Monday, March 07, 2005

Employee and Client of VA Hospital Sentenced for Shooting- Murfreesboro, TN

A criminal court case was settled recently regarding a shooting at the Alvin York VA Medical Center two years ago. Michael Gardner was a janitorial supervisor and was receiving medical attention for his mental health issues. However, he was receiving counseling and medication from a pharmacist who was not authorized to provide such treatment. He was documented for having ''homicidal ideations''. Then on Oct. 7, 2003, he walked the hallways of the hospital firing birdshot at co-workers and at responding police officers. He then dropped his shotgun and surrendered before anyone was injured. He received an 8-year sentence. A federal tort claim against the hospital is still pending.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Mike was my neighbor and the first person to introduce themselves to my husband and myself when we moved to the neighborhood. He was an especially nice and friendly neighbor who loved his dog Lacey just like a child. I hate that this happened because it paints a bad picture of him when in fact he.simply snapped. We all have a snapping point and he reached his. What noone bothers to tell is that his employer was treating him poorly after many years on the job and it seemed as if he was about to lose his job. He is an extremely nice man who had enough and made a very poor decision that has changed his life. I would love to know where he is currently located as he.had been moved around and it is very difficult to get info when you aren't related. I will always think of him fondly and I still keep him in my prayers. Angela