No Guns Allowed On Casual Friday: 15 Of the Scariest Co-Workers You Will Never Want to Work With
Almost everyone thinks it: “One day I’m going to give my boss what he has coming.” The fifteen people in this book took this notion to the extreme.
What kind of workplace drives a person into performing such heinous acts? Does a workplace drive a person to kill, or is the killer already inside, waiting for a reason to act out? Find out in this fascinating quick read.
If you are stressed at work, then maybe this book will show you that you don’t have it so bad; or maybe it will show you that the person in the cubicle next to you may need to be handled a little more…delicately.
What kind of workplace drives a person into performing such heinous acts? Does a workplace drive a person to kill, or is the killer already inside, waiting for a reason to act out? Find out in this fascinating quick read.
If you are stressed at work, then maybe this book will show you that you don’t have it so bad; or maybe it will show you that the person in the cubicle next to you may need to be handled a little more…delicately.
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No Guns Allowed On Casual Friday PDF and ePub |
Excerpt
Introduction
Workplace rampages can be the most frightening of crimes because many of us spend more time at work than anywhere else. In today’s world, many people see their coworkers more often than they see their friends or family. That makes it particularly frightening when a person suddenly turns on his or her colleagues.
Such crimes are all the more frightening because there is often no motive. A coworker or ex-coworker suddenly shows up with a gun or guns and starts shooting down his or her colleagues. The only common denominator between such crimes is that the shooter usually feels persecuted or unjustly treated by coworkers.
These killing sprees can happen in any type of workplace: a factory, a post office, a law office, an army barracks, or even a school library. The perpetrators are of all races and backgrounds, and such crimes occur all over the world. The frequency of workplace killings makes working from home an increasingly attractive alternative.
“Crazy Pat” Sherrill, the Killer Postman
The phrase “going postal” entered the English language because of the actions of Patrick Henry Sherrill, a part-time U.S. Postal Service letter carrier from Edmond, Oklahoma. "Going postal" means to completely lose control and go into a violent rage.
Sherrill did just that when he turned on his coworkers and his boss on August 20, 1986, in an act that introduced Americans to the idea of a workplace rampage. There had been rampages before in the United States but none in the workplace. The idea of somebody gunning down his or her coworkers was a new and frightening one in 1986.
Guns Were the Only Thing That Made Him Happy
Patrick Sherrill had a long history of violence and weird behavior long before he went to work at the post office. His neighbors called him “Crazy Pat” because he wandered around his neighborhood peering into windows. Sherrill also reportedly stole and killed his neighbors’ cats and dogs.
Sherrill was a loner who had served in the Marine Corps but had never been able to hold a steady job or maintain a romantic relationship. The only activity he seemed to enjoy was shooting guns. Some people even said guns were the only thing that made him happy.
Sherrill was able to get some satisfaction from a position as a shooting instructor in the Oklahoma National Guard. However, his job at the postal service was another story, and it may have been pressure from supervisors that caused Sherrill to snap.
The Letter Carrier Goes Postal
Supervisors regarded Pat Sherrill as a mediocre postman who was doing a bad job. Even though he had been on the job for 16 months, Sherrill delivered mail to the wrong addresses. His bosses also complained that Sherrill was often late for work.
Like many violent individuals, Sherrill didn’t see his superiors’ complaints as legitimate. Instead, he complained to a union official and claimed that he was being persecuted. Sherrill didn’t say why this was happening, but he showed particular animus for one of his supervisors, Richard Esser.
When the union ignored Sherrill’s gripes, he decided to take matters into his own hands. Sherrill stole two Colt 45 semiautomatic pistols (two of the deadliest hand weapons ever built) from the National Guard and loaded up on ammunition. He was about to make history in the worst way possible.
Crazy Pat on the Rampage
On August 19, 1986, two of Sherrill’s supervisors took him aside for what seemed like a normal workplace meeting between a boss and subordinate. The supervisors told Pat he had to shape up or he might be fired.
