WEBVTT 1 00:00:01.040 --> 00:00:02.200 We have an active shooter. 2 00:00:02.319 --> 00:00:03.919 We have an actor shooting's go ahead of a player 3 00:00:03.960 --> 00:00:05.240 that's a mass casually. 4 00:00:08.480 --> 00:00:12.000 Welcome to Active Shooter, a podcast that covers the whys, 5 00:00:12.599 --> 00:00:16.320 the hows, and the aftermath of active shooter and mass 6 00:00:16.359 --> 00:00:24.640 casualty events. They have an active shooter and a building 7 00:00:24.640 --> 00:00:27.760 A teching call. That's the our big attack of the 8 00:00:27.839 --> 00:00:29.760 shot six tens. 9 00:00:29.839 --> 00:00:33.159 We got chuck fire at four fifteen asl Brouge ninety one. 10 00:00:33.240 --> 00:00:34.399 So I'm like, oh, I'm at a fire. 11 00:00:48.960 --> 00:00:49.600 Active shooter. 12 00:00:49.840 --> 00:00:53.079 It's of an active shooter, active shooter, active shooter and 13 00:00:53.159 --> 00:00:54.520 mass casualty incidents. 14 00:00:56.600 --> 00:00:58.000 Thank you for listening. 15 00:01:00.399 --> 00:01:03.280 You are listening to Active Shooter, a podcast that may 16 00:01:03.320 --> 00:01:07.519 contain adult themes, explicit language, and graphic depictions of violence. 17 00:01:08.120 --> 00:01:11.239 Portions of this show may be traumatic for those under eighteen. 18 00:01:12.000 --> 00:01:14.159 Listener discretion is advised. 19 00:01:15.879 --> 00:01:19.920 Back in nineteen eighty six, that part time employee killed 20 00:01:20.200 --> 00:01:24.799 fourteen people and injured another six. Authorities say he later 21 00:01:25.079 --> 00:01:28.280 turned the gun on himself. This was just one of 22 00:01:28.400 --> 00:01:31.439 a number of post office shootings during that decade. 23 00:01:33.560 --> 00:01:36.640 The phrase going postal is a slang term that has 24 00:01:36.680 --> 00:01:40.400 been used in American culture for decades. While it is 25 00:01:40.480 --> 00:01:44.439 often said in jest, it carries a more serious meaning 26 00:01:44.480 --> 00:01:48.480 in the workplace, suggesting that an individual becomes so frustrated 27 00:01:48.920 --> 00:01:53.000 that they resort to violence. Many people are unaware of 28 00:01:53.079 --> 00:01:56.519 the origins of this phrase. The term originated from a 29 00:01:56.680 --> 00:02:01.560 tragic event that occurred on Wednesday, August twenty, nineteen eighty six, 30 00:02:01.959 --> 00:02:04.680 when a shooting took place at the Edmund Post Office 31 00:02:05.000 --> 00:02:11.039 in Edmund, Oklahoma. This horrific massacre targeted nearly ninety unsuspecting 32 00:02:11.159 --> 00:02:14.400 postal workers and was carried out by one of their own. 33 00:02:15.800 --> 00:02:19.000 It resulted in a tremendous loss of life and remains 34 00:02:19.080 --> 00:02:22.599 the deadliest workplace shooting to date, and it led to 35 00:02:22.680 --> 00:02:26.439 the coining of the phrase going postal. Today's case is 36 00:02:26.520 --> 00:02:29.960 dedicated to the memory of the fourteen deceased victims and 37 00:02:30.120 --> 00:02:32.039 the six surviving workers. 38 00:02:45.960 --> 00:02:49.120 Active Shooter the podcast is a High five Holly production 39 00:02:49.520 --> 00:02:52.840 and I'm your host JT. If you've listened to our 40 00:02:52.879 --> 00:02:56.400 prior episodes, you know that the Active Shooter podcast team 41 00:02:56.800 --> 00:02:59.759 has taken the no notoriety pledge and we will not 42 00:03:00.000 --> 00:03:02.680 be sharing the real name of the shooters that we covered. 