On a day meant for holiday cheer, December 26, 2000, a horrific act of violence shattered the community of Wakefield, Massachusetts. Inside the offices of Edgewater Technology, a 48-year-old woman named Rose Marie Manfredi was tragically killed in a mass shooting. She was a dedicated employee in the payroll department, going about her workday when the unthinkable happened.
The festive season turned into a scene of unimaginable terror when her coworker, Michael McDermott, entered the
building heavily armed. With cold precision, he opened fire, targeting his colleagues. In total, 37 rounds were fired, and seven employees, including Manfredi, lost their lives. The brutal attack was carried out with an AK-47 assault rifle, a 12-gauge shotgun, and a. 32 caliber pistol, with many of the victims shot in the back of the head.
The rampage ended when McDermott ran out of ammunition, and police found him sitting calmly at the scene. The motive for this devastating act was later attributed to his employer garnishing his wages to pay back taxes to the IRS. During his trial, McDermott made bizarre claims, suggesting he was on a mission to kill Nazis, but investigators discovered he had researched how to feign mental illness.
Ultimately, a jury found Michael McDermott guilty on seven counts of first-degree murder. He was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole and remains incarcerated. In memory of the victims, a cherry tree was planted outside the Edgewater Technology offices, where every December, carnations are woven into its branches to honor the lives, including that of Rose Marie Manfredi, that were so senselessly cut short.
