Scores Killed, Hundreds Injured As Para-Military Extremists Riot
BOSTON, April 19 - Federal troops, units seeking to confiscate a cache of recently banned "assault weapons" were ambushed today by elements of a paramilitary extremist faction. Military and law enforcement sources estimated that 72 were killed and more that 20 injured before government forces were forced to withdraw.
Speaking after the clash, Massachusetts Governor Thomas Gage declared that the extremist militia, which was made up of local citizens, has links to the radical tax protest movement. Gage blamed the extremists for recent incidents of vandalism directed against internal revenue offices.
The governor, who described the group's organizers as "criminals," issued an executive order authorizing the summary arrest of any individual who has interfered with the government's efforts to secure law and order.
The military raid on the extremist arsenal followed wide-spread refusal by the local citizenry to turn over recently outlawed assault weapons. Gage issued a ban on military-style assault weapons and ammunition earlier in the week.
The decision followed a meeting in early April between government and military leaders at which the governor authorized the forcible confiscation of illegal arms. One government official, speaking on condition of annonymity, pointed out that "none of these people would have been killed had the extremists obeyed the law and turned their weapons over voluntarily."
Government troops initially succeeded in confiscating a large supply of outlawed weapons and ammunition. However, troops attempting to seize arms and ammunition in Lexington met with resistance from heavily armed extremists who had been tipped off in the night regarding the government's plans.
During a tense standoff in Lexington's town park, Colonel Francis Smith, commander of the government operation, ordered the armed group to surrender and return to their homes. The impasse was broken by a single shot, which was reportedly fired by one of the extremists. Eight civilians were killed in the ensuing exchange.
Ironically, locals blamed government forces rather than the extremists for the civilain deaths. Before order could be restored, armed citizens from surrounding areas had descended upon the federal units. Colonel Smith, finding his forces overmatched by the armed mob, ordered a retreat.
Governor Gage has called upon citizens to support the state/national joint task force in its effort to restore law and order. The governor has also demanded the surrender of those responsible for planning and leading the attack against the government troops. Samuel Adams, Paul Revere, and John Hancock, who had been identified as "ringleaders" of the extremist faction remain at large.
Edit - sorry I had to fix the link...
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