Findlaw (AP) reports: “Fired Utah Man Returns With Gun, Kills 1″
PLEASANT GROVE, Utah (AP) - A man fired from his job came back with a gun and killed a co-worker Monday, then shot himself in an office restroom, police said.The gunman, whose name was not immediately released, was seriously wounded. . . .
The victim . . . was not the suspect’s immediate supervisor . . .
[T]he gunman made threats against employees after being told he would be fired. He left the building and returned with a gun, threatening his supervisor, authorities said. A shot was fired during a struggle, but no one was hit.
The man then went outside, chased a group of about eight employees and fired several shots, hitting the victim, police said.
The gunman then went back inside the building and into a restroom.
An all too familiar story. Certainly frightening to those of us involved in terminating employees. Aside from the human tragedy of loss of innocent life and trauma to workplace witnesses, such incidents raise concerns about possible employer liability for failure to take appropriate steps to prevent such occurrences.
There is only so much an employer can do . . . but it should do what it can.
Facility security is an important element. Here I wonder why the employee was able to reenter the facility after having been fired.
Simply having rules against possession of firearms or other dangerous weapons on the employer’s premises is helpful, at least as evidence of a good-faith effort to prevent workplace violence.
Any kind of reported threats of violence must be taken seriously, even if made in a joking manner.
Although law enforcement is typically reluctant to intervene aggressively on the basis of verbal threats alone, they may take a description of the individual and his or her vehicle and keep an eye out while patrolling the area.
If an individual believed to pose a possible risk of violence due to apparent emotional instability, anger problems, history of abuse, etc. is being terminated, particular care should be taken.
Finally, prevention starts in the hiring process. Drug tests and background checks appropriate to the position may help weed out potential problem employees.
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