Highlands County Sheriff's Department grieving for loss that did not have to happen

Highlands County deputy commits suicide

WFLA 8 News
January 26, 2019

HIGHLANDS COUNTY, Fla. (WFLA) - The Highlands County Sheriff's Office is mourning the loss of a deputy who committed suicide.

Sgt. Max Van D’Huynslager, 42, died Saturday morning from a self-inflicted injury, according to the sheriff's office.

Van D’Huynslage, who had served in the Highlands County Sheriff's Office since 2008, was not on duty when five women were shot and killed in a bank in Sebring, authorities said.

Before he joined the agency, Van D’Huynslager worked for the Lee County Sheriff’s Office, the Cape Coral Police Department and the Clewiston Police Department.

He leaves behind a wife and an 8-year-old daughter, according to the sheriff's office.
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If the life needing to be saved this time is yours, please #BreakTheSilence and #TakeBackYourLife


I did this video back in 2008 for National Guards and Reservists, but was given an award from the IFOC because it was also helping police officers and firefighters.

Fort Carson Staff Sgt. shot by police

Suspect shot by officers at Springs apartment complex

KKTV 11 News
By Lindsey Grewe
Jan 23, 2019

The suspect sustained nonlife-threatening injuries. He was identified Thursday morning as 33-year-old Thomas McGeorge.

Fort Carson confirmed Thursday that McGeorge is an active duty staff sergeant. He works as a Fire Support Specialist in the Army's field artillery team. He has served in the military for just under 11 years.

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KKTV) - Officers opened fire in an apartment complex Wednesday night after an encounter with an armed suspect.

What led up to the police-involved shooting remains under investigation. Colorado Springs Police Department spokesperson Lt. Howard Black says officers were initially called to the Mountain Ridge Apartments on Verde Drive on reports of someone repeatedly firing a gun.

"These multiple shots were being called in by multiple people over a period of time," Black said.

Witnesses reported hearing at least half a dozen gunshots.

"We were smoking a cigarette, and we heard like seven gunshots, and we didn’t think nothing of it ... all of a sudden a bunch of cops showed up, and it was terrible," Gere Burrell told 11 News.
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Airman's suicide note shakes our souls

Father writes heartfelt message after Airman son's suicide

Sandusky Register
Nichael Harrington
January 12, 2019

MILAN — The father of an Air Force airman who died from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wrote a heartfelt Facebook post remembering his son.
XinHua Mesenburg graduated from Edison High School before he found his calling in the Air Force. He was stationed as a Senior Airman at Andrews Joint Base when his father and stepmother received a picture of an alarming handwritten note on Jan. 5

Mitch, who is from Huron but lives in Florida, shared what the message said in a Facebook post: “I hope that all you remember me fondly, I hope all you will live a long and happy life. As I fade from your memories, please know this was nobody’s fault. The stress life has given me, finally broke my will to live.”

After reading the note, Mitch and Shannon tried desperately to get ahold of him by phone and called authorities in Virginia. Mitch stayed on the phone with a dispatcher for what he described as an eternity, but it turned out to only be 12 minutes.

Mitch Mesenburg’s Facebook post in full:

To all my family and friends,

It is with great regret and a heavy heart that I am writing this letter. On January 5th. at 8:03 pm Shannon and I received a text message picture from our son Senior Airman XinHua Mesenburg who was stationed at Andrews Joint Base. The picture was of a handwritten note, it said. read more here

Pinellas County Sheriff's Deputy Committed Suicide

243 first responders commit suicide last year; more than died in the line of duty

FOX 13 News

Elizabeth Fry

December 29, 2018

CLEARWATER, Fla. (FOX 13) - Early Saturday morning, a deputy with the Pinellas County Sheriff's Office took his own life in the backyard of his Clearwater home.

Deputy Carlos Felipez, 46, had served on the force since February of 2014. He died as a result of a self-inflicted gunshot wound. 

His death is now the fourth first responder suicide in the Tampa Bay Area since September. The tragedy has brought to light the challenges first responders take home with them each and every day, and the last effect those challenges have.