The next day Sherrill came to work with something extra in his mailbag: the two stolen 45s and his 22 caliber pistol. Sherrill, an expert marksman, walked into the post office just as he did on any other day. Once inside, he looked around for his target and finally spotted Richard Esser, one of the supervisors who had chewed him out the day before.
Sherrill began his rampage by shooting Esser in the chest. The gunman then began walking around the post office shooting down his coworkers. Some of the victims were shot at their desks; others were killed as they sorted mail. The victims didn’t stand a chance; Sherrill was an expert marksman, and he was using powerful military weapons.
Some workers were able to escape the flying bullets by hiding under desks and tables or in a broom closet. Fourteen of those working in the post office were not so lucky; they were killed by Sherrill’s bullets. At least one of the victims was related to an American legend. The second person killed, Mike Rockne, was the grandson of famed Notre Dame football coach Knute Rockne. In a frightening twist, at least one victim was able to stagger out into the parking lot, where he fell dead in front of horrified onlookers.
Suicide Ends a Reign of Terror
The horror at the Edmond post office lasted until 8:30 a.m., when members of a SWAT team stormed into the building. The officers found a scene of carnage and the body of Pat Sherrill slumped over one of his supervisors’ desks. He had apparently killed himself with one of the pistols after he had completed his work.
The motivation for Sherrill’s reign of terror is unknown, but speculation began to fly. A popular theory was that the high pressure environment at the post office drove Sherrill to kill, hence the phrase “going postal.” Yet some experts disagreed, noting that such killings occur in all sorts of workplaces.
A search of Sherrill’s home didn’t reveal many clues. Police found guns, military weapons, and copies of magazines such as Soldier of Fortune (which glorified mercenaries and their exploits) and, intriguingly, Soviet Life (a propaganda journal published by the Russian government). Investigators discovered no evidence that Sherrill was a Communist or any sort of mercenary. His motivations died with him, although the image he left in popular culture lingers to this day.
Bibliography
Bovson, Mara. "Mailman massacre: 14 die after Patrick Sherrill 'goes postal' in 1986 shootings." 15 August 2010. nydailynews.com/news/crime. New York Daily News Feature Article. 1 March 2013.
Lamar, Jacob V. "'Crazy Pat's' Revenge." 24 June 2001. www.time.com/time/magazine/archive . Time Magazine Feature Article. 1 March 2013.
Marxists.Org. "Soviet Life." n.d. marxists.org. Online Encyclopedia Entry. 1 March 2013.
Workplace rampages can be the most frightening of crimes because many of us spend more time at work than anywhere else. In today’s world, many people see their coworkers more often than they see their friends or family. That makes it particularly frightening when a person suddenly turns on his or her colleagues.
Such crimes are all the more frightening because there is often no motive. A coworker or ex-coworker suddenly shows up with a gun or guns and starts shooting down his or her colleagues. The only common denominator between such crimes is that the shooter usually feels persecuted or unjustly treated by coworkers.
These killing sprees can happen in any type of workplace: a factory, a post office, a law office, an army barracks, or even a school library. The perpetrators are of all races and backgrounds, and such crimes occur all over the world. The frequency of workplace killings makes working from home an increasingly attractive alternative.
“Crazy Pat” Sherrill, the Killer Postman
The phrase “going postal” entered the English language because of the actions of Patrick Henry Sherrill, a part-time U.S. Postal Service letter carrier from Edmond, Oklahoma. "Going postal" means to completely lose control and go into a violent rage.
Sherrill did just that when he turned on his coworkers and his boss on August 20, 1986, in an act that introduced Americans to the idea of a workplace rampage. There had been rampages before in the United States but none in the workplace. The idea of somebody gunning down his or her coworkers was a new and frightening one in 1986.
Guns Were the Only Thing That Made Him Happy
Patrick Sherrill had a long history of violence and weird behavior long before he went to work at the post office. His neighbors called him “Crazy Pat” because he wandered around his neighborhood peering into windows. Sherrill also reportedly stole and killed his neighbors’ cats and dogs.
