After receiving a special directive from Moscow, KGB agents began sourcing firearms on the black market. According to their orders, the weapons had to be small-caliber automatic guns that could be easily concealed. The 9mm Uzi submachine gun quickly became the preferred choice. Almost overnight, the black market price of Uzis surged by about 15%.
If the US Gun Control Bureau had caught wind of this surge in black market gun sales, they would have been shocked. In just a few days, countless pistols and submachine guns were bought by unknown buyers, then transported to Los Angeles where they vanished without a trace. Waiting in Los Angeles, KGB operatives stood by for the final instructions to arm the rioting African American groups.
Within two weeks, numerous newspapers published extensive coverage of the incident, and TV news programs debated it intensely. Public opinion condemned the tragedy, accusing the police of abusing their authority, which supposedly led to the disaster.
Later, the Los Angeles District Attorney charged four officers suspected of beating Rodney King. The trial was held in Ventura County, a predominantly white, politically conservative area adjacent to Simi Valley. However, no Ventura residents served on the jury; instead, all jurors were from San Fernando Valley. The jury personally retraced the route and examined witness statements, ultimately concluding the officers were not guilty and did not use excessive force. They found no evidence of police misconduct.
Yet, the verdict ignited widespread outrage. At 3:15 p.m. on that Wednesday, just 30 minutes after the officers were acquitted, a large crowd of mostly African Americans gathered outside the Los Angeles District Court to protest. Years of systemic discrimination finally erupted, with protestors brandishing banners and loudly decrying the perceived injustice.
A report to LAPD Chief Brian warned him that black protesters were blocking the courthouse, demanding an explanation for the acquittal. Brian shrugged it off, saying, "Send someone to disperse them forcibly."
But the reporter insisted, "This unrest is rooted in the police incident. Without swift action, it could escalate."
Brian, clearly annoyed, dismissed the concern and sent the officer away, unaware that his inaction was about to unleash chaos.
By 6 p.m., young and middle-aged African Americans began gathering at Florence and Normandy in south-central Los Angeles, chanting slogans for freedom and equality. The peaceful protest soon devolved into violent rioting.
The local police dispatched 24 officers to disperse the crowd. Upon arrival, they found themselves vastly outnumbered. Overwhelmed, the officers retreated, allowing the unrest to intensify.
At 6:15 p.m., another group gathered at Park Center. As if orchestrated, southern Los Angeles became a tinderbox. Black rioters armed with sticks and pipes roamed the streets in packs, causing white residents to flee in fear.
Meanwhile, at Florence and Normandy, looting and assaults escalated. Most victims were white civilians, some robbed completely, others beaten brutally. The rioters moved block by block like a swarm of locusts, shouting they were reclaiming property stolen by whites.
At Lorenza and Normandy, buildings were vandalized and set ablaze with petrol bombs, casting an eerie glow over the dark sky. Some rioters even attacked rescue personnel. Chaos soon spread southward to Park Center, where looting escalated to wanton violence—stores burned, pedestrians beaten, and ATMs targeted, brazenly defying law and order.
Only when police alarms blared did Chief Brian grasp the riot's severity. He ordered every available officer to confront the rioters, but the LAPD alone lacked the force to quell the violence.
When riot-armed officers arrived, they faced a terrifying revelation: many rioters wielded firearms—mostly small-caliber pistols and submachine guns. Armed and dangerous, they outmatched the police, who had no comparable weapons.
Gunfire erupted. Officers were knocked down. Those not hit dragged their wounded comrades back, firing tear gas to hold the line. Empowered by their initial success, rioters shifted from attacking white civilians to shooting police officers, venting pent-up rage with deadly force.
Some police officers were injured and collapsed to the ground, urgently calling for help over their walkie-talkies. When the mobs spotted them, they immediately raised their guns and shot them one by one. The police cars that arrived to reinforce were set ablaze, and those officers too were swiftly killed by the armed rioters. In an instant, Normandy Street was overwhelmed by the acrid stench of blood, resembling a city ravaged by an earthquake. Piercing alarms blared sharply, blood pooled widely on the pavement, frantic voices echoed through the radios, and urgent cries for backup filled the air. The flashing lights of the stalled vehicles blocked the road, while shops on both sides burned fiercely.
The Los Angeles police quickly regrouped. They retrieved automatic rifles from the station's armory. Every officer loaded their magazines and prepared to confront the rioters to the death.
The news that twenty-three officers had been shot dead shocked the entire LAPD. No one had expected the rioters to be so heavily armed, leaving the police vulnerable and defenseless. This uprising was far worse than any before it in history — it was essentially an armed rebellion.
Mario, the newly elected American president, was lying in bed, just about to drift off to sleep, when the phone rang. Irritated, he answered with a curt "Hello." But the voice on the other end immediately snapped him awake. Hastily, he turned on the TV. The war-torn city of Los Angeles filled the screen, and Mario's nerves tightened.
Twenty-three officers shot dead. Countless stores looted. The city itself set ablaze. The riots kept spreading uncontrollably. All these chaotic disasters intertwined, presenting Mario with a huge challenge: how to end this turmoil? And he had only just assumed office.