"They see things that none of us really ever want to see or have to experience. So to know that they're going from call to call to call that can really add up and take such a huge toll on them," said Clara Reynolds, CEO of the Crisis Center of Tampa Bay.

It was reported that in 2017, 243 police officers, deputies, and firefighters committed suicide.
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Deputy and family lives lost to murder-suicide

update
He was ‘Officer of the Year.’ Then Hillsborough deputy killed his family and himself

Sheriff Chad Chronister said the deputy killed his daughter and granddaughter at one home and his wife at another. Then Deputy Terry Strawn committed suicide outside Plant City High School.

Deputy kills family then self, despite colleagues' pleas

FOX 13 News
December 19, 2018

Deputies have since identified the victims as Strawn's 54-year-old wife Theresa and the couple's granddaughter, 6-year-old Londyn, who lived with them. Strawn also killed his daughter, 32-year-old Courtney Strawn, at her home.

PLANT CITY, Fla. (FOX 13) - A veteran Hillsborough County deputy killed three family members, including his granddaughter, then broadcast a heart-wrenching radio message to his colleagues before ultimately killing himself, Sheriff Chad Chronister announced this morning.

With "an extremely heavy heart," the sheriff recounted the sequence of events that ultimately ended with the suicide outside Plant City High School.

According to Chronister, it was just after 6:30 a.m. when Deputy Terry Strawn spoke up on the Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office main radio channel to say that he had "caused harm to his family," provided details about two crime scene locations, and then said he planned to commit suicide at the school.

As the communications supervisor tried to talk Strawn out of it, three other deputies caught up to him outside the school. They, too, tried to intervene, but failed.

"Unfortunately the deputy took his own life on scene in front of the three deputies," the sheriff said.

If you or a loved one is feeling distressed, call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. The crisis center provides free and confidential emotional support 24 hours a day, seven days a week to civilians and veterans. Call the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255. Or text 741-741.

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#TakeBackYourLife you are worth fighting for!

Police looking for gunman who killed Desert Storm Veteran

Surveillance video shows suspect's car in deadly shooting of Desert Storm vet

ABC 13 News
TJ Parker
November 30, 2018

HARRIS COUNTY, Texas (KTRK) -- New surveillance shows the moments a black Ford Fusion pulled up in front of a home where a veteran was killed during a home invasion.

A man was killed after a suspect broke into his home in northwest Harris County, deputies say. They say motive is robbery.

It happened around 11:30 a.m. Thursday in the 10800 block of Gates Randal Court.

The man has been identified as 47-year-old Leandro Morales Jr.

The Harris County Sheriff's Office said the victim and his wife were at home when the wife reported hearing a sound at the back door. The husband was shot while he was investigating the sound, deputies said.

The wife told investigators she heard a noise at the back door and then she heard a gunshot inside of the house.
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Another Suicide in lobby of Nashville VA Hospital

UPDATE
News4 has learned the name of the man who walked into the Nashville V-A hospital Friday and killed himself, as terrified people looked on. Forty-one year old Derrick Macklin turned a high powered rifle on himself in the lobby.

Man dies by suicide at Nashville VA Medical Center

WSMV News
Kara Apel
Posted on Nov 16, 2018

ASHVILLE (WSMV) - Police have confirmed that a man died by suicide at the Nashville VA Medical Center on Friday morning.

According to the Metro Nashville Police Department, the man died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound in the lobby.

The incident happened around 9 a.m. Friday at the facility on 24th Avenue South, which is near the Vanderbilt University campus.
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Reminder this is not the first time, John Tooms hung himself two years ago.

Veterans among victims killed in California bar attack

Navy, Marine Corps veterans among victims killed in California bar attack

By THE WASHINGTON POST AND ASSOCIATED PRESS
Published: November 8, 2018

Dan Manrique, 33, volunteered for the Marine Corps and deployed to Afghanistan as a radio operator in 2007. He served for six years, then returned to Southern California. He was one of the 12 victims of Wednesday's shooting in Thousand Oaks, Calif. VIA TWITTER

THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. — One was a veteran police officer who didn't hesitate to run toward danger. Another was an art student who worked with children at her church. Others were a Navy veteran, an a cappella singer who worked as a caregiver, and a security guard with a "big personality" who was known for making sure everyone got home safely.

