Gunman Kills Hostage, Self At NASA

One Wounded As Hostage Drama Ends At Johnson Space Center In Houston

(CBS/AP)  A NASA contract worker took a handgun inside an office building Friday at the Johnson Space Center and fatally shot a hostage before killing himself, police said. A second hostage escaped with minor injuries.

"All of us at NASA are profoundly saddened by today's tragedy at the Johnson Space Center in Houston," NASA administrator Michael Griffin said in a written statement. "Our hearts go out to the families of the victims and all those touched by today's events."

The gunman was able to take a snub-nosed revolver past NASA security and barricade himself in the building, which houses communications and tracking systems for the space shuttle.

NASA spokesman Doug Peterson said the agency would review its security.

"Any organization would take a good, hard look at the kind of review process we have with people," Peterson said.

To enter the space center, workers flash an ID badge as they drive past a security guard. The badge allows workers access to designated buildings.

NASA and police identified the gunman as 60-year-old William Phillips. He apparently had a dispute with the slain man, Police Chief Harold Hurtt said without elaborating.

NASA identified the slain man as David Beverly, a 62-year-old NASA worker. Beverly was shot in the chest and was probably killed "in the early minutes of the whole ordeal," police said.

Beverly's wife, Linda, said her husband of 41 years was an electrical parts specialist who felt working at NASA was his calling.

"His intellect and his knowledge, David really felt he was contributor," she said.

Her husband had mentioned Phillips before, but she declined to say in what regard. Linda Beverly said it wouldn't be fair to Phillips.

The second hostage, identified by NASA as Fran Crenshaw, a contract worker with MRI Technologies, escaped after being bound to a chair with duct tape. She worked in the same general area and was presumably taken hostage after Beverly was shot, Hurtt said.

"She was very courageous, a calming influence in this whole issue and apparently was a very positive relationship between her and the suspect because he at no time that we know of threatened to do injury to her," Hurtt said.

Phillips, an employee of Jacobs Engineering of Pasadena, Calif., had worked for NASA for 12 to 13 years and "up until recently, he has been a good employee," Coats said.

He was unmarried, had no children and apparently lived alone.

The shooter left telephone numbers and names of people to contact and wrote a note on a dry erase board in the room, police said.

"I don't recall what was on it," Hurtt said.

During the confrontation, NASA employees in the building were evacuated and others were ordered to remain in their offices for several hours. Roads within the 1,600-acre space center campus were also blocked off, and a nearby middle school kept its teachers and students inside as classes ended. Doors to Mission Control were locked as standard procedure.

A source inside JSC told CBS station KHOU that a meeting was under way in a conference room when the gunman walked in and pointed a gun at one person. He ordered everyone else out.

The gunman shot himself once in the head more than three hours after the standoff began, police said. Initial reports indicated two shots were fired at about 1:40 p.m. and another shot was heard about 5 p.m.

Police said the gun used was a revolver purchased on March 18 at a local gun shop.

Jacobs Engineering provides engineering for the international space station, space shuttle and other spacecraft programs, and conducts research and development for new technology. In 2005, the company received a five-year contract with the space center worth up to $1.15 billion.

[randalds]

The copycat loony tunes are out in full force. It was only a matter of time before they started crawling out of the woodwork. Luckily for me I'm semi-retired and don't have an office to go into. If I did I'd sure be keeping an extra close eye on any unhappy co-worker, because mass-shootings tend to happen in streaks and this will probably be only the first of many. Got some vacation time saved up? Use it. It might save your life.

[dblbar]

Did they say if the gunman has a diaper on?

[m_isaacks]

My father works at NASA. And I am wondering how in the heck a man with a gun got into Nasa, i FINALLY FOUND OUT THAT MY FATHER IS OK.PEOPLE NEED TO GET A GRIP.

[gunownerdan]

Criminals prefer defenseless victims.
They always have and they always will.

human-right.com

[govtdr]

"the gunman walked in and pointed a gun at one person. He ordered everyone else out."

So....does the gunman have a hostage? Why is there a sweep of the building?...it sounds like he's IN the conference room, no? Am I missing a key paragraph here??

[zootallures2]

What next? Bush shoots up the congress?

