On the evening of October 30, 1976, a sniper opened fire on Main Street in Mechanicville, New York, from a third‑story window across from Joyce’s Log Cabin restaurant. James Marsh, 50, was inside the restaurant when a bullet penetrated the building; he was taken to a hospital in Albany and pronounced dead. The attack lasted about an hour and a half and also killed 21‑year‑old part‑time police officer Paul N. Luther; nine other people were wounded.

The shooter, 32‑year‑old Kenyon W. Pruyn, fired hundreds of rounds and was found to possess a large arsenal of rifles, shotguns, and hundreds of rounds of ammunition. The standoff ended after a fire broke out in Pruyn’s apartment, forcing his surrender. Pruyn later pleaded guilty to two counts of second‑degree murder and multiple counts of attempted murder and assault and received a sentence of 25 years to life.