1. Patrick Henry Sherrill: The Postal Worker Massacre
2. The Massacre
3. Victims

Patrick Henry Sherrill: The Postal Worker Massacre

Early Life and Career

Patrick Henry Sherrill was born in 1942 and worked as a part-time mail carrier for the United States Postal Service in Edmond, Oklahoma. He had a history of delivery errors and delays, and on August 19, 1986, he was called into an office for a reprimand by two supervisors.

The Massacre

On the afternoon of August 20, 1986, Sherrill entered the Edmond post office and opened fire with two .45-caliber pistols and a .22-caliber revolver. He fatally shot fourteen of his coworkers and wounded six more. The massacre lasted only 15-20 minutes, and Sherrill committed suicide by shooting himself in the head.

Victims

The victims of the massacre included:
Patricia Ann Chambers, 41, part-time clerk
Judy Stephens Denney, 41, part-time clerk
Richard C. Esser Jr., 38, supervisor
Patricia A. Gabbard, 47, clerk
Jonna Gragert Hamilton, 30, clerk
Patty Jean Husband, 48, supervisor
Betty Ann Jarred, 34, clerk
William F. Miller, 30, rural mail carrier
Kenneth W. Morey, 49, rural mail carrier
Leroy Orrin Phillips, 42, rural mail carrier
Jerry Ralph Pyle, 51, rural mail carrier
Paul Michael Rockne, 33, mail carrier
Thomas Wade Shader Jr., 31, part-time clerk
Patti Lou Welch, 27, clerk
Aftermath

The Edmond massacre became infamous and sparked the phrase "going postal" as a term for workplace violence. It also prompted a series of investigations into the Postal Service's hiring and supervision practices.

Killer