Death by Gun at Work
On the heels of a post wondering if the economy could be causing the recent rash of shootings and mass murders, the Los Angeles Times reports that a pharmacy technician at Long Beach Memorial Medical Center came to work for his noon shift. He brought two handguns with him, hunted down his boss, the pharmacy manager, and the executive director of the hospital’s outpatient pharmacy, shot and killed them, and then took his own life.
Friends and co-workers described the shooter as a congenial man with a wife and children. He was “a great and wonderful guy,” “a very sweet man,” and “funny, humble, nice.” A hospital official said the shooter had never cause any personnel problems, and there “were no signs that something like this could happen . . . . I don’t believe there was anything we could have done.”
That’s probably true, but the rules have obviously changed in terms of detecting signs of workplace violence. The stress of today’s economy is pushing some people further than they can stand, There had been layoffs at the hospital in March, and there was speculation that other layoffs would occur in June.
Some argue that if everyone carried a gun in accordance with a lawful permit, this sort of thing wouldn’t happen. Some gun-carrying citizen would have taken the shooter out before his violence resulted in two deaths. That position seems pretty lame when you consider that four Oakland police officers and three Pittsburgh police officers, all of whom were armed and some of whom were wearing body armor, were shot and killed.
It’s time for you to review your workplace violence policy. It’s time for you to do some training on this subject. What happened in California is the worst employment problem you could ever have.
Leave a Reply
About Chris Parker
Chris Parker's practice focuses on the representation and counseling of companies in matters pertaining to the workplace and the protection of their intellectual property and trade secrets. In addition to serving as an advocate for clients, Mr. Parker is also trained as a mediator and frequently serves as a third-party neutral.
Read more about Chris Parker
About Jimmy Daniel
Jimmy Daniel provides counseling to businesses of all sizes related to the employment relationship. He assists in the drafting of employment agreements, policies, and handbooks, as well as provides guidance related to compliance with federal, state, and local legislation such as the Fair Labor Standards Act and the Family and Medical Leave Act.
Read more about Jimmy Daniel
About Larry Bridgesmith
While serving in an Of Counsel relationship with the firm, Mr. Bridgesmith also serves as the Executive Director at the Institute for Conflict Resolution at Lipscomb University and as an officer and principal in Strategic Resolutions Group, LLC. In these roles, Mr. Bridgesmith brings over 30 years of legal experience in dispute resolution and innovative workplace strategies to clients, students and business entities alike.
Read more about Larry Bridgesmith
I frequently remind employees about our EAP, and it would be easy to back off, given the amount of eye-rolling I see.
Then I look at the usage stats, and I know I’m doing the right thing.
Amen, Frank. You definitely are.
Always appreciate your comments.
John