They were among a dozen people killed in a shooting at a country music bar in Southern California. Authorities believe the gunman , Ian David Long, ultimately killed himself.

The victims' stories began to emerge Thursday. It was going to be a "very difficult day for many people," said Andrew Fox, mayor of Thousand Oaks, California, where the attack happened Wednesday night.

DAN MANRIQUE: A 'REALLY STRONG, SELFLESS LEADER' It wasn't easy for Dan Manrique, 33, after he left the Marine Corps. As he resumed life in California, Manrique was drawn to Team Red, White and Blue, a group that helps veterans adjust. First, he was a volunteer, and then, just weeks ago, he became a full-time program manager.

TELEMACHUS ORFANOS: NAVY VETERAN NICKNAMED 'TEL'
Telemachus Orfanos, 27, was a U.S. Navy veteran with a thick beard, an easy smile and a gladiator helmet tattoo. His friends called him "Tel."

Orfanos had survived last year's massacre at the Route 91 Harvest Festival in Las Vegas, only to die inside Borderline, less than 10 minutes from his home in suburban Los Angeles.

CODY COFFMAN: 'THE BIG BROTHER THAT MY KIDS NEED' Cody Coffman, who had just turned 22, was talking with Army recruiters and preparing to fulfill his dream of serving his country, said his father, Jason Coffman, who wept as he told a group of reporters that his first-born son was among the victims.

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Hot Yoga murder-suicide under investigation

Police identify suspected gunman and 2 people killed at hot yoga studio in Tallahassee

CNN
Hollie Silverman
November 3, 2018

"As we process the gut-wrenching act of violence that took place this evening in a place of peace in our community, we hold in our hearts everyone who is affected and lift them up in love," officials tweeted from the city's verified account.

(CNN)A gunman on Friday shot six people, two fatally, at a hot yoga studio in Tallahassee, Florida, police said.

The two people killed were identified as Nancy Van Vessem, 61, and Maura Binkley, 21, according to Tallahassee Chief of Police Michael DeLeo.

The suspect, Scott Paul Beierle, 40, of Deltona, Florida, died of a possible self-inflicted gunshot wound, DeLeo said.

One other person was pistol-whipped.

DeLeo said police were unable immediately to draw a connection between the suspect and the victims of the shooting.

Around 5:30 p.m. Friday, police responded to a call about a shooting at Hot Yoga Tallahassee.
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Sailor stopped to help driver, then was shot to death

Navy sailor in San Diego shot by driver he stopped to help

WTKR 3 News
NICK BOYKIN
OCTOBER 27, 2018

The victim was identified as 21-year-old Curtis Adams of San Diego. Adams was on active duty with the Navy at the time of his murder, said Lt. Dupree.

SAN DIEGO — An active-duty Navy service member was killed after pulling over to help what he thought was a stranded motorist early Saturday, said police, according to FOX 5 in San Diego.

The San Diego Police Department received a call around 2:20 a.m. about a shooting that occurred at southbound Interstate 15 at the northbound Interstate 5 ramp. The caller stated her boyfriend was shot, said San Diego Police Lt. Anthony Dupree.

Investigators learned the victim and his girlfriend pulled over to help what they thought was a stranded motorist. When the victim got out of the car, he was shot immediately.

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Four Police Officers among the wounded in Pittsburgh

Pittsburgh synagogue mass shooting claims 11 lives; 4 officers among multiple wounded: Officials

"First responders prevented the shooting from becoming a worse tragedy, and the injured have been taken to three area hospitals with level one trauma centers. Without their courage, this tragedy would have been far worse." Alleghany Public Safety Director Wendell Hissrich

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'Darkest day in Pittsburgh's history': Officials discuss new details in Squirrel Hill massacre

Pittsburgh Post Gazette Shelly Bradbury and Ashley Murray October 28,2018 Law enforcement officers, prosecutors and others discussed the latest details of Saturday’s mass shooting at Tree of Life Congregation in Squirrel Hill at a Sunday morning press conference.

