Shotgun

Lore & Background

The Winchester 1200 pump-action shotgun was part of Huberty's arsenal when he entered the McDonald's restaurant on San Ysidro Boulevard at approximately 3:56 p.m. on July 18, 1984. He carried a box and a cloth bag filled with hundreds of rounds of ammunition for each weapon, including this shotgun. The weapon initially malfunctioned when Huberty aimed it at John Arnold from a distance of approximately fifteen feet; when he pulled the trigger, 'nothing happened.' After inspecting the jammed shotgun, Huberty fired it toward the ceiling before aiming the Uzi at manager Neva Caine, shooting her once beneath her left eye. He then fired the shotgun at Arnold, wounding the teenager in the chest and arm. Later, Huberty used the shotgun on Aurora Peña, who had been shielded by her pregnant aunt, 18-year-old Jackie Reyes. Peña was initially wounded in the leg by the shotgun blast.

In Their Own Story

At approximately 3:56 p.m. on July 18, 1984, James Huberty drove his black Mercury Marquis sedan into the parking lot of the McDonald's restaurant on San Ysidro Boulevard. In his possession were a 9mm Browning HP semi-automatic pistol, a 9mm Uzi carbine, a Winchester 1200 12-gauge pump-action shotgun, and a box and a cloth bag filled with hundreds of rounds of ammunition for each weapon. Entering the restaurant minutes later, Huberty first aimed his shotgun at a 16-year-old employee named John Arnold from a distance of approximately fifteen feet. Assistant manager Guillermo Flores shouted: 'Hey, John, that guy's going to shoot you!' According to Arnold, when Huberty pulled the trigger, 'nothing happened.' As Huberty inspected his shotgun, which was jammed, manager Neva Caine walked toward the service counter. Huberty fired his shotgun toward the ceiling before aiming the Uzi at Caine, shooting her once beneath her left eye. Caine died minutes later. Immediately after, Huberty fired his shotgun at Arnold, wounding the teenager in the chest and arm.

Reader's Guide

The Winchester 1200 pump-action shotgun was one of three firearms used by James Huberty during the San Ysidro McDonald's massacre. It was a 12-gauge weapon that Huberty carried alongside a 9mm Browning HP semi-automatic pistol and a 9mm Uzi carbine. The shotgun jammed when first aimed at John Arnold, requiring Huberty to inspect it before firing. After firing toward the ceiling, Huberty used the shotgun to wound Arnold in the chest and arm. He later used it to wound 11-year-old Aurora Peña in the leg. The weapon was part of an arsenal that also included hundreds of rounds of ammunition for each firearm. Huberty fatally shot 22 people, including an unborn baby, and wounded 19 others before being killed by a police sniper approximately 77 minutes after he had first opened fire.

Did You Know?

• The Winchester 1200 shotgun jammed when Huberty first aimed it at 16-year-old employee John Arnold from a distance of approximately fifteen feet.
• After the shotgun jammed, Huberty fired it toward the ceiling before switching to his Uzi to shoot manager Neva Caine beneath her left eye.
• Huberty used the shotgun to wound 11-year-old Aurora Peña in the leg; she had been shielded by her pregnant aunt, 18-year-old Jackie Reyes, who was shot 48 times with the Uzi.
• The shotgun was one of three firearms Huberty carried, along with a 9mm Browning HP semi-automatic pistol and a 9mm Uzi carbine, plus a box and cloth bag filled with hundreds of rounds of ammunition.