43 00:03:04.080 --> 00:03:06.759 We will be giving the shooters a pseudonym and refer 44 00:03:06.879 --> 00:03:10.319 to them by that name throughout the episode. This will 45 00:03:10.360 --> 00:03:13.280 help in clearing up any confusion in the story. While 46 00:03:13.319 --> 00:03:16.319 remaining true to our pledge and not naming the shooter 47 00:03:16.639 --> 00:03:22.280 by their actual name, we will refer to today's shooter 48 00:03:23.080 --> 00:03:36.879 as Jeff. Wednesday, August twentieth, nineteen eighty six was a 49 00:03:37.159 --> 00:03:41.159 hot day in Edmund, Oklahoma. The day was cloudy from 50 00:03:41.319 --> 00:03:44.719 sunrise to set, but the temperatures hovered in the mid 51 00:03:44.879 --> 00:03:48.680 nineties nearly as long. There was a clear patch from 52 00:03:48.800 --> 00:03:52.039 about noon to two, but still it was a business 53 00:03:52.159 --> 00:03:55.439 day and many residents didn't get the opportunity to enjoy 54 00:03:55.560 --> 00:03:59.240 the brief period of sun At the Edmund Post Office, 55 00:03:59.280 --> 00:04:02.400 located on two two hundred North Broadway, it was business 56 00:04:02.439 --> 00:04:06.800 as usual. The location employed about ninety three employees, and 57 00:04:06.919 --> 00:04:09.879 on that Wednesday, there were anywhere from eighty to ninety 58 00:04:09.960 --> 00:04:14.759 employees working part time. Employee Jeff was an imposing man 59 00:04:14.840 --> 00:04:18.439 who stood six foot two with a stocky build. He 60 00:04:18.480 --> 00:04:22.399 had a bald head and a full mustache. He arrived 61 00:04:22.439 --> 00:04:25.759 at work at six fifty five am toting a mailbag 62 00:04:25.879 --> 00:04:29.240 that carried a Ruger Mk to twenty two caliber semi 63 00:04:29.319 --> 00:04:33.600 automatic pistol and two forty five caliber M nineteen eleven pistols, 64 00:04:33.839 --> 00:04:38.959 a Remington and a Colt. Jeff was sick and tired 65 00:04:39.680 --> 00:04:43.120 of having meetings at work, meetings where he was written 66 00:04:43.240 --> 00:04:46.519 up or got into trouble for one infraction or another, 67 00:04:47.319 --> 00:04:51.120 so he intended to air his grievances in the most 68 00:04:51.240 --> 00:04:57.120 public and terrifying way imaginable. Shortly after seven in the morning, 69 00:04:57.240 --> 00:05:00.759 Jeff saw Richard Esser Junior in the park lot a 70 00:05:00.879 --> 00:05:04.600 short distance from the back entrance of the post office. Richard, 71 00:05:04.680 --> 00:05:07.480 along with Bill Bland, were two supervisors who had a 72 00:05:07.560 --> 00:05:11.160 meeting to verbally reprimand Jeff the day prior, making them 73 00:05:11.240 --> 00:05:15.000 both targets for his revenge. Although Bill was nowhere to 74 00:05:15.079 --> 00:05:18.519 be seen, Richard was heading into the building when Jeff 75 00:05:18.600 --> 00:05:22.839 shot and killed him. Bill was running late that day, 76 00:05:23.399 --> 00:05:28.360 He overslept and arrived after the shooting was over. Minutes 77 00:05:28.399 --> 00:05:31.560 after shooting Richard, Jeff entered the back entrance to the 78 00:05:31.639 --> 00:05:34.920 post office, brandishing one of the pistols, and he locked 79 00:05:35.120 --> 00:05:38.879 the door behind him as he entered. He started shooting 80 00:05:38.959 --> 00:05:42.519 as he paced from one work area to another, reloading 81 00:05:42.800 --> 00:05:47.279 multiple times along the way. Employees ducked behind the mass 82 00:05:47.319 --> 00:05:50.480 of plastic