Workplaces that Allow Guns at Work More Likely to Have Homicide Occur

A new study from University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill indicates that workplace murders are three times more likely to occur at jobs that permit employees to carry weapons than in places that prohibit all weapons and that risk is double if guns are involved. Dana Loomis, a professor of epidemiology and member of the UNC Injury Prevention Research Center published in the May issue of the American Journal of Public Health a study that looks at 87 cases where employees were killed at work sites in North Carolina between 1994 and 1998 with 177 comparable work sites where there were no murders. In places that allow firearms and other weapons, there is a 7 fold increase in the risk of an on-the-job murder. Similar to residential studies, this obviously shows that there is a greater risk for homicide in workplaces that allow guns to be carried.
This study has deep significance for recent state legislation such as in Virginia where it is legal to have a firearm on school property in the parking lot and in Okalahoma and Ohio where there is legislation to allow employees to have guns in their cars at work.

April 14th Detroit, MI Former Employee Shot by Stranger In Lobby of TV Station

A former employee comes to the workplace and a shooting occurs. But this incident has unique twist. John Owens, 53, was visiting the lobby of a TV station WDIV-TV when he was shot by a man who had apparently been harassing and assaulting company employees for the past year. At approximately 4:15 p.m., Owens was there to pick up a video tape when a unidentified man entered the lobby but was not given admittance to the building since the receptionist recognized him as someone who they have had problems with before. The man then shot Owens and fled. Authorities later apprehended a suspect. A spokesman of the station stated that although they regret that a former employee was hurt, the security systems that they had in place did their job. The suspect obviously came to the station to inflict harm but was identified (and recorded) on the CCTV system and not buzzed in to the building. In a American Society of Employers survey of 245 Detroit-area companies, 61 percent said they had a workplace violence policy in place in 2004, up from 41 percent in 2000.

April 22nd Jackson, MI Man Shoots Co-Worker of Missing Tools Dispute

Eddie Mitchell, 51, alledgley murdered Clifton Patterson, 43, Anglin Tire Company. Mitchell reportedly shot Patterson three times during a dispute over missing tools, hitting him in the abdomen, left rear shoulder and in the back of the head. Mitchell had kept a handgun in one of his tool boxes.

April 18th Benoni, South Africa Business Owner Kills Two Workers and Injures Another

In case of an employer shooting his own employees, Tony Jones, 55, opened fire at MCE Engineering on Monday after a dispute over wage payments. He was arguing with 15 of his employees in the morning as they were demanding their full payment, only a portion of which did they receive. There was history of abusive practices such as when he set his 10 attack dogs on his workers last year. These dogs were constantly intimidating the workers through the workplace. In this last shooting, two workers were killed and one critically injured when he ordered them outside the gate and then came back with a gun, firing randomly at the workers. He was later found dead inside his office from a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head.

Jury Finds Mother not Guilty of 1st Degee Murder of Rapist

A jury found the defendant Kimberly Cunningham, 33, not guilty of first degree murder when she went to the Alcoa, TN workplace of Coy Hundley, 39, and shot him in the parking lot. It was over a year and half ago when Cunningham discovered that Hudley had allegedly raped her 10 year old daughter. Hudley was also the girl’s uncle. The next day, Cunningham went to Slide Lock Tool Inc. where Hudley worked and shot him 8 times. The jury is still weighing to convict her of lesser charges.

San Antonio, TX Air Force Base Captain Under Investigation for Attempting to Plot Murder of Wife at Work

At the Lackland Air Force Base, Captain Barry Brown and his aide, Staff Sergeant Ramona Greiner, are both under investigation for planning the murder of Brown’s wife. Greiner allegedly asked a civilian friend to kill the Captain’s wife for the price of $25,000. The man went to the authorities who helped him arrange a meeting on March 25th with the two suspects. The man was wearing a microphone and taped the solicitation for murder and plan. This is a workplace place issue because the pair ordered the man to go to the Captain’s wife’s workplace to not only kill her but shoot anyone else present. This was to cover up the lead the motive and to make it appear as a random event.

April 23rd Pittsburgh, PA Woman Shoots Ex-Boyfriend then Commits Suicide

Amy Jo Gamble, 27, went to the Keystone Power Plant in Plum Creek Township where he ex-boyfriend worked. He apparently did not know that she slipped behind Andrew Paul Gordish, 32 and pulled the trigger of a.38 revolver. She then put the gun to her own head and committed suicide. He had recently moved away after living with her for period of time in Elderton. Both were pronounced dead at 10:05 a.m.