[gunownerdan]

"GUN FREE ZONES" are VICTIM ZONES.
Terrorists, homicidal maniacs, and other dangerous criminals just love defenseless victims.
It makes their job easier!

a-human-right.com

[sero5]

The military needs to provide security at major government buildings. No, Bush is not someone to 'shoot up Congress'. Don't be ridiculous.

[elgraz]

RUN FOR YOUR LIFE. RUN FOR YOUR LIFE. THE ALIENS ARE COMING OR THEY ARE HERE.

[a-655321]

Have you ever been to JSC? you could walk in with any sort of weapon if you are an employee. You just drive up and flash your badge, and you are on the campus. My dad did 35+ years there and it was that simple. I used to drive through the campus in his car and it had a sticker in the window; that is all that it takes! Where are you when we need you GunOwnerDan? I guess we should have taken Robert Anton Wilson and the Guns&Dope Party more seriously in the last election!

[elgraz]

GEE, HE SHOULD HAVE GONE TO COUNSELING. RIGHT.........A KICK IN HIS ARSE AND FIRED ON THE SPOT.

[elgraz]

SECURITY ON THESE GOVERNMENT INSTALLATIONS IS A JOKE. DO YOU KNOW WHY ? WE DON'T WANT TO OFFEND ANYONE. WE MAY GET SUED. WE HAVE BECOME A BUNCH OF BALL LESS PUUUUUUSIES AND OUR COUNTRY IS ON THE WAY DOWN...........JUST LIKE THE ROMAN EMPIRE...WHAT A SHAME !!!!!!!!

[fascistusa]

This is funny. Commenting on a story as it is going on.

Go Shooter. Free America.

This is boring. I'm gonna go eta dinner.

Who needs NASA anyways??

[elgraz]

leftwingnut,GET YOURSELF A BRAIN AMIGO. THE WIZARD OF OZ WILL GRANT YOU YOUR WISH. YOU SHOULD REALLY GET A JOB AND CONTRIBUTE TO OUR SOCIETY.I WILL PRAY FOR YOU.

[zootallures2]

The military needs to provide security at major government buildings. No, Bush is not someone to 'shoot up Congress'. Don't be ridiculous.
Posted by sero5 at 05:06 PM : Apr 20, 2007

Ok, how about Cheney shoots up the senate in a diaper?

[fascistusa]

Gun Control will never work.

Prohibition did not work.

The 2 Amendment was created to protect US from our GOVERNMENT. Remember good ol' King John?

But feel free to keep trying. Fascists.

[bildooreilly]

What do you think those nazi occultists at NASA are doing with all that "moondust" and "stardust" american taxpayers are subsidizing their freaking satanic rituals.

[randalds]

leftwingnut,GET YOURSELF A BRAIN AMIGO. THE WIZARD OF OZ WILL GRANT YOU YOUR WISH. YOU SHOULD REALLY GET A JOB AND CONTRIBUTE TO OUR SOCIETY.I WILL PRAY FOR YOU.
Posted by elgraz at 05:29 PM : Apr 20, 2007

He's a right wing troll using this sign on name to post absolutely ridiculous things to try to make anyone who doesn't like Bush appear to be crazy. I just wish it wasn't sooooo obvious. Must be didntinhale, or lars008, or maybe even good old liberman, but a right wing troll for sure.

[aaabee-2009]

Ok, how about Cheney shoots up the senate in a diaper? Posted by zootallures2 at 05:51 PM : Apr 20, 2007


OHhhhhhhh, the mental pictures are horrifying...but somehow painfully intriquing.....

[luigi999-2009]

We can thank the media for the NASA incident after irreponsibly airing the tapes of the Virgina Tech nutcase. Nice going media!

[lily_ayanami]

so, is there anything good going for NASA? i just keeping bad news as of late...

[randalds]

Ok, how about Cheney shoots up the senate in a diaper? Posted by zootallures2 at 05:51 PM : Apr 20, 2007


OHhhhhhhh, the mental pictures are horrifying...but somehow painfully intriquing.....
Posted by AaaBee at 06:34 PM : Apr 20, 2007


And yet...so really really "realistic" feeling too....like it could happen....really....

