Anyone else following this story? Someone who works in Building 44 at the Johnson Space Center outside of Houston (the Communications & Tracking Development Center) apparently came into the building with a handgun. One to several shots are reported to have been fired. An *unconfirmed* report says that a meeting was taking place in a conference room when the alleged shooter walked in, pointed the gun at one particular person, and told everyone else to get out...

CNN may be about to confirm that last story, though.

I hope no one we know works at JSC or in/near Building 44.

-the other Doug

Yes, I've heard conflicting statements; the news does not have any firm information, but heresay from a friend in Houston is that the gunman is an employee and has shot at two people, then perhaps took some hostages and barricaded the 2nd floor of the building.

I hope SWAT has filled the building with happy gas, and everyone is safe... except the gunman.

More info at http://www.khou.com/topstories/stories/kho...n.2acd63a6.html

Unfortunately, it sounds like the gunman killed a hostage and then himself

BREAKING NEWS: Police at the scene of a NASA building in Houston where a gunman barricaded himself are reporting the gunman is dead from an apparent self-inflicted gunwound, one male hostage is deceased, and a second, female hostage was found bound with duct tape but alive. A police spokesman says they have yet to establish the names of the victims or a motive in the shootings.

How sad

Phillip

Sad indeed, and yet another reminder that people who make spaceships happen are, after all, just people...

Not trying to justify this clown's actions at all, of course...just pointing out the frangibility of human beings and therefore the forever-ly inadequate screening that cannot predict the future actions of any given person. This guy probably had a security clearance higher than most of our forum members, and he was in his 50s at least, certainly one of the proverbial 'graybeards'; what the hell went wrong with him?