SAN DIEGO (FOX 5/KUSI) — This week marks the solemn 41st anniversary of one of the most devastating mass shootings in American history — the July 18, 1984, San Ysidro McDonald’s massacre.
On that fateful Wednesday evening, gunman James Huberty opened fire inside the fast-food restaurant on San Ysidro Boulevard, claiming 21 lives—the youngest being a baby at just 8 months old—and wounding 19 others before being fatally shot by a sniper after a 77-minute standoff.
According to History, Huberty had been dealing with mental health problems prior to the mass shooting. He had reportedly been fired from his security guard job just a month before the violence unfolded. It was also reported that he had a strong liking for guns. His wife said that on his way out the door that day, Huberty told her, “I’m going hunting…hunting for humans.”
A documentary, titled “77 Minutes,” was later made by film producer Charlie Minn, depicting the tragic event. He previously told FOX 5 that he believes those who aren’t familiar with the massacre will learn something from his film, which has been described as extremely graphic and not for children.
As for some survivors, the traumatic event still lingers in their memory. In 2024, Wendy Flanagan, who was an employee at the San Ysidro McDonald’s at the time of the massacre, said she saw things that she’ll never forget.
“Scars remain; it never goes away; there’s always a scar in your memory, inside you; it may not be a physical wound,” said Flanagan. “It’s an emotional wound; you learn to deal with and grow from it. It’s taken me a long time, but here I am.”
The McDonald’s massacre of 1984 is the eighth-deadliest mass shooting in U.S. history (between 1982 and Sept. 2024).
The site of the tragedy is now home to the Southwestern College Higher Education Center. Community members, survivors, and family are expected to leave flowers at the site on Friday, a symbol of remembrance that typically occurs every anniversary.
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