Patrick Henry Sherrill and the 1986 Edmond Post Office Massacre
Incident Overview
On August 20, 1986, in Edmond, Oklahoma, United States Postal Service employee Patrick Henry Sherrill carried out a violent rampage at his workplace. Armed with three legally acquired semi-automatic pistols—two .45-caliber and one .22-caliber—he entered the facility just after 7:00 a.m., locked the doors, and opened fire on his coworkers. In a span of less than fifteen minutes, he killed fourteen postal workers, wounded six others, and then committed suicide before law enforcement could intervene. This tragedy became one of the deadliest workplace shootings in U.S. history and led to the coining of the phrase “going postal” .
Background and Motive
Sherrill, age 44, was a relief mail carrier—a position without a fixed route—that caused him job instability. He had a history of poor relations with management and was reprimanded by supervisors on August 19, 1986. He had reportedly voiced threats of retaliation. On the morning of August 20, he brought a mailbag containing firearms to work, initiated the attack by targeting one of the supervisors who had disciplined him, and proceeded through the building shooting coworkers .
Victims (Killed on August 20, 1986)
- Patricia Ann Chambers, 41, part-time clerk
- Judy Stephens Denney, 41, part-time clerk
- Richard C. Esser Jr., 38, supervisor
- Patricia A. Gabbard, 47, clerk
- Jonna Ruth Gragert, 30, clerk
- Patty Jean Husband, 48, supervisor
- Betty Ann Jarred, 34, clerk
- William F. Miller, 30, rural carrier
- Kenneth W. Morey, 49, rural carrier
- Leroy Orrin Phillips, 42, rural carrier
- Jerry Ralph Pyle, 51, rural carrier
- Paul Michael Rockne, 33, letter carrier
- Thomas Wade Shader Jr., 31, part-time clerk
- Patti Lou Welch, 27, clerk
These names and roles are inscribed on the Yellow Ribbon Memorial at the Edmond Post Office, a sculpture with fourteen fountains honoring each victim .
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