|
7 shot dead last night a mile away from my house here in Goleta
|
View this Thread in Original format
| SVGmethod |
Death toll rises to seven in Postal Service shooting
By Thomas Schultz and Shelly Leachman
January 31, 2006 10:16 AM
Seven people are dead and an eighth in critical condition after a former employee of a U.S. Postal Service processing and distribution center in Goleta opened fire with a handgun late Monday before fatally turning the weapon on herself at the Storke Road facility.
Postmaster General John Potter today expressed "complete shock and sadness" upon learning of the shootings.
"Our heartfelt prayers and condolences go out to the families of the victims and to our employees who have suffered through this tragic incident," he said in a prepared statement. "Their families are being notified and professional counselors will be available to the families and to other facility employees."
"The Postal Service and the Postal Inspection Service are cooperating fully with local law enforcement officials in their investigation," Mr. Potter said.
The scope of the massacre, described by veteran law enforcement officials as the worst they could recall in Santa Barbara County, became clear early this morning.
At 2 a.m., after two heavily armed SWAT teams scoured the building, the Sheriff's Department added four more fatalities including the unidentified shooter to a count that had stood at three fatalities just hours earlier.
Another victim remains in critical condition at Cottage Hospital.
"We are very sorry that this has occurred," a grim-faced Sheriff Jim Anderson told reporters from across Southern and Central California during a hastily-planned 3 a.m. news conference. He said his department was doing all it could to piece together the sequence of events and a motive for the carnage that began around 9:15 p.m. and sparked an evacuation of up to 50 shaken workers inside at the time. The plant employees about 300 people.
Two dead bodies were discovered outside the main entrance of the 203,000-square-foot center, according to Sheriff's spokesman Sgt. Erik Raney.
Another deceased individual was found just inside, along with the critically injured victim.
Later, investigators found four additional bodies including the shooter's in locations throughout the sprawling center, Sgt. Raney said.
Employees corralled by authorities and interviewed by law enforcement officials inside the adjacent County Fire Station 11 after the evacuation were instructed by Postal Service supervisors not to discuss what they saw, heard or felt with the media.
Once released to go home, many ventured into the night wrapped in blankets, or rushed past a growing gaggle of print, television and radio reporters and photographers without uttering a word.
As searchers frantically combed the mail plant for survivors and the shooter, another tragic scene unfolded at Santa Barbara Cottage Hospital, where postal employees, family and friends huddled outside the emergency room doors until after 3 a.m., awaiting word on potential victims.
The employee rumor mill swirled in high gear with stories of the female shooter and her well-known strange behavior when she worked at the plant, theories about exactly who got shot, who was alive and who was dead.
"It's just the waiting and the wondering that's so hard," said one woman, who worried her best friend was among the fatalities.
The husband of one victim sat on a bench, surrounded by his parents and friends, his entire body trembling, hands shaking as he spoke on a cell phone, shortly after being denied access to his wife's body at the hospital.
A Sheriff's Department chaplain instructed him to call the morgue to arrange a viewing.
"I just want to hug her while she's still warm," he said through sobs.
For updates throughout the day, see newspress.com and for the full story, see Wednesday's News-Press. |
|
|
| Protege |
| That sucks. How far away is that from you curly? |
|
|
| SVGmethod |
| quote: | Originally posted by Protege
That sucks. How far away is that from you curly? |
it is like a mile away from my pad. the crazy thing is that i was on my way to pick up my g/f from work like 5-10 minutes after the shooting occured. i noticed a load of cops and ambulances BEHIND me when i was driving on the street. I had no idea what was going on. I drove by the place before anyone had gotten there. we came to my house and turned on the news and found out what happened and heard the employees were across the street at the fire station. My g/f's dad works at the post office where the shooting happened. me and my girl rushed to the fire station to see if her dad was ok b/c he wasnt answering his phone. my girl was all worried. we found him and saw all the swat team members and all the other law enforcement officials. it was f'n crazy. everyone at the station was getting interviewed by the CSI. we were there at the fire station with her dad until after midnight. we heard a few briefings from the head sheriff and the fire chief and they told the crowd they hadnt found the killer yet. it was nuts. this one girl spoke up and was all "how do we know the killer isnt one of us?" oh man i felt like i was in a movie. LOL. crazy times. |
|
|
| Protege |
| Goddamn thats crazy, good to hear hes alright. |
|
|
| ivanbee |
| glad to hear your gf's dad is okay curly. dood, i saw the video this morning at work and it was crazy. there was a load of cops there... |
|
|
| SVGmethod |
| quote: | Originally posted by ivanbee
glad to hear your gf's dad is okay curly. dood, i saw the video this morning at work and it was crazy. there was a load of cops there... |
yeah man i was like right there watching it all unfold. there were tons of camera crews trying to get the scoop like in sharks. heartless bastards. |
|
|
| Clovis86 |
Like I said on myspace...that is really ed up.
Glad your gf's dad is safe, but damn how horrible. |
|
|
| CrazedOut |
| quote: | Originally posted by SVGmethod
this one girl spoke up and was all "how do we know the killer isnt one of us?" oh man i felt like i was in a movie. LOL. crazy times. |
hahaha thats craazy! damn dude I'd be scared less anythin like that occured near my place |
|
|
| liquiddawn |
| wow that really sux. sofrry for all the losses there. its gonna be a sad city for awhile. |
|
|
| trance_seeker |
| quote: | Originally posted by SVGmethod
...
The husband of one victim sat on a bench, surrounded by his parents and friends, his entire body trembling, hands shaking as he spoke on a cell phone, shortly after being denied access to his wife's body at the hospital.
A Sheriff's Department chaplain instructed him to call the morgue to arrange a viewing.
"I just want to hug her while she's still warm," he said through sobs.
...
|
Damn, that is so sad. :( |
|
|
| psychochick |
| wow~ the last i heard was only 3 people .. I've been go Goleta once .. my friend Dj Quixstyle use to live there .. so sad .. |
|
|
| Electrophile |
| Your name popped into my head instantly when I heard this on the news this morning. |
|
|
|
|
