Factory Shooter Had Anger Counseling

AP via Yahoo News ^ | 09JUL2003 | MATT VOLZ, Associated Press Writer

[kyguy]

MERIDIAN, Miss. - Doug Williams sat in a meeting with managers at his factory job, listening to them explain the importance of being honest and responsible in the workplace. Also on the agenda: getting along with co-workers, regardless of their sex or race.

AP Photo

Reuters Slideshow: Gunman Kills 5, Self at Lockheed Plant

Gunman Kills 5, Self at Miss. Factory (AP Video)

But at some point during the meeting Williams had heard enough.

He walked out of the room, telling co-workers, "Y'all can handle this."

Minutes later, he returned with a shotgun and a rifle. He sprayed the room with shotgun blasts, killing two people, and then continued the rampage on the factory floor, leaving three more co-workers dead before taking his own life.

"He said, `I told you about (expletive) with me,'" said co-worker Brenda Dubose, who was in the meeting.

Williams, a 48-year-old white man, had undergone anger counseling at least once in the past couple of years, frustrated because he thought black people had a leg up in society, co-workers said.

They said Williams was also angry that he had been passed over for promotions at the Lockheed Martin aircraft parts plant where he had worked for 19 years. Co-workers said he kept "score" on whoever he thought was offending him.

Fellow employees also described him as a "hothead" who had used racial epithets and made threats against blacks.

As recently as three weeks ago, some employees complained that Williams arrived at work wearing a white covering over his head that resembled a hood, Sollie said. Some employees found the covering offensive because it resembled a Ku Klux Klan outfit.

Hubert Threatt, a union shop steward who had worked with Williams for 15 years, said other employees had expressed concerns to managers about Williams over the years. Threatt said company counselors came to the plant two years ago to work with Williams.

Threatt said Williams was generally quiet after the counseling but once told him: "One of these days, they're going to (expletive) me off and I'm going to come here and shoot some people."

Sheriff Billy Sollie said investigators were seeking Williams' personnel records and would not comment on any problems Williams may have had at work.

Threatt was in the main factory building when he saw Williams with a rifle strapped to his back and the shotgun in his hands. He said he pleaded with a Williams not to shoot people.

"You could see something in his face. He snapped," Threatt said. "He said, `Get out of my way or I'll kill you, too.' He slung me aside with the gun. He turned away from me and started running."

In the next minute and a half, Threatt said Williams killed three co-workers at point-blank range on the plant floor.

Two other co-workers were already dead and others wounded in the annex building where the meeting was held. Nine people were hurt, including Dubose, who was shot in the hand. Several remained hospitalized Wednesday.

Dubose said 13 employees were in the annex seated around tables when Williams entered and started shooting.

"All of us just hit the floor," she said. "There was screaming, people falling over."

[kyguy]

I can't help but think of the lives that could have been saved had Mr. Threatt been carrying a concealed weapon.

[Support Free Republic]

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[lelio]

He said he pleaded with a Williams not to shoot people.
Don't bring pleads to a gun fight. Tragic.

[You Gotta Be Kidding Me]

We had a coworker with paranoia problems who thretened to shoot us. We got rid of his a$$ real good.

[joltinjoe]

Having once worked at an aerospace company with Union representation, I bet the company would have loved to fire this guy long ago but the Union rules protected him.

I would guess this can be blamed on Unions.

[beckett]

So far no report I have read has talked about this wacko's family. Did he have a family or not?

[the gillman@blacklagoon.com]

...Williams, a 48-year-old white man, had undergone anger counseling at least once in the past couple of years, frustrated because he thought black people had a leg up in society, co-workers said...

What will the media do with this?

[GOP_Proud]

The counciling really worked, didn't it? I agree that his butt should have been out the door long ago. He had union protection. I hate damn unions. This is only one reason.

[JHrules]

joltinjoe wrote ="Having once worked at an aerospace company with Union representation, I bet the company would have loved to fire this guy long ago but the Union rules protected him...I would guess this can be blamed on Unions."


I just have to say..Where the heck is your brain? That man was to blame for his own actions and decisions.
If you knew anything at all about unions you would know that the company could fire him at the drop of a hat as long as there is written warnings for offenses in his personel file. Yeah the union protects the employee, but stewards are people with brains too. I am in a union and I am damn happy I am, there are too many instances of the managers trying to screw over the employees and their benefits to line their own pockets. The union and its contracts prevent bad, selfish, crimal management.

[ikka]

Williams, a 48-year-old white man, had undergone anger counseling at least once in the past couple of years, frustrated because he thought black people had a leg up in society, co-workers said.
They said Williams was also angry that he had been passed over for promotions at the Lockheed Martin aircraft parts plant where he had worked for 19 years.Having met some of the affirmative action hires from Lockheed, I find this entirely believable.

At one company I worked at, a nice but incompetent black guy was kept on while other people who actually knew what they were doing were let go. He was the only employee who was black out of 100 employees, so if they had fired him it would have been a slam-dunk for the EEOC.

[Fishing-guy]

There are some people who have no business owning guns. He is one of them.

[BudgieRamone]

Unions do protect people that should be fired, I will not argue with that, However, if managers were doing their jobs CORRECTLY they could have removed him from the floor. That means being on the floor and watching what is going on and who the slackers are.

This being a big aircraft company I have to believe that in this case it was more managerial failure to observe their employees, and a serious case of someone who had no business being in management in the first place (got the job because they had a college degree and a good line of BS)

It would be relatively easy to fire someone even in a union shop if you are a competent manager and know what the hell you are looking at---i.e. a machinist watching other machinists, a painter watching painters etc. Unfortunately most large aircraft companies believe that if you have a degree then you can manage and then put people in positions they have no idea how to manage because they don't know what floor workers are doing.

All things considered I would dump this one square in management's lap..their fault, not the union--

Also, it did not say whether this plant was climate controlled--I worked for large aircraft and strange thing was all the managements offices were air conditioned but for some reason the peons on the floor had to work in 120+ heat in the summer I will tell you from experience this does wonders to shorten ones temper....

[dr_who_2]

Does it even have to be a union problem? I figure that legal and financial burdens make it very difficult to fire people these days regardless, but even more so if you have a contract with the government. It makes more sense in my view to less cautiously bureaucratic in hiring people and more eager to part company with people who don't fit in. Makes you wonder if we'll hear about disgruntled airport screeners next.