An employee wielding a semiautomatic rifle and a shotgun opened fire at an Internet consulting company, killing seven co-workers before being subdued by police, authorities said.
Prosecutors were investigating whether Michael McDermott, 42, was upset about an Internal Revenue Service request to garnish his wages to pay back taxes, Middlesex District Attorney Martha Coakley said on Tuesday.
PHOTO: AP
She said Edgewater Technology Inc had agreed not to begin taking out money from McDermott's paycheck until after the holidays.
However, McDermott had an angry outburst in the company's accounting department last week over the prospect of losing some of his wages, according to an employee who spoke only on condition of anonymity. He apparently felt the company was not doing enough to take his side against the IRS, the employee said.
Most of the victims -- four women and three men -- worked in the accounting department. Coakley said the shootings were apparently not random, since the suspect bypassed several people during Tuesday's rampage.
Two people were shot in the reception area and the others were killed at their desks in another wing of the building. Shell casings and bullets were found all over the office.
"There was an enormous amount of firepower," Coakley said.
She said McDermott did not have a permit for any of the weapons he was carrying: a semiautomatic assault rifle, a 12-gauge shotgun and a pistol.
She said he had no prior criminal record.
Police found McDermott sitting silently in the reception area, a body nearby, his weapons within reach. He was arrested without gunfire.
"They made a split-second decision to hold their fire to try to effect an arrest," said Stephen Doherty, the police chief in this city 16km north of Boston.
McDermott faced seven charges of murder at yesterday's arraignment. Defense attorney Kevin Reddington, who met with McDermott, would not comment on his demeanor or a possible motive.
McDermott was a software tester who had worked at the company since March, said Mike Stanley, a team projects leader. He said McDermott recently had been coming in late and his performance wasn't as good as it could have been, but declined to elaborate.
He said none of the victims was McDermott's supervisor.
"He had nothing to do with any of them," Stanley said, a tear running down his right cheek. "It seems like a random ridiculous thing."
In a statement, the company said McDermott's actions "apparently stem from occurrences in his personal life."
Kevin Forzese, who l ived upstairs from McDermott in Haverhill, said the suspect had never mentioned money problems. He also said McDermott had mentioned that he collected antique guns, but he had never seen any weapons in McDermott's apartment.
"He never talked about the company," Forzese said. "I talked to him about money and he said he was doing really well."
Edgewater employs approximately 240 people in Massachusetts, said John Cooley, director of investor relations. The company is in the process of moving its headquarters from Fayetteville, Arkansas, to Wakefield. The company also has offices in Alabama, Minnesota and New Hampshire.
SECURITY: As China is ‘reshaping’ Hong Kong’s population, Taiwan must raise the eligibility threshold for applications from Hong Kongers, Chiu Chui-cheng said When Hong Kong and Macau citizens apply for residency in Taiwan, it would be under a new category that includes a “national security observation period,” Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) Minister Chiu Chui-cheng (邱垂正) said yesterday. President William Lai (賴清德) on March 13 announced 17 strategies to counter China’s aggression toward Taiwan, including incorporating national security considerations into the review process for residency applications from Hong Kong and Macau citizens. The situation in Hong Kong is constantly changing, Chiu said to media yesterday on the sidelines of the Taipei Technology Run hosted by the Taipei Neihu Technology Park Development Association. With
CARROT AND STICK: While unrelenting in its military threats, China attracted nearly 40,000 Taiwanese to over 400 business events last year Nearly 40,000 Taiwanese last year joined industry events in China, such as conferences and trade fairs, supported by the Chinese government, a study showed yesterday, as Beijing ramps up a charm offensive toward Taipei alongside military pressure. China has long taken a carrot-and-stick approach to Taiwan, threatening it with the prospect of military action while reaching out to those it believes are amenable to Beijing’s point of view. Taiwanese security officials are wary of what they see as Beijing’s influence campaigns to sway public opinion after Taipei and Beijing gradually resumed travel links halted by the COVID-19 pandemic, but the scale of
A US Marine Corps regiment equipped with Naval Strike Missiles (NSM) is set to participate in the upcoming Balikatan 25 exercise in the Luzon Strait, marking the system’s first-ever deployment in the Philippines. US and Philippine officials have separately confirmed that the Navy Marine Expeditionary Ship Interdiction System (NMESIS) — the mobile launch platform for the Naval Strike Missile — would take part in the joint exercise. The missiles are being deployed to “a strategic first island chain chokepoint” in the waters between Taiwan proper and the Philippines, US-based Naval News reported. “The Luzon Strait and Bashi Channel represent a critical access
Pope Francis is be laid to rest on Saturday after lying in state for three days in St Peter’s Basilica, where the faithful are expected to flock to pay their respects to history’s first Latin American pontiff. The cardinals met yesterday in the Vatican’s synod hall to chart the next steps before a conclave begins to choose Francis’ successor, as condolences poured in from around the world. According to current norms, the conclave must begin between May 5 and 10. The cardinals set the funeral for Saturday at 10am in St Peter’s Square, to be celebrated by the dean of the College
RSS