from what i've read, his weapon(s) were taken away. he was being escorted away from the facility, he overtook his escort and grabbed a weapon then went back and killed the five.
it's not in the linked article below, but i believe the sgt was married. so, in addition to the familes and friends of the five killed, please let's keep the sgt's family in our thoughts and prayers.
Sgt. charged with 5 deaths in Liberty shooting
By Michelle Tan - Staff writer
A sergeant from the Bamberg, Germany-based 370th Engineer Company, 54th Engineer Battalion, has been charged with shooting and killing four soldiers and a naval officer Monday at Camp Liberty, Iraq.
Sgt. John M. Russell, 44, first joined the Army National Guard in 1988; he went into the active Army in 1994. He is charged with five counts of murder and one count of aggravated assault.
Russell, who was on his third Iraq deployment, remains in custody in Iraq.
U.S. officials in Iraq also revealed that two of the five service members killed were officers and doctors, one from the Army and the other from the Navy. Both were assigned to the 55th Medical Company at the Liberty Combat Stress Control Center.
The other victims were enlisted soldiers.
Special agents from Army Criminal Investigation Command continue to investigate the shootings.
The Army also has initiated an AR 15-6 investigation to determine if there are adequate mental health facilities in Iraq, said Lt. Col. David Patterson, a spokesman for Multi-National Corps-Iraq.
The suspect was referred to counseling the week before the shootings and his commander determined that it was best for him not to have a weapon, said Maj. Gen. David Perkins, a spokesman for Multi-National Force-Iraq.......
my posting from yesterday is here
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I can not describe how depressed I get when I hear the various Chickehawks I'm around exclaim befuddlement over why this happened.
The sad thing is that given the strains the military has been under since the Bush launched his war in Iraq is that many people knew this sort of shit would eventually occur and either did not care or when it did occur thought little of it since they have no one serving.
three tours? what the hell did they think would happen? it's not like we're fighting evil in darfur or nazis or anything. we attacked an INNOCENT country (saddam was evil sure but NOT the country). we MADE them attack us back. we MADE them into terrorists (some of them)
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