Monday, February 05, 2007

More about Clinic Gunman

A few more details became available about the shouting shooting man inside the Dothan, Alabama Primecare clinic.

Martha Pace, who was in an exam room in the back of the building, said she heard at least 7 shots fired.

"He was screaming," Pace said. "He was was saying an awful lot. Something about somebody didn't want him there."

Pace, who is in a wheelchair, said her husband wheeled her out the back door to escape.

Police are currently trying to contact the gunman, who has some sort of assault rifle and a handgun.

Another report describes a 19 year old man as the gunman and gives further details about his behavior.

The suspect had broken out one of the side windows of the Primecare medical office with the butt of his rifle. Normally, the reflective glass would have prevented a clear view into the office’s lobby. The gunman kept walking around the lobby, at times putting his gun down and holding up his hands, Johnson said.

"He was real agitated," said Johnson, the retail manager at Photorama. "He looked like he was mad."

Wearing blue jeans, a sweater and what appeared to be an old Army helmet, the suspect kept coming in and out of the Primecare office. He would step out and yell at police. He wrote notes. He had chairs stacked up inside the lobby.

"He was barricading himself in there," Johnson said.

At one point, the suspect put the rifle barrel under his chin.

"I just wanted to know why he was doing it," Johnson said. "What gets in people’s heads?"

While the crisis is over and the man in custody, it’s clear the upset gunman had ample arms for his mission. I look forward to finding out exactly what that was. At this point I would suggest a combination of my earlier guesses, a disgruntled patient who happens to have a mental illness. He’s too young to be the doctor upset over the looming 8% Medicare fee cut…

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