Thomas McIlvane

"you had better not turn your head because you'll be dead!
I'm going to get you!"
 

Another postman gone mad. This time in Royal Oak, Michigan.

McIlvane was a former marine that was discharged because he drove a tank over a car. Obviously he needed a new occupation and where else could he go but the post office. He also had a black belt in karate, and had won professional kick boxing fights.

McIlvane was not a very popular bloke with the postal service, and his bosses particularly didn't like his prickly nature. He also had trouble getting along with those he served, constantly arguing with people on his mail route, and even occasionally getting into fights.

This is where things went wrong for McIlvane. He got himself into one too many fights and since he had already been suspended for fighting, he was fired. But McIlvane appealed this decision but unfortunately for all involved the decision was upheld and McIlvane was out of a job. He made one final appeal which was rejected.

The next morning McIlvane decided upon revenge as the best solution to his problems. He took a sawn-off Ruger semi-automatic carbine rifle to the post office and got even. He singled out his supervisors, shooting four dead, and during the six minute spree left six more wounded.

Once feeling a bit better about losing his job, McIlvane did as most mass murderers do - he lifted the gun to his head and blew his brains out, unluckily not doing a great job and being found alive. He died the following day in hospital anyway.

A Very Amusing Bit
McIlvane had told others about what was going to happen if he wasn't reinstated, and had even promised to make Patrick Sherrill's massacre look like "Disneyland", or "a tea party", or even "a picnic". He continuously made threatening calls to his supervisors (who reported them to police, who did nothing). The other staff knew about McIlvane's threat and had already planned their escape routes should he turn up.