counters, which were situated in a horseshoe shaped 83 00:05:50.560 --> 00:05:53.600 room used for sorting. At seven o three a m. 84 00:05:53.759 --> 00:05:57.800 Several employees escaped from the building, while those inside desperately 85 00:05:57.959 --> 00:06:01.519 sought out a place to hide. Two minutes later, police 86 00:06:01.519 --> 00:06:04.360 were dispatched to the post office after being alerted of 87 00:06:04.439 --> 00:06:09.519 shots fired. Only one minute later police arrived on scene, 88 00:06:09.560 --> 00:06:12.560 and by ten minutes after seven in the morning, hostage 89 00:06:12.639 --> 00:06:15.319 negotiators arrived along with a SWAT team. 90 00:06:16.240 --> 00:06:19.680 A command post was quickly established and police spent the 91 00:06:19.800 --> 00:06:24.079 following forty five minutes trying to make contact by bullhorn 92 00:06:24.240 --> 00:06:28.639 and phone with someone on the inside. After no success 93 00:06:28.680 --> 00:06:31.720 in making contact, police commanders issued in order to storm 94 00:06:31.759 --> 00:06:36.319 the building. At eight fifteen, A team of five assembled 95 00:06:36.399 --> 00:06:39.439 and at eight thirty they entered the post office by 96 00:06:39.480 --> 00:06:44.399 the side entrance using a postal department key. Within a minute, 97 00:06:44.600 --> 00:06:49.120 they reported that the shooter was located and deceased. Jeff 98 00:06:49.439 --> 00:06:52.800 shot nearly the entire time he was locked inside of 99 00:06:52.879 --> 00:06:56.040 the post office, killing another thirteen of his coworkers in 100 00:06:56.120 --> 00:06:59.319 his rampage. It was only as police entered the post 101 00:06:59.399 --> 00:07:03.839 office that Jeff Yeff took his own life. Police did 102 00:07:03.879 --> 00:07:12.560 not fire a single bullet. A reunification center was established 103 00:07:12.600 --> 00:07:15.680 at the nearby city Hall, and relatives were called into 104 00:07:15.759 --> 00:07:20.759 a makeshift waiting room one by one to identify their 105 00:07:20.839 --> 00:07:25.959 loved one's body. The sheer horror and heartbreak of having 106 00:07:26.040 --> 00:07:31.600 to ensure such moments is beyond comprehension. Over one hundred 107 00:07:31.639 --> 00:07:34.920 pieces of mail were smeared or splashed with bloodstains, and 108 00:07:35.000 --> 00:07:38.759 it's unknown what happened to each of the defaced mail pieces. 109 00:07:39.839 --> 00:07:43.240 Among the injured survivors were forty year old William Nemo, 110 00:07:43.720 --> 00:07:46.759 who sustained a gunshot wound to the abdomen. He was 111 00:07:46.839 --> 00:07:50.800 rushed to Edmund Memorial Hospital in critical condition after the shooting. 112 00:07:51.600 --> 00:07:54.560 Forty year old Judith Walker suffered gunshot wounds to her 113 00:07:54.680 --> 00:07:58.879 chest and right hand. Fifty four year old Jean Bray 114 00:07:59.079 --> 00:08:01.560 was shot in the lower back and right flank. He 115 00:08:01.759 --> 00:08:04.720 was rushed to the hospital in stable but serious condition. 