Waging War In The Workplace

If the workplace murder is the result of a robbery or a domestic-violence dispute, the profile is familiar. But with other cases, people are tempted to dismiss the killer as a crazy or criminal individual who would have committed murder somewhere, sometime, and simply couldn't be stopped. Experts say it isn't that simple. "The idea of a normal person snapping is absolutely wrong," says attorney Mathiason, but "it is also wrong to view them [all] as a criminal type." Some show anger and suspicion that border on clinical paranoia. But many, argues John Hamrock, head of the employee assistance program for Amoco Corp., are people whose unanswered resumes and unpaid medical bills mount until "they become so overwhelmed with feelings of futility that they just explode."

Those who target the workplace fit a general profile: they are primarily white males who have few social supports, tend to "externalize" or blame others for their problems and are preoccupied with weapons. San Francisco Police said Ferri had gun magazines in his apartment. Even more than most Americans, these men identify themselves with their work. "His primary anchor to society is his job," says Steve Kaufer, a Palm Springs security consultant. "When he loses his job, he goes ballistic." When Larry Hansel was fired from Elgar Corp. in 1991, he killed two supervisors he deemed responsible.

But what can employers do?

According to experts, quite a lot. Many killers, for example, signal their intention, but companies may ignore the signs. When claims manager Paul Calden was fired from Fireman's Fund Insurance in Tampa, Fla., last year, he told the personnel executive, "You haven't heard the last of this," according to Det. Sgt. Harold Sells. She wrote up the comment in a memo to supervisors, but nothing was done. In January of this year, eight months later, Calden returned, killing three and wounding two, including the personnel manager. Firemarn' s Fund, which could face lawsuits, declined to comment.