Case Study 2

Former Client Exacts Revenge

On a bright summer afternoon a middle-aged man rode up the elevator of a downtown high rise. He was toting a black satchel on a dolly similar to the kind lawyers use except that his contained two pistols, a handgun and hundreds of rounds of ammunition. This was the day he planned to get even with the firm which had formerly provided him legal counsel.

No one took notice of the man as he strode down the hall to the glass conference room. The people inside received no waring before he suddenly fired upon them. The gunman continued his rampage, shooting those who attempted to warn their colleagues. He sought out and shot employees who tried to hide and others who were trapped in their offices. As SWAT teams surrounded the floor his two pistols jammed, and the desperate gunman took his own life with the remaining weapon.

The unsuspecting firm learned a hard lesson: that even the most seemingly sheltered environments are not immune to violent crime. They have since instituted better access control procedures and improved internal warning systems among other precautions.