116 00:08:06.600 --> 00:08:09.519 Twenty three year old Stephen Vick was shot in the 117 00:08:09.600 --> 00:08:13.240 lower abdomen and required emergency surgery, but was in fair 118 00:08:13.279 --> 00:08:17.360 condition when he was brought to the hospital. Eva Joyce 119 00:08:17.600 --> 00:08:20.399 Ingram was shot in the right arm and neck. The 120 00:08:20.480 --> 00:08:22.920 forty five year old woman was rushed to the hospital 121 00:08:23.040 --> 00:08:28.120 in fair condition, but immediately underwent surgery. Finally, thirty six 122 00:08:28.279 --> 00:08:31.519 year old Michael Bigler was treated for superficial back wounds 123 00:08:31.600 --> 00:08:52.399 and was released from the hospital rather quickly. Forty one 124 00:08:52.480 --> 00:08:56.159 year old Patricia Ann Chambers was born in April second, 125 00:08:56.519 --> 00:08:59.559 nineteen forty four and worked at the post Office as 126 00:08:59.559 --> 00:09:03.080 a part time. She was survived by her husband and 127 00:09:03.159 --> 00:09:08.799 two children. Forty one year old Judy Stephen Denny was 128 00:09:08.879 --> 00:09:11.919 a part time clerk who moved to Oklahoma only two 129 00:09:12.200 --> 00:09:15.480 months earlier with her husband. She was employed by the 130 00:09:15.519 --> 00:09:20.080 Post Office only four days before she was murdered. Judy's 131 00:09:20.080 --> 00:09:24.120 spouse was a twenty year service veteran who was promoted 132 00:09:24.200 --> 00:09:28.360 and had been transferred in June. Thirty eight year old 133 00:09:28.480 --> 00:09:33.279 Richard Rick c. Eser, Junior was a Vietnam veteran from Sedalia, 134 00:09:33.360 --> 00:09:37.200 Oklahoma who loved to tend his garden. After being employed 135 00:09:37.200 --> 00:09:39.679 with the Post Office for six years, Rick was recently 136 00:09:39.759 --> 00:09:45.840 promoted to supervisor before his murder. Patricia pat A. Gabbard 137 00:09:46.200 --> 00:09:48.759 was a full time postal clerk and had only worked 138 00:09:48.840 --> 00:09:52.000 for the Post Office for about five months before she 139 00:09:52.240 --> 00:09:55.799 was murdered. She was a free spirit who wrote poetry 140 00:09:55.919 --> 00:09:59.000 and was described as a friendly person who got along 141 00:09:59.080 --> 00:10:02.440 with everyone she met. The forty seven year old divorced 142 00:10:02.480 --> 00:10:08.600 mother of two daughters loved to travel. JOHNA. Gregort Hamilton 143 00:10:08.759 --> 00:10:11.279 was thirty years old and loved her job at the 144 00:10:11.320 --> 00:10:15.919 post office. The beloved daughter of John and Joyce Gregort. JOHNA. 145 00:10:16.200 --> 00:10:21.720 Was outgoing and wore a perpetual smile. Forty eight year 146 00:10:21.720 --> 00:10:25.200 old Patty Jean Husband was a supervisor at the post office. 147 00:10:25.600 --> 00:10:28.480 She dreamed of raising horses and adored her eighteen year 148 00:10:28.480 --> 00:10:31.759 old cat, whom she lovingly referred to as her baby. 149 00:10:32.759 --> 00:10:37.200 Everyone who knew her loved Patty. Thirty four year old 150 00:10:37.279 --> 00:10:39.720 Betty Ann Jared was a clerk at the post office. 151 00:10:39.919 --> 00:10:42.799 She started working for the post office nine years earlier 152 00:10:42.919 --> 00:10:46.200 in Rocky Ford, Colorado, and transferred to the Edmund branch 153 00:10:46.240 --> 00:10:49.960 about five years before the shooting. The religious woman loved 154 00:10:49.960 --> 00:10:54.080 to prepare Mexican food, and she especially loved to travel. 155 00:10:55.679 --> 00:10:59.039 Thirty year old William billy F. Miller was a native 156 00:10:59.080 --> 00:11:02.360 of Oklahoma City and was a full time rural route carrier. 157 00:11:02.919 --> 00:11:05.919 He graduated from Piedmont High School in nineteen seventy four 158 00:11:06.080 --> 00:11:10.559 before attending the Canadian valley area of Votech School. Billy 159 00:11:10.639 --> 00:11:14.080 was a proud member of the National Rural Letter Carriers 160 00:11:14.080 --> 00:11:17.639 Association and was a former member of the Piedmont Volunteer 161 00:11:17.720 --> 00:11:21.279 Fire Department. He is survived by his wife and daughter. 