Disgruntled Xerox
employee kills seven
HONOLULU (AP) — In the lat
est outburst of workplace violence, a
Xerox copier repairman shot and
killed seven co-workers in his office
building Tuesday morning, authori
ties said. He surrendered after a five
hour armed standoff with police.
Police believe Byran Uesugi, a
15-year Xerox employee, shot seven
fellow Copier technicians at about 8
a.m. (noon CST) before fleeing in a
company van with a gun.
He eventually stoppedjseveral
miles away in a leafy, residential
neighborhood.
Police cordoned off the neigh
borhood and began negotiating with
him about two hours later.
Some five hours after the shoot
v ing began, Uesugi emeiged from the
van, walked to the back of the vehi
cle with his hands raised and then
fell down on the ground.
His brother had helped in the
negotiations.
SWAT teams raced toward him
with automatic weapons drawn. No
; shots were heard and no injuries
’ were reported.
“It appears as though it was a dis
, gruntled employee who snapped,”
Mayor Jeremy Harris said. Police
would not comment on a motive
V,. though.
Uesugi, 40, was'being booked
for investigation of first-degree mur
, der, which carries a mandatory
penaltyof life without parole.
„ The gunfire erupted in an indus
trial section of Honolulu, far from
, the Waikiki tourist district. Five vic
tims were found dead in a confer
v ence room and two other bodies
were found nearby. All had been shot
with a 9 mm handgun, authorities
said.
Police found 20 9-mm shell cas
ings at the scene. At Uesugi’s home,
they fotpd 11 handguns, 5 rifles and
two shotguns.
The victims - male Xerox
employees - were shot on the second
floor of the two-story building,
authorities said. They ranged in age
from 33 to 58.
“It’s a shock for all of us. We
u
Its a shock for all of
us. We have such as
safe community
Jeremy Harris
mayor of Honolulu
_ have such a safe community with
almost no violent crime,” Harris
said. “To have someone snap like
this and murder seven people is just
absolutely appalling.”
Uesugi was a member of his high
school rifle team and had up to 17
weapons registered in his name.
“This could have been much,
much worse,” Harris said.
By late morning in Makiki
Heights, a residential neighborhood
near the shooting scene, negotiators
were talking with the suspect
through a bullhorn. He was seen pac
ing back and forth outside the van.
Police cordoned off a half-mile
area around his van, which was near
the Hawaii Nature Center. About 60
fourth-graders and 12 chaperones
were on a nature hike when police
told them to get to higher ground. A
school bus with two rifle-toting
police officers then took the students
to safety.
a separate group or tirst-graders
"on a field trip also were evacuated in
the afternoon.
About 10 homes were also evac
uated. Neighborhood residents set
up lawn chairs in the streets to watch
the situation unfold.
Xerox employees were taken
across the street from the building to
be questioned by police qnd helped
by counselors. Another Xerox build
ing, in downtown Honolulu, was
evacuated in case the gunman head
ed that way.
Uesug joined Xerox Corp. in
1984. As a customer service engi
neer, he traveled to various sites to
service and repair printers and
copiers, Xerox said.
Day recognizes Nebraska Respite
By Lindsay Henshilwood
Staff writer
Almost all students would think it
great if they could have a break from
studying.
For other members of the commu
nity who need a break but have no
way of getting one, Nebraska Respite
provides the answer.
Today is Nebraska Respite
Awareness Day, a program of the
Nebraska Respite Coalition that is
coordinated by the Young Women’s
Christian Association.
“Respite is something set up for
families needing a break,” said
Lynette Carr-Grumis, a coordinator
of Lincoln’s Respite Services.
“These are families who have to
care for frail, elderly people, or chil
dren with disabilities, and so need
some time away occasionally,” she
said.
The idea of making people more
aware of the need for respite began a
year ago.
A grant was given to the coalition
for one year to begin the program,
and in that time it has become so suc
cessful that the state of Nebraska has
taken over, Carr-Grumis said.
“The difference that just a few
hours (of) break made to people was
noticeable,” Carr-Grumis said.
Gov. Mike Johanns will sign a
proclamation for Respite Awareness
Day in the Governor’s Hearing Room
of the Capitol today.
Under the proclamation, six areas
within the state will be served by the
Respite Services.
Carr-Grumis said respite is con
sidered important for a number of
reasons.
Many families who have to care
for someone do not want that person
to leave their home to be placed in
permanent care, Carr-Grumis said.
It is often the case that some fam
ilies find the emotional, physical and
financial stress too much to cope
with, she said.
In the worst cases, this can result
in neglect or abuse. While respite can
provide relief from this, it is also
often a relief in the service delivery
system.
This is because it enables the indi
vidual to remain in his home.
If respite is provided to a family at
a cost of $200 per month, it is still a
savings to the $4,000-$5,000 per
month in Medicaid costs for nursing
home care that would otherwise be
necessary.
“We are using Nebraska Respite
Awareness Day to hopefully recruit
more people to help as caregivers,”
said Judy Holstead, a co-chairwoman
for the Nebraska Respite Coalition
program.
A training program will begin at
Lincoln’s Young Women’s Christian
Association on Dec.7 free of charge.
The program will be run on one
evening per week and will last either
four or five weeks, depending on the
type of training scheme. For more
information, call (402) 441-6710.
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