Patrick Sherrill

Patrick Sherrill

Memorial of the 1986 post office incident in Edmond, Oklahoma.
Background information
Birth name	Patrick Henry Sherrill
Occupation	Postal worker
Born	November 13, 1941 Watonga, Oklahoma, United States
Died	August 20, 1986(1986-08-20) (aged 44) Edmond, Oklahoma, United States
Cause of death	Suicide
Killings
Date	August 20, 1986
Location(s)	Edmond, Oklahoma
Target(s)	Edmond Postal Service employees
Killed	14
Injured	6
Weapon(s)	Two Colt 1911A1 (.45 ACP) Pistol (.22)

Patrick Henry Sherrill (November 13, 1941 – August 20, 1986) was a United States Postal Service employee who, on August 20, 1986, in Edmond, Oklahoma, killed 14 employees with two .45 caliber pistols at his work place before turning one of the guns on himself and committing suicide. Six other employees were wounded. Security expert Gavin de Becker said that postal authorities ignored numerous signs of Sherrill's unstable and hostile attitude.

Sherrill was a relief carrier who would work routes on different days. He was making delivery errors and frequently delivered mail later than the customers were used to getting it. On the afternoon of August 19, 1986, Sherrill was reprimanded by two supervisors in a glassed-walled office.

Shortly after 8:00AM the next day, he began his rampage by shooting one of the two supervisors who had spoken to him the previous day. The other supervisor had, for the first time ever, overslept and was an hour late to work, by which time the shootings were already underway. The second victim was Mike Rockne, grandson of legendary Notre Dame football coach Knute Rockne. Fourteen people died during the attack, and six others were wounded. Some of the wounded survived because they played dead. The incident lasted between 15 and 20 minutes.

The incident is credited with inspiring the American phrase "going postal".

Sherrill's victims

• 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 carrier
• Kenneth W. Morey, 49, rural carrier
• Leroy Orrin Phillips, 42, rural carrier
• Jerry Ralph Pyle, 51, rural carrier
• Paul Michael Rockne, 33, letter carrier
• Thomas Wade Shader Jr., 31, part-time clerk
• Patti Lou Welch, 27, clerk

External links

• Going postal
• "Crazy Pat's" Revenge, Time Magazine (June 24, 2001)
• The loner: From shy football player to "Crazy Pat", The New York Times (August 22, 1986)
• Aug. 20, 1986: Just an ordinary day, EnidNews.com (August 20, 2006)