Memorial of the 1986 post office incident in Edmond, Oklahoma. |
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| Background information | |
|---|---|
| Birth name | Patrick Henry Sherrill |
| Occupation | Postal worker |
| Born | November 13, 1941 Watonga, Oklahoma, United States |
| Died | August 20, 1986 (aged 44) Edmond, Oklahoma, United States |
| Cause of death | Suicide |
| Killings | |
| Date | August 20, 1986 |
| Location(s) | Edmond, Oklahoma |
| Target(s) | Edmond Postal Service employees |
| Killed | 14 |
| Injured | 6 |
| Weapon(s) | Two Colt 1911A1 (.45 ACP) Pistol (.22) [1] |
Patrick Henry Sherrill (November 13, 1941 – August 20, 1986) was a United States Postal Service employee who, on August 20, 1986, in Edmond, Oklahoma, killed 14 employees with two .45 caliber pistols at his work place before turning one of the guns on himself and committing suicide. Six other employees were wounded. Security expert Gavin de Becker said that postal authorities ignored numerous signs of Sherrill's unstable and hostile attitude.
Sherrill was a relief carrier who would work routes on different days. He was making delivery errors and frequently delivered mail later than the customers were used to getting it. On the afternoon of August 19, 1986, Sherrill was reprimanded by two supervisors in a glassed-walled office.
Shortly after 8:00AM the next day, he began his rampage by shooting one of the two supervisors who had spoken to him the previous day. The other supervisor had, for the first time ever, overslept and was an hour late to work, by which time the shootings were already underway. The second victim was Mike Rockne, grandson of legendary Notre Dame football coach Knute Rockne. Fourteen people died during the attack, and six others were wounded. Some of the wounded survived because they played dead. The incident lasted between 15 and 20 minutes.
The incident is credited with inspiring the American phrase "going postal".