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MAT IPOD EDOM I Tolson , iin —~ UNITED STAI G_|| ERNMENT _ . 35 7 Memorandum . aa : Mr. Belmo DATE: March 7, 1964 \ . a Sullivan Tavel Trotter Tele. Room : A, Ros Holmes Gandy : UNKNOWN SUBJECTS; . / BOMBING OF *SIXTEENTH we, STREET BAPTIST CHURCH BIRMINGHAM, ALABAMA by WA SEPTEMBER 15, 1963 BOMBING MATTERS jo-f PURPOSE OF MEMORANDUM: X Copies mace by. — wf review by To summarize the facts in tiie -boubiag BB! Sixteenth Street Baptist Church in pits pombe be ea on 9/15/63, THE BOMBING: At approximately 10:19 a.m. on 9/15/63, while church services were being held, an explosion : vipped the . church tearing out a concrete stairway and blasting a hole jin the side wall, The room directly affected was a ladies iounge, Four young Negro girls were killed and 16 other — persons were injured, - ° — Sl se It was estimated that the bomb consisted of the Of equivalent of 10 sticks of dynamite and damage to the ¢hurch was estimated at approximately $30,000, THE BUREAU'S INVESTIGATION: co SPAS = RES pez JUL GOs at Immediately upon learning of the disaster, “a full i investigation was immediately instituted and all possible assistance was immediately offered to local authorities, A special squad of Agents plus Laboratory personnel were dispatched to Birmingham to help in the investigation, A top Bureau official was ordered in to head up the special-- + = squad, a “EZ WAR ILO i584 “> “ Instructions were issued to our Birmingham Office anda tn the eaieht natehhorine Ruraan offiras to imméAiateathee = initiate interviews of all known Klansmen and hate group members and to establish the whereabouts of&l1 bombing. suspects during the pertinent period, 1. = Mr, Mohr y i i = we. DeLoach f \ Mr, RBL: nt