162 00:11:22.879 --> 00:11:25.519 Kenneth W. Morley was a forty nine year old full 163 00:11:25.600 --> 00:11:29.559 time mail carrier. He raised Arabian horses with his wife, Judy, 164 00:11:29.879 --> 00:11:33.440 and the couple loved their life together. Judy was also 165 00:11:33.559 --> 00:11:36.360 employed by the Post Office, but she was uninjured during 166 00:11:36.440 --> 00:11:41.240 the rampage, making her loss uniquely poignant. The couple had 167 00:11:41.240 --> 00:11:46.519 a college aged son and several cats. Leroy Phillips was 168 00:11:46.600 --> 00:11:48.879 a forty two year old man who was employed by 169 00:11:48.919 --> 00:11:51.840 the Post Office for only about three months before the shooting. 170 00:11:52.519 --> 00:11:55.039 He retired from the Air Force the previous August after 171 00:11:55.080 --> 00:11:59.600 an impressive twenty three years of service. Leroy is survived 172 00:11:59.600 --> 00:12:03.320 by his two sons and wife. Fifty one year old 173 00:12:03.399 --> 00:12:06.879 Jerry Ralph Pyle was a rural mail carrier for about 174 00:12:06.960 --> 00:12:10.840 twelve years. He was funny and extremely dedicated to his job. 175 00:12:11.639 --> 00:12:15.000 The family man thought of and spoke about his children 176 00:12:15.080 --> 00:12:18.639 and grandchildren frequently. He began his career with the Post 177 00:12:18.679 --> 00:12:23.519 Office as a window clerk Thirty three year old Paul 178 00:12:23.720 --> 00:12:27.600 Michael Mike Rockney was from Edmund, Oklahoma. He was the 179 00:12:27.679 --> 00:12:31.120 grandson of Notre Dame football coach Newt Rockney and a 180 00:12:31.240 --> 00:12:35.519 graduate of Oklahoma State University. Paul was a Vietnam vett 181 00:12:35.639 --> 00:12:38.000 who was employed by the post Office for five years 182 00:12:38.039 --> 00:12:41.519 before he was taken from his best friend and wife, Linda, 183 00:12:41.879 --> 00:12:46.279 and their seven year old son, Damien. Thirty one year 184 00:12:46.320 --> 00:12:50.039 old Thomas Wade Schader Junior was a part time postal 185 00:12:50.080 --> 00:12:54.039 clerk who originally hailed from Arlington, Virginia. He graduated from 186 00:12:54.120 --> 00:12:57.399 James Madison High School in Arlington in nineteen seventy one 187 00:12:57.799 --> 00:13:00.960 and then enlisted in the US Air Force in Colorado Springs. 188 00:13:01.679 --> 00:13:04.559 He moved to Oklahoma from Minnesota about two years before 189 00:13:04.639 --> 00:13:08.879 the shooting. He was an avid cyclist and an extremely 190 00:13:09.000 --> 00:13:12.679 proud member of the Oklahoma Bicycle Society of Oklahoma City. 191 00:13:14.320 --> 00:13:16.799 Twenty seven year old Patty Lou Welch was a full 192 00:13:16.879 --> 00:13:19.840 time clerk who was married to Randy Welch. The couple 193 00:13:19.919 --> 00:13:24.200 had just gotten married in April before the shooting. Born 194 00:13:24.279 --> 00:13:28.000 and raised in Lawton, Oklahoma, Patty graduated Lawton High before 195 00:13:28.039 --> 00:13:31.480 she attended Cameron University, and she was taking more classes 196 00:13:31.519 --> 00:13:34.879 at Oklahoma City Community College. She worked for the post 197 00:13:34.919 --> 00:13:37.679 Office for about five years leading up to the shooting. 