The 11 people killed inside a Squirrel Hill synagogue Saturday included a husband and wife and two brothers, authorities said Sunday. 

The victims, who ranged in age from 54 to 97, were identified as: Joyce Fienberg, 75, of Oakland

Richard Gottfried, 65, of Ross

Rose Mallinger, 97, of Squirrel Hill

Jerry Rabinowitz, 66, of Edgewood

brothers Cecil Rosenthal, 59, of Squirrel Hill, and David Rosenthal, 54, of Squirrel Hill

married couple Bernice Simon, 84, and Sylvan Simon, 86, of Wilkinsburg

Daniel Stein, 71, of Squirrel Hill

Melvin Wax, 88, of Squirrel Hill

Irving Younger, 69, of Mt. Washington. 

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Oregon Firefighters targeted by armed arsonist

Oregon arsonist sets own home on fire to ambush

NBC News 
David R. Li 
October 18, 2018

Jacobs shot at firefighters as they approached, but first responders had no idea they were being targeted because crackling noises are common in house fires, McKee said.

An arsonist ambushed Oregon firefighters by torching his own house then shooting a rifle at the first responders, authorities said Thursday.

A man is dead after a structure fire turned into an active shooter situation early on Oct. 17, 2018 in Springfield, Oregon.NBC16

Lance Taylor Jacobs, 60, eventually turned the gun on himself and ended the brief standoff early Wednesday morning in Springfield, Oregon, police said.

After Jacobs sent firefighters fleeing for their lives, flames spread to three other homes in the 500 block of Oakdale Avenue, which is about four miles northeast of the University of Oregon in neighboring Eugene.

All four houses burned down but no neighbors, firefighters or police were injured, officials said. One round tore through a firefighter's pants cuff.
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Teenager charged after stray bullet killed Retired Marine sitting on porch

Retired Marine dead after teen allegedly shot him by mistake

Military Times
J.D. Simkins
October 16, 2018

Joe Darius Black, Jr. was on the enlisted side before serving the rest of his 20-year career as an officer. The 48-year-old retired major was fatally struck by a round last week as he sat on his porch in South Carolina. (Index Journal)

A 17-year-old is under arrest and a retired Marine is dead after a round the teen allegedly fired from a handgun in the direction of a road sign struck the Marine in the chest as he sat on his porch on Oct. 10.

Eason Reid Gravley, of South Carolina, turned himself in to the Greenwood County Sheriff’s Office on Oct. 13, The State newspaper reported, and has been charged with involuntary manslaughter and possession of a handgun.

Gravley was released on a $25,000 recognizance bond and placed on a curfew, the report said. Under South Carolina law, he can face up to five years in prison for the involuntary manslaughter charge.

The victim, 48-year-old retired Maj. Joe D. Black Jr., was struck in the chest after the round “passed through or by the road sign,” then traveled through a wooded area adjacent to the Marine’s house, investigators reported.
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Seabee shot and killed at Keesler Air Force Base.

UPDATE

Officials tell news outlets that Builder Constructionman Grace Kayla Davis-Marcheschi died early Saturday morning at military housing belonging to Keesler Air Force Base in Biloxi.
The 23-year-old Davis-Marcheschi is originally from Oregon.

Navy: Seabee shot and killed in southern Mississippi

Associated Press
October 15, 2018

BILOXI, Miss. — The Navy says a sailor has been shot and killed in southern Mississippi. News outlets reported the shooting happened early Saturday morning at military housing belonging to Keesler Air Force Base. 

The shooting did not take place at Naval Construction Battalion Center Gulfport but the Seabee served there. (Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class George M. Bell/Navy)

Spokesman Brian Lamar said the dead sailor was assigned to the Naval Construction Battalion Center in Gulfport.
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Fort Campbell soldier shot and killed, wife in custody

Fort Campbell soldier shot dead, spouse in custody

Clarksville Leaf-Chronicle
Jason Alt
Oct. 15, 2018

A Fort Campbell soldier was shot and killed Sunday night at the army base, and the soldier's spouse is in custody.

