The Will Rogers World Airport in Oklahoma City was placed on lockdown after a shooting, but reports now indicate that the shooting was not at random, and the gunman had intended to take vengeance on a supervisor before killing himself.
According to reports, suspected shooter Lloyd Buie had worked for Southwest Airlines from 1999 until April 2015, when he showed up for work apparently under the influence of alcohol. Supervisors requested Buie to take an alcohol test, but the man refused to submit to testing and immediately resigned.
Since then, Buie, who served in the Army prior to working for Southwest Airlines, has had numerous difficulties. Reports say he was suffering from health issues, and he filed for bankruptcy in September.
On Tuesday, emergency personnel responded to the airport after receiving calls reporting gunshots outside the airport. They found a wounded man in the parking lot and rushed him to the hospital, where he died of a gunshot wound. The man was identified as 52-year-old Michael Winchester, a Southwest Airlines supervisor and former OU Sooners football player.
The shooting launched a manhunt for the suspect, who was later found dead in his vehicle in the airport parking lot. It appears that Buie died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound.
Oklahoma City Police Capt. Paco Balderrama said the shooting was not random, but it was unclear if Winchester was the intended victim or if Buie was looking for any Southwest Airlines supervisor. Reports say he was angry with a number of supervisors because of the events leading up to his termination with the airline.
Police say Buie armed himself with a rifle with the intention of going to the airport and killing someone. According to parking records, it seems that the suspect may have lain in wait for days prior to killing the supervisor.
Investigators believe that Buie shot Winchester with a rifle from the second floor of the parking garage, which was about 50 yards away from where the victim was found. Capt. Balderrama notes the suspect's military history as a reason for his ability with the rifle, saying the shooting "would definitely require familiarity with a rifle. You don't have to be an expert marksman to hit a 50 yard shot, but it's not an easy shot either."
Image credit: redlegsfan21
