Office Shooting Monday- Scared today

[Fish Miner]

Monday I was driving back after lunch to my office located in a Research Park which is next to a major University. fire rescue and police were swarming the building next to mine, I figured someone was hurt or whatever went in and got to work. I got on a Web conference right away and while people were looking at my computer screen the email came in indicating there was a shooting and our building was on lock down. Needless to say that caused a stir on the other end of my conference call.

Turns out some guy, shot a lady 5 times as she was walking back into her building and then turned the gun on himself. Both died.

I could prob throw a rock across the street from where I park and go into my office to where the shooting happened. Being in a no-gun zone (University employee) I got really frustrated. No police came to lock my building, the maintenance guy was standing there keeping people in and out. But the email was prob at least 30 min after the actual event. It scares the carp out of me that if I had been a few minutes earlier I could have seen or heard the event. Or worse stray shots are coming my way- or the worst, the shooter decides to run to the nearest building (mine) and hole up or take a hostage.

The whole thing has me kind of shook up. Never been this close to a shooting like this, all I can think of is how it could have gone much worse.

Thanks- just venting...

 

[44Dave]

If you're in a gun free zone, you have nothing to worry about

 

[veyec]

Was the other building also within the "no-gun" zone? If it was, I would write a letter to your state law makers and let them know that the "no-gun" zones work really well.

My condolences to the womans family.

 

[shooter514]

Was the other building also within the "no-gun" zone? If it was, I would write a letter to your state law makers and let them know that the "no-gun" zones work really well.

My condolences to the womans family.

whats with these unstable criminals not following the rules???? i mean geez..

 

[Ed Ames]

Let's be serrious for a moment....

That was not a random shooting.

The shooter is dead.

You are scared why? Are you in a relationship with, or have you just ended a relationship with, a jealous male? No? Even indirectly (through a common interest)? Jealous females can be dangerous too but usually a different sort of dangerous. Short of that, c'mon...

 

[oneounceload]

This was a stalker of the woman, who had been stalking her for over two years. her new husband watched it unfurl in front of his eyes. They were married 6 months.

This was not some random crackhead looking for a quick score

I feel sorry for her and his families.

 

[uspJ]

to the op-

if you had your gun how would that have made any difference in this situation? the woman and the shooter would still both be dead and you would not have known anything about it untill after the fact.

i'm certainly not a fan of gun free zones, i work in one myself.

 

[devildog32713]

Wow, just think, if someone had a CCW and stepped in, think of the difference it could have made. Wow, my condolences as well...

 

[Just One Shot]

to the op-

if you had your gun how would that have made any difference in this situation? the woman and the shooter would still both be dead and you would not have known anything about it untill after the fact.

i'm certainly not a fan of gun free zones, i work in one myself.

Read it again.

He wasn't talking about stepping in and preventing this, only that he feels helpless to protect himself had things turned out differently.

 

[ljnowell]

Wow, just think, if someone had a CCW and stepped in, think of the difference it could have made. Wow, my condolences as well...

Honestly, it probably wouldnt have mattered. By the time a person ccw'ing would have saw what was happening, she probably would have already been dead.

 

[EddieNFL]

Let's be serrious for a moment....

That was not a random shooting.

The shooter is dead.

You are scared why? Are you in a relationship with, or have you just ended a relationship with, a jealous male? No? Even indirectly (through a common interest)? Jealous females can be dangerous too but usually a different sort of dangerous. Short of that, c'mon...

I don't get your point. We're all safe as long as we haven't pissed off anyone? Random shooters don't chose gun free zones to carry out their twisted ideas of revenge? The shooter is dead, so it will never happen at this location again?

 

[DPris]

Each & every day we're an inch away from death. Period.
There's no way to avoid it.

Why dwell?