Shortly before 10 p.m. Sunday, all gates on Fort Campbell were closed for about 55 minutes while military police investigated the shooting in on-post housing, according to a news release.

The names of those involved were being withheld pending next-of-kin notification.

"Our hearts and prayers are with the families involved. Any loss of a soldier has a profound impact on the entire Army family," said Brig. Gen. K. Todd Royar, acting senior commander, 101st Airborne Division and Fort Campbell, in the release.
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Freak bullet killed Marine Veteran sitting on porch

UPDATE: 17 year old charged

The bullet was fired at a street sign. It killed a retired Marine on his porch, SC cops say

The State
BY NOAH FEIT
October 11, 2018

The 48-year-old was a retired Marine major, and his family had recently moved into the Hodges house, the Index-Journal reported.

A retired veteran was killed Wednesday when a bullet fired at a street sign went through it and fatally struck him while he was on the porch of his South Carolina home, according to law enforcement.

Greenwood County Coroner Sonny Cox said Joe Darius Black was killed by a gunshot wound to his upper body, WYFF-4 reported.

He was a retired United States Marine, according to the Greenwood County Sheriff’s Office, which said Black “served his Country for 20 plus years.”

When sheriff’s deputies arrived around 11:30 p.m., they reported Black’s family was “administering CPR,” which they continued, along with Greenwood County EMS personnel, but the veteran died on the scene, according to the sheriff’s office.
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Veteran asked family to forgive him, before he pulled the trigger

Please find a way to forgive me!

The Greenville News
Kirk Brown,  Published 
Oct. 10, 2018

JARED JOHNS, A 24-YEAR-OLD ARMY VETERAN WHO SERVED IN AFGHANISTAN, KILLED HIMSELF ON SEPT. 11, THE ANNIVERSARY OF THE DAY THAT CALLED HIM TO SERVE. 

Then Jared placed a 9mm handgun under his chin and pulled the trigger.

His suicide on Sept. 11 came 17 years after the terrorist attacks in New York City, Washington and Pennsylvania that convinced a young boy to grow up to be a soldier.

In the last hour of his life, Jared Johns left a note on the dry-erase board in the Greenville apartment he shared with his twin brother. “I’m sorry. I messed up," he wrote. "This isn’t what I wanted." After retreating to his room and locking the door, the 24-year-old Army veteran who served in Afghanistan recorded a video on his cellphone. 

"I can't do it anymore," he said tearfully as he sat on his bed. The video included a message for his 2½-year-old son, Liam, and 18-month-old son, Jaxson. "I hate that I'm not going to get to see you grow up, but it's better this way, I promise," Jared said. He apologized to his parents. "Just please find a way to forgive me," he said.
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Day after discharge, veteran's body found in VA parking lot

UPDATE

Marine veteran loved to fix things — but the VA offered no plan for him to help himself

He sought help from the VA while struggling with suicidal thoughts – feelings of helplessness, frustration and anxiety. After spending four days at an inpatient mental health unit, he left the hospital, went to his car and shot himself. Police found his body the following day, his phone full of voicemails and texts from his father, Greg Miller, with one message sent over and over again: “I love you. We love you. Come home.”

Watchdog finds deficiencies in care for vet who committed suicide in Minneapolis VA parking lot
STARS AND STRIPES
By NIKKI WENTLING
Published: September 25, 2018

The next day, police found the veteran dead in the parking lot of the Minneapolis VA hospital, with a gunshot wound to the head. The local medical examiner determined the death a suicide.

WASHINGTON — A government watchdog determined a Department of Veterans Affairs mental health unit in Minneapolis didn’t follow VA policies before discharging an Iraq War veteran who committed suicide in the facility’s parking lot less than 24 hours later.

The Office of Inspector General reported Tuesday that VA staff didn’t collaborate on a discharge plan for the veteran, didn’t ensure the veteran had a follow-up appointment about newly prescribed antidepressants, and didn’t adequately document whether they had access to firearms. 

