9/11 revenge killer executed

A Texas man was executed early yesterday for killing a convenience store clerk during a shooting spree he said was retaliation for the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks.

The lethal injection was briefly delayed as the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals considered a final appeal. The US Supreme Court had earlier rejected appeals.

Mark Stroman, 41, claimed the shooting spree that killed two men and injured a third targeted people of Middle Eastern descent, though all three victims were from South Asia.

It was the death of 49-year-old Vasudev Patel in October 2001 that put Mr Stroman on death row.

The lone survivor, Bangla-deshi Rais Bhuiyan, had unsuccessfully sued to stop the execution, saying his Muslim beliefs told him to forgive.

From the death chamber, Mr Stroman asked for God’s grace and said hate in the world had to stop.

“Even though I lay on this gurney, seconds away from my death, I am at total peace,” he said. He later called himself “still a proud American, Texas loud, Texas proud”.

“God bless America. God bless everyone,” he added, then turned to the warden and said: “Let’s do this damn thing.”

Mr Bhuiyan, who lost the sight in one eye when Mr Stroman shot him in the face, had said he wanted to spend time with the killer to learn more about why the shootings occurred.

“Killing him is not the solution,” Mr Bhuiyan said. “He’s learning from his mistake.

If he’s given a chance, he’s able to reach out to others and spread that message to others.”

Mr Stroman’s execution was the eighth this year in Texas.

At least eight other inmates in the nation’s busiest death penalty state have execution dates in the coming weeks.