 

[gunhack]

over 20 years ago our two kids were playing one block over in the cul-de-sac with their friends.. we heard sirens an' stuff over there, so I jogged over to see what was up... activity at the house at the very end of the block (middle of the cul-de-sac)... was jogging down the middle of the street towards the cul-de-sac, when a "new york humming bird" buzzed over my head... close enough to where it was rather loud and quite distinct.. I had literally "dodged a bullet"... nut case in the end house had fired through the door at the cops... it was actually kinda cool... what did Churchill say about getting shot at without result...? but like an earlier poster said, were inches from death every day, just driving to work and back... cant worry about it.. wont do any good if 'ya do...

 

[JDoe]

The whole thing has me kind of shook up. Never been this close to a shooting like this, all I can think of is how it could have gone much worse.

I'm not suggesting that the following applies to you but it is something to be aware of for all of us.

Sometimes people don't process traumatic events in a way that results in them being able to move on without having their life disrupted.

You are probably aware that the chances of it getting "much worse" isn't very likely but you still have unwanted thoughts running through your mind. These thoughts and feelings can become a problem. If they continue for longer than a few weeks or a month and disrupt your life you need to get yourself to see a pro on trauma counseling.

PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder) is not limited to combat veterans and etc. Any life experience where the person senses a lack of control in a situation that could have resulted in grave injury or death or some other extreme disruption in their lives.

Overview

Post-traumatic stress disorder is a type of anxiety disorder. It can occur after you've seen or experienced a traumatic event that involved the threat of injury or death.

Symptoms

Symptoms of PTSD fall into three main categories:

1. Repeated "reliving" of the event, which disturbs day-to-day activity

* Flashback episodes, where the event seems to be happening again and again
* Recurrent distressing memories of the event
* Repeated dreams of the event
* Physical reactions to situations that remind you of the traumatic event

2. Avoidance

* Emotional "numbing," or feeling as though you don’t care about anything
* Feelings of detachment
* Inability to remember important aspects of the trauma
* Lack of interest in normal activities
* Less expression of moods
* Staying away from places, people, or objects that remind you of the event
* Sense of having no future

3. Arousal

* Difficulty concentrating
* Exaggerated response to things that startle you
* Excess awareness (hypervigilance)
* Irritability or outbursts of anger
* Sleeping difficulties

You also might feel a sense of guilt about the event (including "survivor guilt"), and the following symptoms, which are typical of anxiety, stress, and tension:

* Agitation, or excitability
* Dizziness
* Fainting
* Feeling your heart beat in your chest (palpitations)
* Fever
* Headache
* Paleness

 

[Fish Miner]

Thanks for the replies- I was just trying to vent to a crowd who understands this type of event. I was not really trying to insinuate that I would have run over there guns blazing to save the day- and I fully recognize that this sad sack was a crazy stalker after one person. The millions to one odds of him or others just going on a shooting spree are just that- millions to one odds.

It just seems that when lightning strikes you really don't want to be around it- families are crushed, people are dead and now lots of people are wondering about their safety (around here).

HAving seen shootings on the news (Tenn. today in fact) it never bothered me- it was always somewhere else and to someone else. Same with Monday, but it happened so close that I could not help but think about the other possibilities.

Not to mention just the fact a stray bullet could have hit any number of people in that building, my building or heck standing 2 miles away on the Quad on campus. Bad Juju all around .

 

[blakeci]

Hindsight's 20/20 we KNOW this shooter only targeted one person and then off'd himself, but what if the situation had been only slightly different. That is where the gun free zone restriction comes into play. Had this particular shooter behaved differently, other people could have became potential victims. We shouldn't casually dismiss the OP just because this particular individual chose to only shoot his one target and then himself.

 

[brboyer]

Thanks for the replies- I was just trying to vent to a crowd who understands this type of event. I was not really trying to insinuate that I would have run over there guns blazing to save the day- and I fully recognize that this sad sack was a crazy stalker after one person. The millions to one odds of him or others just going on a shooting spree are just that- millions to one odds.

It just seems that when lightning strikes you really don't want to be around it- families are crushed, people are dead and now lots of people are wondering about their safety (around here).

