2022 Superian terror attacks
| 2022 Superian terror attacks | |
|---|---|
|
Part of 2022 Continental–Superian Crisis 2022 North American terror attacks | |
| Location |
|
| Date |
February 9, 2022 6:40 p.m. – 7:09 p.m. (CST) |
| Target | |
Attack type | |
| Deaths | 45 |
| Injured | 342 |
| Perpetrators |
Superian Contingenters (Saint Anthony) 4 suspects (Dubuque) |
The 2022 Superian terror attacks occurred on February 9, 2022 between 6:40pm and 7:09pm CST when three suspects open fired on students at the University of Dubuque in New Anjou. Shortly following, the Target Plaza South business center, the headquarters of the Target Corporation, was attacked. In total, around 45 people have been confirmed dead, with an additional 100+ injured. The attacks occurred nearly three hours following the bombing of the Parliament Building and metro stations in Sierra.
At 6:40pm, four suspects were seen opening fire on students at the University of Dubuque during the school's annual Valentine's Day celebration. After around ten minutes, campus security and local law enforcement would apprehend three suspects, gunning down a fourth who attempted to flee. At 7:00pm, multiple explosions would be detected at the Target Plaza South, the headquarters of the largest Superian corporation: Target. The Saint Anthony Police Department would respond immediately, and report a possible total of over a hundred causalities. In response to the attacks, the Superian Parliament Building, Heartland Palace, and the Executive Mansion have been placed under lockdown, though the president, his cabinet, and the Monarch had already been taken to undisclosed locations following the bomings in Porciúncula.
For the bombing of Target South Plaza, a group of Superian Contingenters claimed responsibility. As for the shooting at the University of Dubuque, no group has taken responsibility, but later investigating determined that all four suspects were members of separate radical Landonist and believed the shooting was retribution for the election of anti-Landonist parties during the 2022 federal election and the subsequent shift to a anti-Continental foreign policy. In total, 45 people were killed in both attacks, with an additional 300 injured. This is the largest terrorist attack against Superior in the country's recent history, and is the second-deadliest terror attack in Superior following 9/11. An official investigation conducted the TBD concluded that both the University of Dubuque shooting and the Target Plaza bombings were completely separate and unrelated events, though it was believed that the perpetrators were inspired to carry out their attacks following the Sierran Parliament bombings.
Background
Attacks
University of Dubuque
At 5:50 p.m., Jason Marcus, Anthony Blake, Cory Henderson, and Jonathan Muir, who all wore facial coverings, entered campus and made their way towards Anthony Hall, the on-campus dormitory for freshman and sophomore students. Security footage inside the building showed the four men enter Muir and Blake's dorm room, located on the second floor. For around forty minutes, authorities believe that the four men were preparing for the shooting, with neighboring students reporting hearing yelling. At 6:30 p.m., all four men, now dressed in black gear and helmets, would be recorded exiting the dorm room and making their way out of the building. Muir and Blake were recorded brandishing AK-47s, while Marcus and Henderson were seen holding pistols. All four men were also seen wearing radio devices on their vests.
At 6:40 p.m., the four men would separate into two pairs, with Marcus and Henderson walking towards the left while Blake and Muir sprinted towards the right. The four would remain largely undetected by the event attendees, who were distracted by a performance by a local blues band. At 6:45 p.m., the four suspects would begin to open fire into the crowd, immediately hitting a total of fifteen people. Almost immediately, campus security (who were gathered in the area to oversee the event) would engage the shooters, with a firefight between them beginning at around 6:47 p.m. Dubuque Police Department would be notified of a shooting at the University of Dubuque at 6:46 p.m., along with a number of local and national news agencies. Local police would arrive at the scene at 6:50 p.m., and would assist campus security in engaging the shooters. At 6:52 p.m., Henderson would shot in the arm by a police officer, effectively disabling him. As a result, Marcus would abandon Henderson after being pressured to do so by Muir, and the group would fall back to the main commons area and regroup.
At 6:54 p.m., security footage shows the three men regrouping and seeking cover behind the fountain in the center of the commons area. Police and campus security would push up towards the fountain, with an injured Henderson being detained. After shooting a officer, another firefight would begin, during which both Marcus and Blake suggested surrendering to police, which was quickly denied by Muir who, according to the two following their capture, was adamant on continuing fighting. At 6:56 p.m., tear gas would be deployed, drawing out the three shooters. Blake and Marcus would be shot by police as a result, and would later be detained. Despite assuring his accomplices that they would all "go down together", Muir would begin to flee towards the student parking lot, where his car was located. While heading towards the parking lot, Muir would threaten to shoot students who had taken cover in the adjacent buildings. Muir would be greeted by campus security in the parking lot, and would be gunned down.
Target South Plaza
Victims
Perpetrators
University of Dubuque shooters
Contingenters
Effects and response
Emergence responses
A state of emergency was declared by the Dubuque city government and elements of the New Anjou Territorial Guard were organized and deployed to aid with delivering aid and assistance towards the targeted areas. Local law enforcement in the city began a search of the city and a curfew was imposed to last at least a week as police search for any potential attackers, aids to the terrorists, and to prevent any possible follow-up attack.
In Saint Anthony, the city government declared a state of emergency and imposed a ten day curfew and ordered a sweep across the entire metropolitan area to secure all major centers, including government buildings, and to prevent any possible follow-up attacks as well. The Minnesota Territorial Guard would shortly be deployed after reports of explosions were confirmed by the Saint Anthony Police Department. Contingents of the guard would be sent to guard the Superian Parliament Building, Heartland Palace, the Executive Mansion, and Parliamentary Row, a neighborhood were a large portion of parliamentarians stay during a legislative session.
Following the bombings, places of recreation in and around Minnesota and New Anjou would be placed under lockdown, most notably Disney Frontier Resort in Des Moines, Iowa. Flights, which had already been restricted following the Sierran attacks, where completely cancelled in the eastern portion of Superior.
Reactions
See also
- 2022 Porciúncula bombings, similar terrorist attacks which occurred on the same day.
- 2022 Seattle attacks, similar terrorist attacks that occurred the next day.