Episode 674: The Norco Shootout

May 22, 2025

On May 9, 1980, chaos erupted in Norco, California, when a bank heist turned into a vicious shootout. Four robbers confronted law enforcement, leading to a dramatic chase that spanned over forty miles. The narrative reveals the criminals' backgrounds, motivations, and the community's trauma. It examines odd beliefs about the apocalypse influencing desperate actions. The intense retelling showcases the bravery of law enforcement and the tragic aftermath, making listeners ponder the psychological effects of violence on both individuals and society.

Ask episode

AI Snips

Chapters

Books

Transcript

Episode notes

INSIGHT

Apocalypse Fueled Criminal Motive

George Smith and Christopher Harvin were not typical criminals; they planned a bank heist driven by apocalyptic fears.
Their belief in imminent apocalypse fueled extreme precautions and violent preparations, not just desperation for money.

ANECDOTE

Bunker and Barrier Construction

George and Chris built a heavily fortified 10-foot fence with barbed wire and carpet tacks to keep neighbors out.
They also dug a large hole, later revealed to be a tunnel to a survival bunker in their backyard.

ANECDOTE

Armed to the Teeth

The robbers amassed a vast arsenal, including assault rifles, semi-automatic handguns, and homemade fragmentation grenades.
They used recipes from the anarchist cookbook to create grenades and modified a shotgun to launch them.

Get the Snipd Podcast app to discover more snips from this episode

Get the app

On the afternoon of May 9, 1980, four heavily armed men walked into the Security Pacific Bank in Norco, California and demanded $20,000 in cash. Having seen the men enter the bank with their guns, employees of a different bank across the street called the Riverside County Sheriff’s Department and deputies responded immediately.

When the bank robbers were confronted in the parking lot by law enforcement, a shootout began that would ultimately span more than forty miles across two counties, and when it was finally over, one sheriff’s deputy and two of the perpetrators were dead, eleven others were wounded. Moreover, the assault caused hundreds of thousands of dollars in damage from the nearly 2000 rounds that were fired, hitting houses, buildings, cars, among other things.

Thank you to the Incredible Dave White of Bring Me the Axe Podcast for research and Writing support!

References

Bennett, Lorraine. 1980. "Suspects in Norco holdup charged with 120 felonies." Los Angeles Times, May 15: 3.

Gorman, Tom. 1982. "Kidnapping victim tells of ordeal at bandits' hands." Los Angeles Times, January 15: 22.

Houlahan, Peter. 2020. "Norco '80: Before the bank robbery." Los Angeles Daily News, June 2.

—. 2019. "40 years later, the aftermath of a deadly bank robbery still lingers in a small SoCal city." Los Angeles Magazine, May 28.

—. 2020. Norco '80: The True Story of the Most Spectacular Bank Robbery in American History. Berkeley, CA: Counterpoint.

Malnic, Eric, and Mike Goodman. 1980. "Suspect put up barbed wire at home." Los Angeles Times, May 11: 1.

Schaub, Michael. 2019. "Apocalyptic robbers botched a SoCal bank heist." Los Angeles Times, June 7.

Stein, Mark. 1980. "Shaken witnesses: 'There was fear...'." Los Angeles Times, May 11: 3.

Sun News Service. 1982. "Trio guilty in Norco holdup, deputy's murder." San Bernardino County Sun, July 24: 1.

Stay in the know - wondery.fm/morbid-wondery.

See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.