Posted on 05/12/2009 7:00:22 AM PDT by rightwingintelligentsia
BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) -- The U.S. soldier who fired on fellow troops in Iraq has been identified as Army Sgt. John Russell, and he's been charged with five counts of murder, a military spokesman said Tuesday.
Russell killed five people when he fired on other troops at a stress clinic at Camp Liberty, near Baghdad International Airport, U.S. officials said.
Along with five counts of murder, Russell also was charged with one count of aggravated assault, said Maj. Gen. David Perkins, who briefed reporters in Baghdad.
Russell is on his third tour in Iraq. He's with the 54th Engineering Battalion, based in Germany. He is in military police custody at Camp Victory.
There are no immediate insights on a motive, Perkins said.
The military is conducting a criminal investigation and another probe that explores whether the shootings could have been prevented, Perkins said.
Among the five killed, two were on the staff of the clinic -- one from the Army and the other from the Navy. Both were with the 55th Medical Company. The other three were enlisted soldiers. None of the victims have been identified.
(Excerpt) Read more at cnn.com ...
55th Medical Company is an Indianapolis-based Army Reserve Unit.
This one is going to hurt for us, I fear.
They didn’t tell you his middle name.
Probably John Ahkbar Russell or something similar.
He’s with the 54th, it does not mean hes a sapper. He could be support.
Just askin’...
I wonder if this has anything to do with women serving in the military?
And Russell felt jolted or insulted and went off the deep end.
OK...flame away! I have my asbestos suit on!
Agreed...I was with the 20th Engineer Brigade during Operation Desert Storm. I felt the same way when I read he was an Engineer.
It’s always unfortunate to read about fragging incidents but they do happen. I just hope the Left doesn’t try and prop this up as some sort of indictment against all of our soldiers.
Acts have reasons, and senseless acts point to faulty reason.
The essence of evil lies in the irrational.
“in my un-informed opinion three tours in Iraq could very possible take its toll on just about anyone.”
Things like this can happen at Ft. Bragg, as well as the Sandbox. People are people, no matter where they are, and the military comes with it’s own complete set of stress.
I’m betting that when it all finally comes out, we’ll find a “Dear John” somewhere in it.
The article said he had been brought there by an armed escort. He caused a disturbance at the clinic and the escort was taking him back to wherever he had been brought from. But when Russell got into the vehicle, he overpowered the escort, took his gun, and went back to the clinic to begin killing people.
“Other U.S. troops have turned their weapons on fellow soldiers during the Iraq war about a half-dozen times, according to Pentagon data.”
January 30, 2006, Goleta, California: former mail processor Jennifer San Marco, 44, kills six employees (five immediately, another died later). A possible seventh victim, a former neighbor, was found dead in her apartment and has yet to be confirmed to be of the same shooting. Marco committed suicide at the sorting facility. [2][3][4]
April 4, 2006, Baker City, Oregon: Grant Gallaher, letter carrier of thirteen years, while on duty in Baker City, Oregon, reportedly went home and got his .357 Magnum revolver and drove to the city post office with the intention of killing his postmaster. Arriving at the parking lot, he reportedly ran over his supervisor several times. Subsequently he went into the post office looking for his postmaster. Not finding the postmaster, he went back out to the parking lot and shot his supervisor several times at close range, ostensibly to make sure she was dead. He reportedly then fired three bullets in the windshield of her car and three more in the hood.(Musacco, 2009)
November 28, 2006, [San Francisco , California]]: Kevin Tartt, age 39, with eighteen years of service, employed at the Napoleon Street Carrier Annex in San Francisco, went to his supervisor’s residence, armed with a revolver and shot her in the back of the head outside of her house. He then reportedly left the scene and fatally shot himself in the head with the same gun the next day. Early in the investigation, homicide investigators were reportedly looking at links between disputes between Julius Tartt and his supervisor, including what one police official referred to as a discipline issue. One of the homicide officials stated that there were indications that Julius Tartt was dissatisfied with work and with the supervisor. During the timeframe of the tragedy, he was absent from work and had called in sick the previous day.
Some folks never give up. While all of the “I’ll bet it is a . . . .” folks were posting, some of us were willing to wait and see. “John M.” Russell, who did three tours, is very unlikely to be a muslim, but you can still hope on, if oyu wish. Sometimes a soldier who snaps is just a soldier who snaps, unfortunately. Muslims are responsible for enough bad stuff without assuming, without any evidence, that every loud fart is their doing.
That is a whole lot of guessing and supposition on very very little actual content.
What we’ll probably find is whack job a la Kleibald and Harris.
All full of a hyper inflated sense of self esteem and too stupid to follow simple orders.
This falls under the headline “sh*t happens”, and in a war zone, it happens more often than not.
Pray for the families.
True enough.But I can't help but think that 3 tours in Iraq played an important...if not a pivotal...role.
I’m betting that when it all finally comes out, we’ll find a “Dear John” somewhere in it.
Very possible.Such a letter could have been the "last straw" for someone who was already on the edge.
I know that, but even in warzones there are weapons free areas
such as hospitals and such. I know from experience.
Yeah, that was my second thought too.
IT sucks to have to be in a perpetual state of Damage control.
My hubby’s nephew did 4 tours, plus 2 in Bosnia.
The dude just lost it. I feel terrible for the families of the lost soldiers and for his family too.
Confess I didn’t read the whole article. Clearly the guy snapped and escorting him to the clinic was not the solution. I’m interested in the rest of the story.
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