[gmond]

I saw this episode of Medium last week.

[dlpracer]

*** GUN CONTROL WILL STOP STUFF LIKE THIS ***

(and impeaching bu$h)
Posted by leftwingnut at 05:55 PM : Apr 20, 2007

------------


akin to:

***Traffic lights will stop intersection accidents***

***Warning labels will stop accidental poisoning***

***Teaching abstinence works.

Any other pearls of wisdom??

Try again.

[bellal-2009]

We can thank the media for the NASA incident after irreponsibly airing the tapes of the Virgina Tech nutcase. Nice going media!
Posted by luigi999 at 07:08 PM : Apr 20, 2007

I completely agree. We've had two high schools and one community college locked down in our town since Wed. It was highly irresponsible and truly makes me question their judgement and motives.

[lawandorder6]

dlpracer, you are really going the wrong was. Any bady can make a case using accidents as away to make the point. It was no accident that kill 33 people. So YOU ARE WRONG, like most people that DON'Y KNOW WHAY THEY ARETALKING ABOUT GUNS MUST GO.

[michellem99-2009]

I just am schocked at this. First a space flight crewwoman goes off and now this. This madness has to stop.

[henry6543]

Better a right wing troll than a left wing subversive.

[alphaa10-2009]

1. "Only outlaws will have guns..." goes the canard from gun nuts. In fact, with national gun laws written exactly the way the NRA lobby wants them, we have the worst shooting in US history.

VA Tech happens to be the latest and worst massacre, but I shudder to think how easily it could become the norm. Just today, someone with a grudge at NASA shot a coworker, then himself.

2. The argument that freely-available guns make us safer just isn't borne out by homicide statistics. Most shootings occur between people who know each other-- in a domestic environment, for example-- not defending anonymous little old ladies at streetcorners.

3. Guns don't defend us from even intruders with any kind of consistent record. Do we want any streetcorner doper or even the mentally unstable finding ready access to handguns? Right now, they do.

A Bush Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms spokesman on lax gun permit enforcement admits, "Mistakes were made..."-- translated, none of us is safe, even with guns in the house. (Do you suppose a criminal doesn't put the odds of surprise on his side?)

How many tragedies could be prevented each year by even limited gun control sufficient to prevent people from shooting each other and themselves in episodes of anger?

Congress must answer for this plague of unnecessary mayhem in America-- write to your congressmen and let them know enough is enough.

This country needs a basic, rigorously enforced ban on guns. It is a matter of life and death.

[me4prezz]

dlpracer, you are really going the wrong was. Any bady can make a case using accidents as away to make the point. It was no accident that kill 33 people. So YOU ARE WRONG, like most people that DON'Y KNOW WHAY THEY ARETALKING ABOUT GUNS MUST GO.
Posted by lawandorder6 at 07:52 PM : Apr 20, 2007

Sorry, can't help myself:

you are really going the wrong was (way). Anybady (anybody) can make a case using accidents as away (a way) to make the (a) point. It was no accident that kill (killed) 33 people. So (insert comma here) YOU ARE WRONG, like most people that DON'Y (DON'T) KNOW WHAY (WHAT) THEY ARETALKING (ARE TALKING) ABOUT (insert period and start a new sentence). GUNS MUST GO.

Parenthesis indicate grammatical corrections. Just thought that you would make a stronger argument if it seemed like you had passed 2nd grade. Just trying to help....

[me4prezz]

Ok, how about Cheney shoots up the senate in a diaper? Posted by zootallures2 at 05:51 PM : Apr 20, 2007


OHhhhhhhh, the mental pictures are horrifying...but somehow painfully intriquing.....
Posted by AaaBee at 06:34 PM : Apr 20, 2007


And yet...so really really "realistic" feeling too....like it could happen....really....
Posted by RandalDS at 07:17 PM : Apr 20, 2007

Except, it would be politically incorrect for Cheney to shoot up Congress in diapers because he would have to wear Depends and, well, he is anything but....

[mrhoppy-2009]

Why did the feds tell the v-tech police and local police to stand down for two hours while people were being killed? prisonplanet.com

http://www.prisonplanet.com/articles
/april2007/200407standdown.htm

[henry6543]

Go ahead take away guns, we still have our letter openers, and 1001 other items that can be used as weapons.