198 00:13:54.120 --> 00:13:57.440 Forty four year old Jeff was born on November fourteenth, 199 00:13:57.799 --> 00:14:02.320 nineteen forty one, in Watonga, Oklahoma. He graduated from Harding 200 00:14:02.440 --> 00:14:06.200 High School in Oklahoma City before attending the University of 201 00:14:06.240 --> 00:14:10.879 Oklahoma from nineteen fifty nine to nineteen sixty. He transferred 202 00:14:10.919 --> 00:14:14.360 to Central State University from nineteen sixty seven to nineteen 203 00:14:14.519 --> 00:14:18.639 seventy before finishing up at Oklahoma City Southwestern Junior College, 204 00:14:18.879 --> 00:14:22.399 where he was enrolled from nineteen seventy to nineteen seventy one. 205 00:14:23.159 --> 00:14:26.080 During his break from educational pursuits, Jeff served in the 206 00:14:26.159 --> 00:14:30.120 Marine Corps from January nineteen sixty four to December nineteen 207 00:14:30.159 --> 00:14:33.360 sixty six. He claimed that he was a Vietnam Vet, 208 00:14:34.120 --> 00:14:37.480 but that was a lie. Jeff never served outside of 209 00:14:37.480 --> 00:14:41.840 the United States. He trained as a communications and electronics 210 00:14:41.879 --> 00:14:46.360 technician at Campbella June in North Carolina and was honorably discharged. 211 00:14:47.840 --> 00:14:50.679 Those who had a general knowledge of him say Jeff 212 00:14:50.759 --> 00:14:54.919 was best described as a loaner. He had no criminal 213 00:14:55.000 --> 00:14:57.480 record and seemed happiest when he served in the Corps, 214 00:14:58.000 --> 00:15:00.720 so he eventually joined the five oh seven, a tactical 215 00:15:00.840 --> 00:15:03.919 fighter group of the Air Force Reserve at Tinker Air 216 00:15:04.000 --> 00:15:07.600 Force Base in Oklahoma, as a small arms instructor. He 217 00:15:07.759 --> 00:15:10.919 left the Reserves and joined the Guard on October thirteenth, 218 00:15:11.039 --> 00:15:14.519 nineteen eighty four. Jeff spent much of his career handling 219 00:15:14.600 --> 00:15:18.200 firearms and became an expert marksman, even joining the pistol 220 00:15:18.240 --> 00:15:22.679 team while in the Oklahoma Air National Guard. His exploits 221 00:15:22.720 --> 00:15:25.440 with the Reserve seemed to have a significant impact on 222 00:15:25.559 --> 00:15:28.840 Jeff because his neighbors say that he often would sneak 223 00:15:28.879 --> 00:15:32.320 around the neighborhood at night, dressed in full camouflage, peeking 224 00:15:32.399 --> 00:15:36.039 into the windows of his startled neighbors. Some believed that 225 00:15:36.120 --> 00:15:39.000 Jeff kidnapped their animals and tied them up with bailing 226 00:15:39.120 --> 00:15:43.320 wire so his own dog, a Dalmatian, could mutilate them. 227 00:15:44.519 --> 00:15:46.840 It's not clear how the neighbors knew this was Jeff 228 00:15:47.200 --> 00:15:50.399 or why nothing was reported to the police. It's equally 229 00:15:50.519 --> 00:15:54.200 unknown whether things were reported and simply deemed not serious. 230 00:15:55.399 --> 00:16:00.440 Either way, Jeff intimidated people. He made them nervous. He 231 00:16:00.600 --> 00:16:04.159 peered intently to the point of downright staring at others, 232 00:16:04.639 --> 00:16:09.320 making people entirely uncomfortable in his presence. He had a 233 00:16:09.440 --> 00:16:13.559 borderline obsession with weapons of all kinds. He also had 234 00:16:13.679 --> 00:16:18.399 an obsession with bicycles and radios. Jeff was known to 235 00:16:18.440 --> 00:16:22.600 collect everything he found and kept electronic components and pieces, 236 00:16:22.960 --> 00:16:27.080 miscellaneous tools, and small pieces of junk machinery. The garage 237 00:16:27.159 --> 00:16:30.120 in the back of his house was filled with his junk, 238 00:16:30.480 --> 00:16:33.960 including a rusted out Buick and Evolvo. There was also 239 00:16:34.039 --> 00:16:37.600 a Honda motorcycle, a couple of washing machines, and two lawnmowers. 