April 14th Durango, CO Ex-Boyfriend Shoots Employee then Flees on Foot

Richard Edwards, 49, walked into the workplace of his estranged girlfriend, 41, shooting and killing her the moment he saw her. She was working at a Beads and Beyond store when he walked in on Thursday morning at 11:19 a.m. He shot 7 times with a semi-automatic handgun which he had recently purchased. He then fled the store, leading officers on a foot chase that criss-crossed through a quiet residential neighborhood. He was finally apprehended without incident at around 12:15 p.m. Earlier in the week, he had entered her home and ransacked the place, destroying her property. For this crime, there was an open warrant for his arrest and the police were actively searching for him.

April 11th Bristol, Virginia Man Kills Boyfriend of Ex-wife, then Calls Police

John Reeves, 44, rammed his car into Randy Canter’s just as Canter was arriving for work at Permatile Concrete Products. The event occurred at around 7 a.m. and witnesses say that Reeves had been waiting and asking for him. After the car wreck, Reeves pulled a shotgun out of the back of his car and chased his victim. Canter was shot in the back as he was trying to escape. It was then that the perpetrator went back to his car, called 911 and waited a short while till officers arrived to turn himself in to the authorities. Co-workers state that the two men had an on-going dispute over Reeve’s wife who was living with Canter. Reeves even attempted to take a restraining order out against his former wife but it was denied. Canter had an open communicating threats warrant on Reeves but it could not be served over state lines as he lived in Tennessee. Reeves was on probation and was prohibited from owning a fire arm or crossing state-lines.
This incident illustrates the study done by Peace at Work that shows how many of these assaults occur in the parking lot at the beginning of work (31%) and that the perpetrators turn themselves over to the police afterwards (11%).

April 6 North Miami Beach, FL Man Kills Wife then Self

At a busy auto tag agency, Gustavo Velastegui, 42, came to his wife’s workplace where he shot and killed her and then turned the gun on himself. Co-workers relate how she had an argument with him over the phone, going to the bathroom afterwards. He arrived shortly there after where he encountered her in the parking lot. He chased her into the building where she hid in the bathroom. He ran in shouting to know where she was and fired the gun in the air. He went to the bathroom and broke down the door, shot her 3 times and then killed himself. Yndhira Velastegui, 36 and the mother of 4, had obtained a restraining order against him on February 15th and had left him 5 months ago. Co-workers also state that he had been stalking her for the past few weeks.

Canadian Conference Focuses on Workplace Violence

As Canada has been ranked as the fourth worst country in the world for violence in the workplace violence, the Industrial Accident Prevention Association of that nation is hosting a landmark conference with emphasis on the issue. The Health and Safety Canada 2005 Conference and Trade Show was held on April 4, 2005 at the Metro Toronto Convention Centre. Speaking at the event was Julian Fantino, Ontario's newly
appointed Commissioner of Emergency Management and former Chief of the Toronto
Police Service. Also a key note speaker was Charles Moose, who headed the 2002 multi-jurisdictional taskforce assigned to apprehend the headline-making "DC serial snipers."

4/2 Woodridge, NY Workplace Stabbing From Co-Worker Dispute

Luis Garcia, 41, stabbed a fellow co-worker Melvin Kanalis, 33, at the Newburgh Egg Corp. The injury was to this abdomen and he had to be rushed to the hospital. The dispute occurred around noon as Kanalis asked Garcia to clean a piece of equipment. A argument ensued that ended in the stabbing with a box cutter. Garcia then fled after the incident but was later caught home.

3/31 Espanola, NM Ex-boyfriend Killed Current Boyfriend

Andrew R. Vigil, 23, had walked out of his job at the Real Estate Title Services when he was allegedly shot by Julio A. Chiviria-Grijalva, 17 who accompanied by Jake Lucero, 17. While the exact details are yet to be clarified, the incident stems from domestic situation involving an old girlfriend. Vigil was the previous boyfriend of Lucero’s current girlfriend. The young woman and Lucero had an altercation earlier in the day where he threatened to burn her clothes. She called Vigil and told him about the argument and fight. It was shortly thereafter at around 11:20 a.m. when Chiviria-Grijalva and Lucero arrived at Vigil’s workplace. As he stepped outside, they shot him from the car and then drove off. Vigil was pronounced dead at Española Hospital.