The real enemy is within each of us, and morality is the only thing that stops it.

[alphaa10-2009]

PS on the Urgent Need for Gun Laws--

1. The EU isn't even close to the carnage from guns per capita that our country suffers, yet its highly urban, demographically-concentrated environment is exactly where gun mayhem can take its greatest toll. Why isn't the EU a graveyard of gun incidents? Because the EU actually means business with gun laws and gun control.

2. And for those "patriots" who insist the American Revolution never would have succeeded with out the right to bear arms, the ragtag American militia was hardly ever a match for the British army. The early American army suffered immensely from the lack of firepower and competent tactics and organization, and was constantly on the run. (So much for old Betsy over the mantlepiece.)

In even Africa or Latin America, popular revolts are nearly always abortive and deadly for the insurgents, no matter how well-armed. (Not to mention the rest of the populace.) The most that guns accomplish is to give people in revolt a false sense of security.

[mrhoppy-2009]

From the Protocols Of The Learned Elders Of Zion

"This freedom will give political force to those engaged in industry, and that will help to oppress the people. b Nowadays it is more important to disarm the peoples than to lead them into war: /b more important to use for our advantage the passions which have burst into flames than to quench their fire: more important to eradicate them."

[fascistusa]

Why did Virginia police stand down?

To scare the masses into submission. Another 9/11.

Too bad we already knew it was coming. I even told people who go to V-Tech. God help us all.

The 2nd Amendment was to protect We The People from our Government. You are right about every point veteran71.

Free America from this FASCIST REGIME!!

[alphaa10-2009]

Veteran71--"There are so many laws on the books concerning guns, that are ignored by criminals every day, why do people think that another law, or a thousand for that matter, will stop a person with no regard for laws??"
---
Then how to explain the rest of the world having such a different per capita death toll from gunplay between citizens?

-------------------

henry6543-- "Go ahead take away guns, we still have our letter openers, and 1001 other items that can be used as weapons. The real enemy is within each of us..."
---
This is the core argument of the anarchist, who insists all government is not a substitute for the right of the human being to act freely and in full conscience without lawful restrictions.

The problem with the anarchist creed is it never has worked. Laws have emerged in every civilized society to govern how people behave.

The gun control argument is about exactly that-- lawful control. While no control measure is universally effective, it is far better than the carnage of VA Tech. If laws against murder are not effective, why not repeal them?

[cantshutup]

why are you freaks making this a federal issue? the university, the state of virginia, the space center, the state of florida, are all responsible for these tragedies...not the fascists that we have let take control...we're just spectators and that's all we can say...

[fascistusa]

Our GOVERNMENT IS KILLING US.

KILLING US.

You don't find that a concern??

[stezzer]

America, stop beating yourself up. You are still the greatest place on earth.

These shootings are terrible, awful. But as a Brit who loves your country, trust me, you wouldn't want to live anywhere else.

God bless you all, and your wonderful country.

[stezzer]

fascistusa

You clearly don't agree with me. That's fine. However, there's no need to swear and be aggressive.

I've been lucky enough to live in many places around the world, and I can honestly say America is the best. I'm certainly not a fascist, I'm a Jew.

Sorry you feel so angry, but remember, at least we still have the freedom to disagree.

Good luck to you sir.

[staycalm]

This man could have done exactly the same thing with a knife.

[jn122736]

This country needs a basic, rigorously enforced ban on guns. It is a matter of life and death.
Posted by alphaa10 at 08:14 PM : Apr 20, 2007
------------

This is probably the first time I have ever TOTALLY disagreed with any of your comments on this site.

Any ban on guns, other than through the amendment process, is clearly unconstitutional.

People killing and being killed with guns is in the news every day but we never hear of those who are actually saved by having or even possibly having a gun in the house or on their person. That means there is just no way to show how much a gun ban would help verses how much it would make things worse.
As I used to tell employees under my supervision when I conducted safety meetings, %u201Cthe accidents prevented by these safety meetings never happen so you can%u2019t know how many would occur if the meetings were not held.%u201D

The fact that we CAN own and bear arms lends protection even to those who don%u2019t have arms because they MIGHT have them.