240 00:16:38.120 --> 00:16:41.639 He was the proverbial hoarder, and when his house was 241 00:16:41.679 --> 00:16:45.879 searched later investigators described his house as quote reeking of 242 00:16:46.000 --> 00:16:49.679 accumulated filth, as the floor was littered with dirty laundry, 243 00:16:49.799 --> 00:16:53.320 junked radio pieces were strewn all over the kitchen counters, 244 00:16:53.679 --> 00:16:57.720 and his yard had four high grain radio antennas sticking out. 245 00:16:58.799 --> 00:17:01.559 Creeped out neighbors say that Jeff would stand in his 246 00:17:01.720 --> 00:17:05.680 front door, illuminated by his porch light, and he stared 247 00:17:05.799 --> 00:17:08.480 out into the street wearing only a pair of underwear. 248 00:17:09.240 --> 00:17:11.839 One neighbor said that Jeff often went out at night 249 00:17:12.359 --> 00:17:15.480 riding his bicycle up and down the street while muttering 250 00:17:15.559 --> 00:17:19.519 and seeming very angry. He spoke of women in obscene 251 00:17:19.720 --> 00:17:25.160 ways and a classic misogynist, He rarely, if ever dated. 252 00:17:25.400 --> 00:17:27.640 He didn't have a girlfriend that anyone was aware of. 253 00:17:28.160 --> 00:17:31.079 He dressed casually, even for work, and by casual we 254 00:17:31.200 --> 00:17:34.160 mean shorts, jogging pants, and T shirts, and he nearly 255 00:17:34.319 --> 00:17:37.440 always wore a military belt with a gun tucked inside. 256 00:17:38.839 --> 00:17:41.799 Jeff lived in a small, nondescript home, which was the 257 00:17:41.880 --> 00:17:44.519 same place he had lived for twenty seven years. He 258 00:17:44.640 --> 00:17:47.119 inherited the home from his mother, though he lived with 259 00:17:47.200 --> 00:17:49.839 her until her passing some handful of years. Before the shooting, 260 00:17:51.039 --> 00:17:54.480 he worked a variety of jobs, including radio repair, fixing 261 00:17:54.599 --> 00:17:57.400 traffic lights, and he even worked in a stock room 262 00:17:57.480 --> 00:18:01.599 at the American Cancer Society From about nineteen seventy two 263 00:18:01.680 --> 00:18:05.279 to nineteen eighty one. Jeff volunteered his radio skills to 264 00:18:05.319 --> 00:18:08.119 the Red Cross, which was used in times of emergency. 265 00:18:08.759 --> 00:18:11.480 In April of nineteen eighty five, Jeff landed a job 266 00:18:11.559 --> 00:18:15.039 at the Edmund Post Office as a mail carrier. After 267 00:18:15.160 --> 00:18:18.000 the shooting, postal officials claimed that Jeff was on the 268 00:18:18.079 --> 00:18:21.079 verge of being fired due to his poor performance. He 269 00:18:21.240 --> 00:18:23.799 was actually hired by the Post Office as a letter 270 00:18:23.920 --> 00:18:27.880 sorting machine operator in Oklahoma City in February of nineteen 271 00:18:27.880 --> 00:18:30.960 eighty two. He failed to qualify on the machine, and 272 00:18:31.079 --> 00:18:34.160 he resigned after about eighty nine days, which was a 273 00:18:34.240 --> 00:18:38.279 mere day before his ninety day probationary period ended. He 274 00:18:38.440 --> 00:18:41.359 was later rehired as a mail carrier, and he quickly 275 00:18:41.519 --> 00:18:44.880 proved to have difficulty with that job as well. He 276 00:18:44.960 --> 00:18:48.759 struggled to learn and ended up being disciplined on numerous occasions. 