Throwing off the covers, Mario dressed quickly and said into the phone, "Arrange a press conference immediately. Yes, right now. And send a car—I'm heading there now."
Mario knew better than anyone that the sooner he demonstrated his resolve and leadership, the better. After years in politics, this was clear to him. First, he had to condemn the riots harshly and show the public his unwavering stance. The president's response was critical in moments like these. Only after that could he begin planning how to suppress the rebellion.
At this time, Los Angeles had become a fierce battleground where multiple forces clashed. Marine Corps Commander Pendleton was ordered to crush the rebellion. More than 5,000 U.S. Army soldiers and Marines launched an assault on the city, equipped with armored vehicles and tanks to stop the riots from spreading. Army Aviation's Black Hawk helicopters hovered overhead, providing vital intelligence to the Marines on the ground.
For many of these young soldiers, it was hard to believe they were actually fighting on American soil—suppressing an armed uprising by their own citizens. Some Marines hesitated, questioning whether it was right to point guns at unarmed civilians. Would they be condemned by international human rights groups? But any illusions of the rioters being unarmed soon vanished. The black thugs, heavily armed, exchanged gunfire with the military in the streets. Though some wielded shotguns and pistols, their strategic positions allowed them to hold their own against U.S. forces for a time.
After witnessing the military's superior combat skills, the rioters resorted to tear gas and smoke bombs looted from police stations. Armed men took cover behind cars, firing tear gas in wide arcs at the Marines across the street.
As expected, the tear gas disrupted the troops' effectiveness. The thugs, equipped with gas masks, advanced quickly. Within thirty seconds of the gas release, no soldier could remove their mask safely. The Marines were overwhelmed. Commander Pendleton reluctantly ordered the use of vehicle-mounted machine guns, accepting full responsibility for the consequences.
The M2 machine guns roared, indiscriminately firing into the crowd. No distinction was made between armed or unarmed. Wherever the bullets tore through, bodies fell, and bullet holes scarred the ground. The rioters finally felt the brutal force of government authority. Many dropped their weapons and tried to flee, but the Marines blocked every escape route. Soldiers, bloodthirsty and ruthless, opened fire on the retreating crowd.
As the battlefield was cleared, someone tallied the results: six rioters arrested, fifty-two shot dead, and three critically wounded sent to the hospital. The message was clear—free America's wrath would descend on anyone trying to turn Los Angeles into an anarchic hellscape.
Following the order for ruthless action, the Marines advanced faster than before, like demons granted permission to shoot anyone suspicious on sight, without waiting for orders or identification. Any black person seen on the street—whether rioter or not—was shot immediately. The soldiers assumed every black person was an enemy.
Suddenly, African Americans in Los Angeles became easy prey, their heads metaphorically marked with bounties. Only then did they truly understand what harsh repression meant. The U.S. military showed no mercy in its killings. Soon, the Marines had regained control of one-third of the riot zone. After stabilizing these areas, they pushed further toward their ultimate goal: reclaiming the buildings and eradicating the so-called ignorant black insurgents.
Even Martin Luther King Jr. would have been shocked by this scene. The rights he fought so hard to secure for black Americans vanished in an instant. The riots branded black people as violent troublemakers in American society—a narrative fueled by KGB agitators.
The war dragged on. What began as chaotic looting escalated into organized insurgency, forcing the government to pay a higher price to restore order. Black militants fired Molotov cocktails and cold weapons from hidden positions, each military advance costing dearly.
The toll on black communities was even more tragic. South Los Angeles descended into racial segregation-like discrimination. Any black person walking the streets was treated as a suspect. Many young people daring to make defiant gestures toward troops were beaten or killed. Black unrest devolved into violent clashes, pushing racial tensions to the breaking point.
The oppressed blacks united in armed resistance, while ordinary citizens, pushed to their limits, took up arms under instigation. They hid in homes, waiting for darkness—when unfamiliar foreign troops would truly face the horrors of the night.
Gunpowder filled Los Angeles air that night. Less than three hours after curfew, a massive explosion nearly woke the entire city. Flames engulfed an office building, casting an eerie glow over the dark sky, turning the night into a nightmare.
The blacks fought back fiercely. Armed thugs in pickup trucks ambushed patrols with rifles, killing soldiers and police alike. They hung corpses from overpasses with ropes—warnings to the government: meet our demands, or face this fate.
Molotov cocktails and explosives reduced several Humvees to scrap. Injuries mounted among troops. Under relentless assault, the army pulled back, consolidating their defenses and awaiting reinforcements. Meanwhile, police reinforcements rushed in from surrounding areas to support the Marines.
The bloody war raged until dawn. Using their numbers and knowledge of the city, the black mobs inflicted severe damage overnight. The destruction of vehicles and casualties surpassed even the first day's toll.
As dawn approached, the worst night of bloodshed began to fade. Armored military vehicles stood ready, awaiting orders.
When President Mario received the grim report, he lost patience. He issued a sweeping crackdown order—arresting every black participant in the Los Angeles riots, throwing them into prison without mercy.