Yes an intruder will use surprise but surprise can work both ways. A person, even when asleep in their bed, may have a gun within easy reach, the intruder simply cannot know for sure. That will not stop all of them, but there is no way of knowing how many never try because of the possibility of getting shot.

A 150 lb man is virtually defenseless against a 300 lb attacker but when guns are involved that are both the same size.

[mbburch06]

Yes, by all means let's ban guns so that only criminals have them. In addition to being unconstitutional, laws like that only take away freedoms from those who follow the rules.

[toolmangler-2009]

A 150 lb man is virtually defenseless against a 300 lb attacker but when guns are involved that are both the same size.

Posted by jn122736 at 10:09 PM : Apr 20, 2007



This 150+ lb man can easily handle a 300 lb man (if he doesn't know what I know) but I would rather have a gun on my hip. Then the big one probably wouldnt try.

[mecanik-2009]

I get so tired of the Stupid British trying to tell us how to run our Country. They've screwed up there country by banning weapons and running there crime rate through the roof. Lets not do the same here. Guns bans make crime worse, not better. People aren't coming to the United States because they don't like it here. They come here for the freedoms we enjoy.

[toolmangler-2009]

This country needs a basic, rigorously enforced ban on guns. It is a matter of life and death.
Posted by alphaa10 at 08:14 PM : Apr 20, 2007


You are right, with no guns for the populace, only the live criminal will have them and that may mean my death.

[kindrox]

Gun control advocates, how would you have saved these folks?

A woman uses her pistol to shoot a would-be car jacker who already has a gun pointed at her husband
http://www.wistv.com/Global/story.asp?S=5942137

A man is stabbed several times, retrieves gun, shoots attacker
http://www.ukiahdailyjournal.com/ci_5686485?source=rss

Man shoots home invader
http://www.wreg.com/global/story.asp?s=6379453

Armed robber shot by store clerk
http://www.katv.com/news/stories/0407/414869.html

Two home invaders shot by homeowner
http://www.news-press.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070416/NEWS0110/70416019

Woman shoots home invader
http://www.wtoc.com/global/story.asp?s=6372628

Man uses gun to defend family against dogs
http://www.kxly.com/index.php?story_id=10024

Two different homeowners defend against home invaders
http://www.heraldcitizen.com/NF/omf.wnm/herald/news_story.html?rkey=0044201+cr=gdn

Residents fight off two armed home invaders
http://www.thepittsburghchannel.com/news/12615615/detail.html?rss=pit&psp=news

Man uses gun to defend against baseball bat
http://www.eagletribune.com/punewsnh/local_story_104093830?keyword=secondarystory

Home owners defend against attempted break in
http://content.hamptonroads.com/story.cfm?story=123226&ran=60183

[robertr121]

Because you can't kill 32 people in five minutes with a curtain rod veteran71.

[pixelslinger]

You know, there IS a truth to the horrendously illogical sound byte pro-gun proponents have been spouting for the past 40 years - If make guns illegal, only criminals would have guns.

Yup. All of you 'law abiding citizens' that refused to turn over your 'self defense' WOULD, in fact, be criminials. By your own logic, it would then be alright for the police to kill you as they would any other armed criminal.

The majority of gun owners are, on the whole, decent people who don't break laws and hold a great respect for the fact that the responsibility of owning weapons designed solely to kill. Unfortunately, you don't police your own. The only ones that often speak for gun ownership come to the Internet or make blogs shouting absolutely moronic lies like 'Britian and Australia's crime rates went way up after they banned guns!' forgetting to note that misdemeanors and non-violent felonies are the crimes that went up while violent felonies like, oh.. armed robbery, murder, rape, assault with a deadly weapon, etc cratered and became comparable to countries like Sweden in a very short period of time.

You can point to the odd story of the clerk that shoots the armed robber or the victim turned champion for shooting their assailant, but it's a lot easier for me to point to the Department of Justice Fact Sheet that shows over 30,000 gun-related homicides and 400,000+ gun-related crimes committed in this country EACH YEAR.