Sherrill was a loner who had served in the Marine Corps but had never been able to hold a steady job or maintain a romantic relationship. The only activity he seemed to enjoy was shooting guns. Some people even said guns were the only thing that made him happy.
Sherrill was able to get some satisfaction from a position as a shooting instructor in the Oklahoma National Guard. However, his job at the postal service was another story, and it may have been pressure from supervisors that caused Sherrill to snap.
The Letter Carrier Goes Postal
Supervisors regarded Pat Sherrill as a mediocre postman who was doing a bad job. Even though he had been on the job for 16 months, Sherrill delivered mail to the wrong addresses. His bosses also complained that Sherrill was often late for work.
Like many violent individuals, Sherrill didn’t see his superiors’ complaints as legitimate. Instead, he complained to a union official and claimed that he was being persecuted. Sherrill didn’t say why this was happening, but he showed particular animus for one of his supervisors, Richard Esser.
When the union ignored Sherrill’s gripes, he decided to take matters into his own hands. Sherrill stole two Colt 45 semiautomatic pistols (two of the deadliest hand weapons ever built) from the National Guard and loaded up on ammunition. He was about to make history in the worst way possible.
Crazy Pat on the Rampage
On August 19, 1986, two of Sherrill’s supervisors took him aside for what seemed like a normal workplace meeting between a boss and subordinate. The supervisors told Pat he had to shape up or he might be fired.
The next day Sherrill came to work with something extra in his mailbag: the two stolen 45s and his 22 caliber pistol. Sherrill, an expert marksman, walked into the post office just as he did on any other day. Once inside, he looked around for his target and finally spotted Richard Esser, one of the supervisors who had chewed him out the day before.
Sherrill began his rampage by shooting Esser in the chest. The gunman then began walking around the post office shooting down his coworkers. Some of the victims were shot at their desks; others were killed as they sorted mail. The victims didn’t stand a chance; Sherrill was an expert marksman, and he was using powerful military weapons.
Some workers were able to escape the flying bullets by hiding under desks and tables or in a broom closet. Fourteen of those working in the post office were not so lucky; they were killed by Sherrill’s bullets. At least one of the victims was related to an American legend. The second person killed, Mike Rockne, was the grandson of famed Notre Dame football coach Knute Rockne. In a frightening twist, at least one victim was able to stagger out into the parking lot, where he fell dead in front of horrified onlookers.
Suicide Ends a Reign of Terror
The horror at the Edmond post office lasted until 8:30 a.m., when members of a SWAT team stormed into the building. The officers found a scene of carnage and the body of Pat Sherrill slumped over one of his supervisors’ desks. He had apparently killed himself with one of the pistols after he had completed his work.
The motivation for Sherrill’s reign of terror is unknown, but speculation began to fly. A popular theory was that the high pressure environment at the post office drove Sherrill to kill, hence the phrase “going postal.” Yet some experts disagreed, noting that such killings occur in all sorts of workplaces.
A search of Sherrill’s home didn’t reveal many clues. Police found guns, military weapons, and copies of magazines such as Soldier of Fortune (which glorified mercenaries and their exploits) and, intriguingly, Soviet Life (a propaganda journal published by the Russian government). Investigators discovered no evidence that Sherrill was a Communist or any sort of mercenary. His motivations died with him, although the image he left in popular culture lingers to this day.
Bibliography
Bovson, Mara. "Mailman massacre: 14 die after Patrick Sherrill 'goes postal' in 1986 shootings." 15 August 2010. nydailynews.com/news/crime. New York Daily News Feature Article. 1 March 2013.
Lamar, Jacob V. "'Crazy Pat's' Revenge." 24 June 2001. www.time.com/time/magazine/archive . Time Magazine Feature Article. 1 March 2013.
Marxists.Org. "Soviet Life." n.d. marxists.org. Online Encyclopedia Entry. 1 March 2013.
