Matthew Beck

Mass Murderer

Matthew Beck and the 1998 Connecticut Lottery Headquarters Massacre

Overview

On March 6, 1998, Matthew Beck carried out a deadly workplace shooting at the Connecticut Lottery Corporation headquarters in Newington, Connecticut. Beck, a 35-year-old lottery employee, entered the building armed with a 9mm Glock semiautomatic pistol and a knife. During a brief but terrifying attack, he deliberately targeted members of the lottery's management staff, killing four people before taking his own life as police closed in. The attack occurred inside and around the lottery headquarters on Alumni Road, where approximately 150 employees were working. Witnesses described employees running from the building, hiding in offices and calling emergency services as gunfire erupted. Beck killed three supervisors inside the headquarters and then pursued Connecticut Lottery Corporation president Otho Brown outside, fatally shooting him in the parking lot. The massacre was one of Connecticut's most notorious incidents of workplace violence. Investigators believed Beck's actions were driven by long-standing resentment over his employment situation, including complaints about job assignments, management decisions and his unsuccessful efforts to obtain a promotion. Although those grievances provided context for the attack, authorities found nothing that could justify or adequately explain his decision to murder four coworkers.

Matthew Beck's Employment History

Beck had worked for the Connecticut Lottery for approximately nine years. He had held a technical position involving computer and information systems but became increasingly dissatisfied with the duties assigned to him. He reportedly believed he was being asked to perform work outside his formal job description and felt that his education and abilities were not being recognized by management. One of Beck's principal complaints involved his failure to receive a promotion. He believed he deserved advancement within the organization and became angry when management selected someone else. His frustration developed into a prolonged dispute with supervisors and lottery administrators. Beck filed employment grievances and continued challenging decisions made about his duties and professional status. During the months preceding the massacre, coworkers and relatives became concerned about Beck's emotional condition. He had been absent from work on medical leave and was reportedly receiving treatment for stress-related and psychological problems. He returned to the lottery headquarters on February 25, 1998, less than two weeks before the shooting. Despite his recent difficulties, there was no public indication that Beck had directly announced a plan to kill anyone at the lottery. His return to work placed him once again in daily contact with the managers he blamed for his workplace problems. On March 6, he arrived prepared to commit violence.

The March 6, 1998 Attack

The shooting began during the morning of Friday, March 6, 1998. Beck entered the Connecticut Lottery headquarters carrying the Glock pistol and a knife. Rather than firing randomly into groups of employees, he moved through the workplace and attacked specific members of management. The four people killed were supervisors or senior officials whom Beck apparently associated with his employment grievances. Three victims were shot inside the headquarters. Employees heard gunfire and quickly realized that an armed attacker was moving through the building. Some workers escaped through doors and windows, while others locked themselves inside offices or hid beneath desks. Emergency calls brought Newington police and officers from surrounding jurisdictions to the scene. Lottery president Otho Brown attempted to escape from the building. Beck followed him into the parking lot and continued the attack outside. Brown was pursued across the property and fatally shot. The sight of the organization's president being chased and killed demonstrated that Beck was selecting particular executives rather than indiscriminately attacking everyone he encountered. Police officers arrived within minutes and surrounded the headquarters. As officers approached and prepared to confront him, Beck used his pistol to shoot himself in the right temple. He died at the scene. The entire attack unfolded rapidly, leaving four victims dead and a large workforce traumatized. ...

Confirmed Victims: (4)

Otho R. Brown 54 yr old Male

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