277 00:18:49.440 --> 00:18:52.720 As mentioned, Jeff was reprimanded the day before the shooting, 278 00:18:53.240 --> 00:18:56.079 but also earlier in the year he got into trouble 279 00:18:56.160 --> 00:18:58.839 for shooting mace at a dog on his mail route. 280 00:19:00.000 --> 00:19:03.160 Before the shooting, Jeff was informed that if his performance 281 00:19:03.279 --> 00:19:08.119 didn't improve seriously and soon, he would be let go. 282 00:19:08.960 --> 00:19:11.720 Coworkers say that Jeff was difficult to get along with, 283 00:19:12.200 --> 00:19:16.480 describing him as antisocial, never laughing and rarely even smiling. 284 00:19:17.279 --> 00:19:21.480 When his house was searched, police located several weapons, numerous 285 00:19:21.559 --> 00:19:28.400 pairs of camouflage pants, videotapes, and books. The Post Office 286 00:19:28.440 --> 00:19:32.519 swiftly hired a cleaning service to remove the blood smeared 287 00:19:32.559 --> 00:19:37.359 walls and scrub blood soaked floors. And they reopened only 288 00:19:37.440 --> 00:19:42.160 twenty five hours after the shooting. Now employees weren't required 289 00:19:42.200 --> 00:19:45.839 to report back to work immediately, but a minister and 290 00:19:45.920 --> 00:19:53.720 psychologist were brought in to assist those who did. We 291 00:19:53.880 --> 00:19:56.599 all have the unique ability to help prevent such a 292 00:19:56.720 --> 00:20:00.200 catastrophic event from happening if we keep our eyes and 293 00:20:00.359 --> 00:20:04.960 ears open and never hesitate to report when something or 294 00:20:05.160 --> 00:20:09.680 someone just doesn't seem right. With the delicate balance of 295 00:20:09.759 --> 00:20:13.599 mental health reform, education, active shooter training, and common sense 296 00:20:13.680 --> 00:20:18.039 gun laws, we may one day realize the dream, the 297 00:20:18.200 --> 00:20:22.240 dream that there will be no more active shootings. We 298 00:20:22.440 --> 00:20:25.160 pray that love will prevail over hate. 299 00:20:26.319 --> 00:20:30.880 Too many have died, we should say to ourselves, not 300 00:20:31.440 --> 00:20:32.400 one more. 301 00:20:34.400 --> 00:20:37.039 In the meantime, we urge our listeners to stay aware 302 00:20:37.119 --> 00:20:39.680 of your surroundings and keep in touch with your loved ones. 303 00:20:40.160 --> 00:20:45.160 If you see something, say something, you never know how 304 00:20:45.279 --> 00:20:47.200 many lives you'll be saving. 305 00:20:54.039 --> 00:20:56.799 Thank you for listening to today's episode of Active Shooter 306 00:20:57.039 --> 00:21:02.880 the podcast. Remember, if you see something, say something, there's 307 00:21:02.960 --> 00:21:06.000 no telling how many lives you may be saving. A 308 00:21:06.079 --> 00:21:09.079 big thank you to Darren Curtis, who composed some of 309 00:21:09.160 --> 00:21:12.440 the songs on our show. You can find him online 310 00:21:12.839 --> 00:21:18.799 at www dot Darrencurtis music dot com. Make sure to 311 00:21:18.880 --> 00:21:21.519 check us out on social media. You can find us 312 00:21:21.640 --> 00:21:25.839 on Facebook at Active Shooter the Podcast and on Twitter 313 00:21:26.359 --> 00:21:30.519 at podcast Active. Thank you and be safe.