On a tragic Monday in June of 1994, Anita Linder, a 62-year-old woman, found herself in the wrong place at the most unfortunate time. She had driven to the Fairchild Air Force Base hospital in Spokane, Washington, on a routine errand to refill a prescription. A loving mother of three and a dedicated Camp Fire leader, Anita had left her four-year-old child playing at a neighbor's house, expecting to be home shortly.
Her husband of many years, Rande, had no idea that his life was about to be irrevocably shattered.
Unbeknownst to Anita and the dozens of others at the base hospital that day, a former airman named Dean Mellberg was about to unleash a torrent of violence. Armed with an assault rifle, Mellberg embarked on a shooting rampage that would become one of Spokane's most horrific mass shootings. In a matter of minutes, the hospital and its surroundings were transformed into a scene of chaos and carnage. Anita Linder tragically became one of Mellberg's victims, her life cut short in the hospital parking lot. For six agonizing hours, her husband frantically searched for her, his hope dwindling with each passing moment until a sheriff's deputy delivered the devastating news.
The senseless act of violence claimed the lives of four people and left 23 others wounded before the gunman was killed. The community of Spokane was left to mourn the loss of innocent lives, including that of a caring and intelligent woman who had dedicated her life to her family and community. Anita and her husband had met in college and built a life centered around their children, even taking in a nephew and actively participating in youth organizations like Camp Fire and Cub Scouts. Her husband's poignant words captured the depth of their loss, a sentiment echoed by a community grappling with the aftermath of a 'stupid' and violent act. There was no arrest to be made as the perpetrator was killed at the scene, leaving behind a legacy of pain and unanswered questions for the families of his victims.