Though the VA failed in several areas, inspectors said they couldn’t determine whether the mistakes directly led to the veteran’s suicide.

The Minneapolis VA made similar errors in 2011, when a Vietnam War veteran committed suicide while under the facility’s care. A VA Inspector General report in 2012 found the hospital was “deficient” in how it handled the situation. Four of the recommendations the IG made after that suicide apply now, the IG wrote in its report.
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Deputy and wife murder suicide in Land O'Lakes

Deputy's wife texted 'Kirk has lost his mind' before murder-suicide, friend says
Tampa Bay Times
Howard Altman
September 24, 2018

LAND O’LAKES — Samantha Keithley sent a series of disturbing text messages late Sunday, complaining about her husband to a longtime friend.

A Hillsborough County deputy fatally shot his wife before turning the gun on himself in the 17000 block of Terrazzo Way in Land O'Lakes on Sept. 24, 2018. [TONY MARRERO | Times]

“Kirk has lost his mind Kristin,” she wrote in one text to friend Kristin Kellin. “He’s literally losing it. He’s been harassing me for the last 6 hours and I’ve asked him repeatedly to just leave me alone because I’m sick.”

The wife also wrote that she had tossed her ring outside, a reference to a wedding ring.

That was 11:50 p.m. The texts were not seen for hours. Sometime near midnight, authorities say, Samantha Keithley, 33, was fatally shot by her husband, Kirk Keithley, a 39-year-old Hillsborough County sheriff’s deputy. He then turned the gun on himself and died by suicide.

“She was an amazing mother and an amazing friend and amazing wife,” Kellin said in an interview with the Tampa Bay Times. “This is horrible.”

Pasco County deputies were called to the home at 17364 Terrazzo Way when a 14-year-old boy ran from the house and alerted 911 after hearing an argument and a gunshot, Pasco Sheriff Chris Nocco said at an early morning news conference.

Once deputies arrived, they found the body of a woman, Nocco said. They went upstairs and found three other children safe.Then deputies found the husband in another room, dead from an apparent self-inflicted gunshot wound, according to a preliminary investigation.

“Sam was part of our Hard Rock family for over 10 years,” he said. “She was truly loved by all who knew her. Our focus now is to support each other as we mourn this devastating loss. We are broken-hearted.”

Kirk Keithley was hired by the Hillsborough County Sheriff’s Office in 2009 and worked as a patrol deputy in the northeast area of the county. He had prior experience at the St. Petersburg Police Department.

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Survivors of Navy Yard shooting settle lawsuits

She was sure she was about to die at Navy Yard, and five years later has built a new life
Washington Post
Anne E Marimow
September 15, 2018

The anniversary comes as a group of victims’ relatives and survivors, including Stultz, have reached settlements in their negligence lawsuits against two private companies that employed Alexis, who was fatally shot by police who flooded the scene. The agreements close a chapter for the 15 plaintiffs who went to federal court in Washington seeking a combined $189 million in claimed damages.

Lori Lee Stultz no longer works at the Washington Navy Yard, where she escaped a mass shooting in 2013. She now runs a linens company that she credits with helping her heal. (Katherine Frey/The Washington Post)

When the first shots were fired inside Building 197 at the Washington Navy Yard, Lori Lee Stultz huddled beneath a desk with two colleagues, gripping their hands and trying to stay quiet, certain they’d be killed.

All around her, glass shattered, fire alarms blared, desk phones rang incessantly, and a colleague screamed, “Help me!”

The shooter, Aaron Alexis, gunned down 12 Navy civilian personnel and contractors that morning in September 2013, including too many of Stultz’s friends and colleagues from 15 years at the Navy Yard.

Stultz, of Arlington, and about 20 other survivors from Building 197 plan to gather Sunday to mark five years since the mass shooting.

“You become part of a strange community that no one else understands. We’re not crying; we’re just remembering,” Stultz said. “You can’t really talk to other people about it. It’s just upsetting, and they don’t know what to say.”
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