Police: Fired Employee Shoots, Kills CEO at Christmas Party
Sunday , December 14, 2008
A recently fired Canadian man was charged with first degree murder after he allegedly shot and killed his boss at his former company's Christmas party.
Eric Allen Kirkpatrick, 61, who was fired from his job in Vancouver-based TallGrass Distribution, was accused of fatally shooting Benjamin David Banky, Vancouver police Constable Tim Fanning said.
At least a dozen people were at the party when Kirkpatrick entered at about 4 p.m. and opened fire, according to authorities.
Police locked down the neighborhood and Kirkpatrick gave up about two hours later. Other partygoers were not harmed in the incident.
Witnesses told CTV.ca that police spent about two hours negotiating with Kirkpatrick before bringing him into custody.
"He was giving them a bit of grief, he was saying that his cuffs hurt, but he was following orders," a witness said.
TallGrass Distribution is a natural health product supplier.
Click here for more on this story from CTV.ca.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
I feel bad for the deceased mans family. :frown1: It's always awful to lose a loved one to violence; but when it happens at Christmas it seems particularly heinous and difficult.
I thought Canada was one of those civilized countries where people didn't use guns except for target shooting and hunting.
At least that's the impression I had due to the attitudes expressed on this site whenever there is a mass shooting in the United States. 
Sunday , December 14, 2008
A recently fired Canadian man was charged with first degree murder after he allegedly shot and killed his boss at his former company's Christmas party.
Eric Allen Kirkpatrick, 61, who was fired from his job in Vancouver-based TallGrass Distribution, was accused of fatally shooting Benjamin David Banky, Vancouver police Constable Tim Fanning said.
At least a dozen people were at the party when Kirkpatrick entered at about 4 p.m. and opened fire, according to authorities.
Police locked down the neighborhood and Kirkpatrick gave up about two hours later. Other partygoers were not harmed in the incident.
Witnesses told CTV.ca that police spent about two hours negotiating with Kirkpatrick before bringing him into custody.
"He was giving them a bit of grief, he was saying that his cuffs hurt, but he was following orders," a witness said.
TallGrass Distribution is a natural health product supplier.
Click here for more on this story from CTV.ca.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
I feel bad for the deceased mans family. :frown1: It's always awful to lose a loved one to violence; but when it happens at Christmas it seems particularly heinous and difficult.
I thought Canada was one of those civilized countries where people didn't use guns except for target shooting and hunting.