Going Postal

[Keyser]

Well your right, the one thing that makes me think that whis was more a cry for attention is that usually when this happens, the shooter has atleast one certain person in mind and take that person out, the rest in collateral damage. I dont think these people even knew this lady. Like we say here "SHE JUST SNAPPED!". And yes I think the P.O. does hire some unstabel people. I just finished talking to a carrier who said he had a cat that mated with a rabbit and had half breed kittens, so decide for yourselves. We have people that we work with and just think "Its just a matter of time." Sucks to say but it's true. GOD I hope it never happens here.

[Keyser]

"Killed during the shooting were Mail Processing Clerk Guadalupe Swartz, 52, and Bulk Mail Clerk Nicola Grant, 42, from Lompoc, CA, and Mail Processing Clerks Ze Fairchild, 37, and Maleka Higgins, 28, from Santa Barbara, CA. Also dead is Mail Processing Clerk Dexter Shannon, 58, of Oxnard, CA, the only male victim in the attack.
Training Technician Charlotte Colton, 44, of Santa Barbara was wounded during the shooting and is in critical condition"
From our online newsletter at USPS.
http://http://www.***boat.com/image_...ictims-med.jpg

[steelcomp]

Here's what I understand AFA what happened. Our local news services are the absolute worst, so I've gathered as much off the National news as any other.
At about 9:15 last night, the shooter, knowing this was the time for shift change, was able to follow closely enough to another incoming car to get through the electric security gate. She allegedly made her way to the building enterance, on the way, killing two. It's suspected that she either took the electronic pass key off of one of her victims, or she took it from another employee at gunpoint, who was unhurt. There was a third victim found outside, near the enterance to the building. The woman who remains in critical condition was found in the entry way, just inside the door. As shots were being fired, a male employee was able to hide himself, and after waiting untill he felt it was safe, was able to phone 911, and the police arrived almost immediately. The breaking news came across the TV at about 10:00. At that time, the police had found the three victims outside, and the one still alive in the entry way. It was not known at that time where the shooter was, or how many other people may be involved. There's a fire station right across the street, and as many as possible were evacuated to that locaton, and the SWAT team was called, as there was still no sign of the shooter, who was still believed to be inside. I guess it was near 10:30 when around 45 SWAT members entered the building, and systematically began searching for the shooter. This is a very large facility, and it wasn't untill after 2:00 this morning when they found the last two victims, both dead, (one of which was my friend Pablo's wife) and the shooter who had comitted suicide. It's not known weather or not this was a random shooting, or weather or not the shooter targeted her victims. She used a 9mm semi-auto pistol, and had emptied one clip, and reloaded before all was said and done. She had been put on mental disability by the post office, and at one time during her smployment, had been removed from that facility by the sheriff. Fellow employees had called in a complaint, not in fear for themselves, but in fear that she might hurt herself. Mental disability will only pay for two years, so it's possible that she was facing some kind of hardship as her disability was about to, or had expired. She was living in AZ, and had a history of problems of mental instability there, as well.
That's about all I know at this point.

[Squirtin Thunder]

After reading all these wonderful, intellectually stimulating, sincere and sympathetic posts here in response to what happened in Goleta today, I can only say this is sad. I guess I can understand just tossing this aside as another tragic, yet basically insignificant event in the rhelm of humanity, something for the media to sink it's disgusting teeth into, something to make light of and toss around on a worthless internet forum. I may have thought the same thing, although not to this extent. It's good you all have such secure lives that you can waste the day away here on ***boat without a care. When I woke up this morning, I had heard the breaking news the night before about the shooting, and the sketchy details. I thought to myself about what a tragedy it was, and then went to bed.
I'm remodeling two houses within a minute of where this happened. I frequent this post office, as it's the only one open late at night. There's a huge shopping center right across the street, and it's a place I do business almost every day. This is home. This gave this incident a little more impact, as it was closer to home that usual, and kinda makes you think...think just a little more about just what went on there. But none the less, it was someone else's tragedy, and I had work to do. Almost.
I have a wonderful carpenter working for me who's been with me for about 2 yrs. now. He had a girlfriend who, just last year, he married and they had a baby girl just 9 mos ago. He's from Mexico, and never a more respectful, hard working, polite and genuine young man have I ever had the pleasure of working with. He's been working very hard to become legal, going to school at night, and he loves his beautiful, young wife Moleka, and his baby daughter, as you might well imagine. I only have one other worker, and we are a small and personal company, and I've really enjoyed getting to know Pablo and his family. Well, Pablo didn't come to work this morning.
Pablo's wife didn't come home last night. She won't come home tonight. Pablo's wife will never again come home to him and their daughter. HIs wife was one of the innocent victims of last night's shooting. As I'm writing this it's bringing tears to my eyes knowing what Pablo's going through tonight, knowing he'll never see his wife again, and hope that maybe it touches some of you, who laugh and joke about this. Hug your kids tonight. Tell your loved ones you love them. Don't take all this for granted!! Pablo will be strong, but I know in his heart, he's destroyed. He's in his twenties, young enough to have a chance of getting through this and moving on...eventually, but his derams, his desires, his wife, and his baby daughter's mom, are gone, just like that. The woman who was shot in the head and remains in critical condition, although not a good friend, is also someone I know, and who's kids I know. She has four young children, one with MS. She's clinging to life. She and her husband have had their problenms, lately, and there has even been talk of separation. Tonight, their differences seem petty.
These things can hit home. They can happen to you, or someone you know, and care for. What's strange to me is, why do we have to know someone, or be close to someone, to just at least care? Why does it have to happen close to home, before we offer some kind of emotional sacrafice, showing tears, and being sad? I had to ask this of myself, because untill I got the news first thing this morning, I was ready to pass it off as another tragedy. Not now, certainly not now. I am very sad.
For those of you who pray, I'd like to ask you for a moment of your time. Please pray for Pablo. Please take a moment and pray for all the victims of this sensless incident and their families. Every one of them, is just like every one of you and me, in every way that matters.
Thank you for taking time and reading this.
Scott
Great Post, Life is short
Thank you for putting this back into perspective.
Jim