Yesterday a gunman opened fire in the federal courthouse in Las Vegas, NV, killing security officer Stanley W. Cooper - a retired Las Vegas Metro police officer -- and wounding a deputy U.S. Marshal before being killed by federal marshals after he fled across the street from the courthouse. Although the news reports still provide only minimal details, my impression so far is that this incident of targeted violence will follow a pattern similar to previous rampage shootings. Current news reports (with an eyewitness video) tell us that the shooter was Johnny Wicks, a 66-year old Las Vegas resident whose Social Security benefits had been cut and who had sued the Social Security Administration as a result. Apparently Wicks' case had been thrown out of court in September 2009, three months prior to his shooting.
The fact pattern preceding today's courthouse shooting sounds similar to the fact pattern in the hostage situation in Edmonton (Canada) in October 2009, where an injured worker opened fire on the Canadian workers' compensation offices after learning that his workers' compensation benefits would soon be cut (see my blog post from October 26, 2009 for more information). As in the Edmonton situation - which fortunately ended peacefully -- I would not be surprised if we eventually learn that the Las Vegas courthouse shooter had been suicidal prior to carrying out today's shooting. And as in the Edmonton hostage situation, I would not be surprised if the Las Vegas courthouse shooter had seriously concerned or worried various people in his life in advance of the shooting. And like in the Edmonton hostage situation, I would not be surprised if we learn that the Las Vegas courthouse shooter communicated his intentions to carry out his shooting in advance of doing harm - perhaps threatening the judge who handled the case, telling others he was going to seek some form of retribution, or even posting something on the Internet. More to come in this case...
