Two die in NASA standoff

**THL** · 20 Apr 07,, 21:45

People are getting crazier by the day

Gunman opened fire at NASA building, police say

HOUSTON, Texas (CNN) -- NASA evacuated a building at the Johnson Space Center in Houston after an employee with a gun was seen and a shot was fired, a NASA spokesman said Friday.

A SWAT team with the Houston Police has been dispatched to building 44 on the Johnson Space Center property, a source told CNN. Building 44 holds a laboratory.

The call for help came in to the Houston Police at 1:40 p.m. (2:40 p.m. ET) but it's unclear who made that call.

NASA spokesman James Hartfield said all of the employees that would have been in that building have been evacuated.

There is "extremely tight security" at Johnson Space Center, Hartfield said.

A NASA spokesperson told CNN that all employees have been told to go home for the day.

Space Center Intermediate School, less than a mile south, has been locked down, said Karen Permetti, spokeswoman for Clear Creek Independent School District.

She said the school lets out at 4 p.m. (5 p.m. ET) and parents have been asked not to come to the school to pick up their children.

The school has about 1,100 students, she said.

Gunman opened fire at NASA building, police say - CNN.com

**gunnut** · 20 Apr 07,, 22:09

I saw the news coverage of this thing during lunch time. It was an hour of some reporter saying a bunch of unimportant and uninteresting things while the camara pans on a building.

C-SPAN was more interesting.

**kams** · 20 Apr 07,, 23:26

One hostage dead along with the Gunman. Gunman killed himself.

**Ray** · 21 Apr 07,, 03:42

Police, who had surrounded the scene and entered when they heard a gunshot, also found a second hostage, a woman, who was alive but tied up with tape.

Police Capt Dwayne Ready said officers were called to the scene at about 1340 (1840 GMT) after a man was seen with a gun and two shots were heard.

Nasa named the gunman as Bill Phillips, a contract engineer at the site.

The hostages were named as David Beverly and Fran Crenshaw, though the names were not confirmed by police.

Nasa spokesman Doug Peterson said the agency would review its security procedures following the siege.

More details at:
BBC NEWS | Americas | Gunman kills hostage at Nasa base

I think THL is right. People are getting crazier by the day.

Just to imagine a contractor who is practically part of the organisation can do this. Bites the hand that feeds!

These are the type of incidents that lead to stricter security, which makes the life of the law abiding very onerous!

**gunnut** · 21 Apr 07,, 04:03

I disagree sir. People aren't getting crazier. We have more instantaneous information at our disposal, both for recording and for diseminating. Never in history of this world has an entire nation been able to access instant information for just about any part within its border.

There are about same amount of crazy people here. We are just made aware of every single one of their acts.

**Ironduke** · 21 Apr 07,, 06:26

He killed a hostage, then turned the gun on himself, committing suicide:

HOUSTON, Texas (CNN) -- A NASA engineer Friday shot and killed another engineer and then turned the gun on himself at the Johnson Space Center, police and NASA officials said.

The shootings occurred in a single office in Building 44 on the sprawling campus.

Houston Police Chief Harold Hurtt said two other hostages were involved -- one was shot and injured, another was released without injury. The hostage who was not harmed is NASA contractor Fran Crenshaw, who the gunman allegedly tied up with duct tape.

Crenshaw wiggled out of the tape and alerted authorities about what was happening, Hurtt said. She is talking with Houston Police.

Space Center Director Michael Coats identified the gunman as Bill Phillips, a contract employee, and the dead victim as David Beverly, a NASA employee. The other shooting victim has not been identified.

Police have not determined a motive for the killing, but Hurtt said that there apparently had been "some kind of dispute" between Beverly and Phillips.

Crenshaw happened to be in the area at the time of the shooting and was taken hostage, he said.

"As I understand the chain of events, she was very courageous, a very calming influence during this whole thing," Hurtt said. "There was a positive relationship between her and the suspect. At no time did he threaten to do injury to her."

The situation started at about 1:40 p.m. (2:40 p.m. ET) when police responded to a call that a person with a gun had entered Building 44. A witness reported two gunshots at the time, Houston Police Capt. Dwayne Ready said. (Watch employees being evacuated after gunfire is heard Video)

"While they [SWAT teams] were trying to establish communication, they heard an additional gunshot," he said.

Believing the suspect may have shot himself, they decided to move in and found that he had committed suicide.

Source: Gunman knew engineer he killed at NASA, police say - CNN.com