HAving seen shootings on the news (Tenn. today in fact) it never bothered me- it was always somewhere else and to someone else. Same with Monday, but it happened so close that I could not help but think about the other possibilities.

Not to mention just the fact a stray bullet could have hit any number of people in that building, my building or heck standing 2 miles away on the Quad on campus. Bad Juju all around .

You work for the University, but not on campus? Research park is owned by the University Foundation, not the University. So it's not School Property and if you're not on school property, you're legal to carry there. Employment status is irrelevant.

 

[Fish Miner]

I do work for the University- however Research Park is not owned by the Foundation. It is privately owned and operates as a entity similar to an aviation authority. My building is owned by the Foundation and is considered school property- we have classes in the building, students etc.

When I was hired HR lets you know that guns are not cool on campus or at any University facility... I kind of need to pay my mortgage so I will have to put my sheep costume on each morning on woolly leg at a time...for now.

 

[Werewolf]

Thanks for the replies- I was just trying to vent to a crowd who understands this type of event.

Why would you think this crowd would understand that type of event? Really? Why?

With the exception of the combat vet members here (and what they experienced is 1000 times, hell a million times worse than what you experienced) I'd bet not one person in 1,000 has even come close to what you experienced. If this thread is any indication 1,000 is probably too low a guess.

You want comfort and reassurance check with your significant other.
Want to validate your feelings see a shrink.

This is no place for either unless you're just into reading a lot of nonsense written by people who can only guess what you are feeling (and that includes me).

 

[SigP229R]

Hey Gunhack you I intepet correctly "New YOrk Hummingbird" to be a Helicopter? Love that one LOL!!!!!!!!!

 

[Ala Dan]

A Crime Of Passion

hey, they happen everyday; and in anywhere U.S.A. I know a fell'a here
in Alabama that walked into a law office where his ex-wife worked, and he
shot her dead with a Colt Python .357 magnum. He did not committ the
act of suicide himself; as he chose to rest his fate upon the jury. His
sentence at the time, 20 year's in prison~! This did not qualify as a
captial murder case in the State Of Alabama; as one has to committ
two class A felonies for that too happen.

Examples: Murder + Arson, Rape 1 + Murder, Murder Of A LEO, etc.

 

[bababooey32]

a lot of nonsense written by people who can only guess what you are feeling (and that includes me).

You demonstrated that quite profoundly. Thanks for your contribution.

 

[brboyer]

I do work for the University- however Research Park is not owned by the Foundation. It is privately owned and operates as a entity similar to an aviation authority. My building is owned by the Foundation and is considered school property- we have classes in the building, students etc.

When I was hired HR lets you know that guns are not cool on campus or at any University facility... I kind of need to pay my mortgage so I will have to put my sheep costume on each morning on woolly leg at a time...for now.

Central Florida Research Park, right? If so it is owned by the Foundation. I checked the property appraisers office.

An aviation authority? Not sure what that means, but then again if it is an 'Authority' it is a political subdivision of the State and cannot legally prohibit possession. But if you actually have classes in the building and then no carry, dang that sucks.

 

[Deltaboy1984]

Sorry for the Family. Nothing you could do but be prepared for yourself.

 

[Zoogster]

The only person you can rely on to have your personal defense as a priority is you.
In a gun free zone you cannot legally provide yourself with adequate defense against someone with a gun.
Security will often scatter if still alive and rarely risk their own lives for you, waiting for police to arrive and deal with an active shooter. Police will act to contain the situation once they learn what is even happening, but that may come far too late to be effective. Being locked down with a dangerous person in with you may protect people outside the building, but certainly won't help those with someone dangerous and may actually insure they are more vulnerable and unable to escape.


It made the OP quite aware of this fact, and the fact that nothing is any different today or in the future.



Valid concerns. Concerns that can only be mitigated by telling yourself that odds are highly in your favor that things will be just fine and you should never need to provide for your own defense.