On a spring day in Parkland, Washington, the tranquil campus of Pacific Lutheran University was shattered by a sudden and senseless act of violence that claimed the life of James Dale Holloway, a beloved 40-year-old White / Caucasian male music professor. On May 17, 2001, Holloway was outside a student residence hall when he was confronted by 55-year-old Donald D. Cowan of Tacoma. Cowan, armed with a 9 mm handgun and a.
22-caliber backup weapon, fired four shots, striking Holloway three times in the torso and once in the head. The attack was tragically random, as Holloway was not the gunman's intended target.
The ensuing investigation revealed a chilling premeditation to the crime. After shooting Holloway, Cowan dropped a 16-page, handwritten suicide note and then turned the gun on himself, succumbing to a self-inflicted gunshot wound to the head later that night at a local medical center. The lengthy note, penned on yellow legal paper, detailed Cowan's plan to kill the first university staff member he encountered. His motive stemmed from a deep-seated grudge against another a female faculty member who, fortunately, was on sabbatical in Europe at the time of the shooting. The note made it clear that Holloway was simply "in the wrong place at the wrong time," a random victim of Cowan's vengeful rage.
The tragic murder-suicide left the Pacific Lutheran University community in a state of shock and profound grief. James Dale Holloway, an adjunct professor at the university since 1989, was a respected and well-liked figure on campus, known for his passion for music and his dedication to his students. He was not only a music instructor but also a renowned organist. As the shooter died by his own hand, there were no arrests or other suspects in the case. The investigation concluded with the grim understanding that Holloway's death was a random act of violence, a tragic consequence of one man's misplaced anger.
