Lockdown at NASA

Roxas is Hot · Apr 22, 2007

HOUSTON, Texas (CNN) -- A NASA engineer Friday shot and killed another engineer and then turned the gun on himself at the Johnson Space Center, police and NASA officials said.

The shootings occurred in a single office in Building 44 on the sprawling campus.

Houston Police Chief Harold Hurtt said two other hostages were involved -- one was shot and injured, another was released without injury. The hostage who was not harmed is NASA contractor Fran Crenshaw, who the gunman allegedly tied up with duct tape.

Crenshaw wiggled out of the tape and alerted authorities about what was happening, Hurtt said. She is talking with Houston Police.

Space Center Director Michael Coats identified the gunman as Bill Phillips, a contract employee, and the dead victim as David Beverly, a NASA employee. The other shooting victim has not been identified.

Police have not determined a motive for the killing, but Hurtt said that there apparently had been "some kind of dispute" between Beverly and Phillips.

Crenshaw happened to be in the area at the time of the shooting and was taken hostage, he said.

"As I understand the chain of events, she was very courageous, a very calming influence during this whole thing," Hurtt said. "There was a positive relationship between her and the suspect. At no time did he threaten to do injury to her."

The situation started at about 1:40 p.m. (2:40 p.m. ET) when police responded to a call that a person with a gun had entered Building 44. A witness reported two gunshots at the time, Houston Police Capt. Dwayne Ready said. (Watch employees being evacuated after gunfire is heard Video)

"While they [SWAT teams] were trying to establish communication, they heard an additional gunshot," he said.

Believing the suspect may have shot himself, they decided to move in and found that he had committed suicide.

"Also on the same floor was one other hostage that was shot," Ready said. "We believe that may have happened early on in the whole ordeal."

Ready said the gun used was a short-barrel handgun, possibly a .38 or .357.

NASA spokesman James Hartsfield said Building 44 is a small office building on the campus.

"I don't have an exact number of people in that building (but) they evacuated the building," he said.

Hartsfield said that NASA security rules do not allow weapons on the property.

Hartsfield said that initially, NASA advised all employees to remain inside, but later said all were free to go home at the end of their workdays.

Center operations experienced no disruptions, he said.

In a statement on its Web site, Johnson Space Center said that "Building 44 is a communications and engineering office building with two stories. The building primarily consists of office space and a few labs to support tracking of spacecraft, such as the International Space Station and the space shuttle when it's flying."

Nearby Space Center Intermediate School was placed on lockdown temporarily, said Karen Permetti, spokeswoman for Clear Creek Independent School District.

The school has about 1,100 students, she said.
Click to expand...

http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/04/20/nasa.gunfire/index.html

I totally have to blame the media for this.

I know that the VT thing was a disaster and was had to be pointed out, but the media/press kept showing a bunch of BS about it, which somehow "inspired" little Cho copycats, which pretty much caused this. Of course, there has been a crapload of lockdowns and threats all over the place. Ugh. Barely half of the people here went to school Friday.

T_T Any opinions?

Inasuma · Apr 22, 2007

Wow...another shooting...

How many has there been in the last week and a half again?

Also, count suicides as well.

venster · Apr 22, 2007

Another Shooting?! This week has sure attracted a lot of horrible stuff. =/

Roxas · Apr 22, 2007

Cho's Ultimate Plan is succeeding.

dandanrevolutionextreme · Apr 22, 2007

eastercat said: ↑

Another Shooting?! This week has sure attracted a lot of horrible stuff. =/
Click to expand...

such is life....

Cin · Apr 22, 2007

Wow...XD

What a bunch of idiots.

It just goes to show how much one person's words can affect someone elses life so drastically, and in-turn affect many more.

We all just have to learn to calm the **** down and treat each other like human beings...>.>

Peyton · Apr 22, 2007

wow, that is sad.
Shooting again.
well sometimes it's not easy to underestand what is
going on in another persons head.
Especially when they do weird stuff like that.

Inasuma · Apr 22, 2007

Roxas said: ↑

Cho's Ultimate Plan is succeeding.
Click to expand...

There is actually an immense level of truth to that. :/

Which is the sad part.

SquishyZ3ro · Apr 22, 2007

Shootings have been going on for a really long time. There aren't more happening, they're just getting more coverage now.

Log in or Sign up

Lockdown at NASA

Roxas is Hot I'd lick his Sea Salt stick anytime. ♥

Inasuma "pumpkin"

Premium

venster You never heard of me, but I pop in time to time

Premium

Roxas OG

Premium

dandanrevolutionextreme Banned

Cin Derp Derp Derp Derp Derp Derp Derp Derp Derp Derp

Premium

Peyton Goddess Of Love ♥

Premium

Inasuma "pumpkin"

Premium

SquishyZ3ro Traverse Town Homebody