A NASA contract worker shot and killed a hostage and then himself this afternoon at Johnson Space Center. It was just another act of senseless violence in a horribly violent week.
I wanted to escape the news tonight by watching back TV shows accumulated on my DVR. I began with the April 4 episode of "Medium."
Imagine my horror, when the epsiode turned out to be eerily similar to the Houston story.
The plot was about a fired aerospace engineer who holds his boss and co-workers hostage at the company's offices in Phoenix. I'll describe what happens, and add some quotes from the news story on CBSNews.com so you can compare.
Joe, the husband of Alison (the "medium"), is waiting for a co-worker Bruce, whom he doesn't know very well, to drive him to work since his own car is in the shop. Alison has a feeling of dread about the day and begs Joe to not accept the ride. Joe goes to work anyway, and when they pull up at the security gate of the aerospace firm where they work, Bruce says he's lost his card and asks Joe to let him in.
"To enter the space center, workers flash an ID badge as they drive past a security guard. The badge allows workers access to designated buildings."
Joe and Bruce go to the monthly project management meeting with their boss and two other coworkers when it's revealed that the boss had actually fired Joe a few days earlier.
"There were unconfirmed reports that the man was going to be fired on Friday."
When the boss threatens to call security, Bruce pulls out a gun.
"A source inside JSC told CBS Station KHOU that a meeting was under way in a conference room when the gunman walked in and pointed a gun at one person. He ordered everyone else out. "
To prove he means business, Bruce fires a shot in the ceiling. The boss still doesn't buy it, so a few minutes later Bruce shoots one of his hostages, a man.
"Authorities said the slain hostage, a man, was likely to have been shot "in the early minutes of the whole ordeal."
The police surround the building and try to speak to Bruce, but after he shoots the hostage he orders the boss to keep hanging up on the police when they call.
"Police commando unit officers had surrounded Building 44, which houses communications and a laboratory, after receiving reports of the gunman. After failing to establish communication with the intruder, police heard another shot from inside the office on the second floor where the gunman was holed up. "
The two stories ended differently. The Houston shooter killed himself, and the SWAT team takes Bruce out after they hear more shots fired.
Bruce, it turns out, is dying of a brain disease and has only a few weeks to live. He's distraught that his wife and son won't have any money since he's been fired and lost his pension and benefits. His m.o. is to show up at the meeting and try to get his job back, and if that fails, take hostages and force the boss to anonymously wire transfer money into his wife's bank account in an off-shore bank.
It's not yet known what motivated the Houston shooter, but I'm sure the details will emerge eventually.
Recent Comments