Warnings Unheeded: Twin Tragedies at Fairchild Air Force Base

Mass murder and military aviation disaster. One community's experience with two fatal tragedies that occurred suddenly... but not without warning.\nOn 20 June 1994, a gunman opened fire on the patrons and staff of an Air Force hospital. Four days later, a B-52 bomber and the lives of her crew were lost in a fiery crash. Hundreds of ordinary men and women experienced the tragedies... countless others had struggled to prevent them.\nEveryone who met the would-be gunman thought he was odd. Some said he was creepy. His Air Force roommates and co-workers feared him... for good reason. When the disturbed airman's behavior became threatening, the mental-health doctors at Fairchild Air Force Base had him committed to the psychiatric ward of a military hospital. As the dangerous airman slipped through the cracks of a broken system, a Fairchild psychiatrist warned his staff, "This is the kind of patient who ... one day ... he's going to come back and kill you."\nThe B-52 aircrews who refused to fly with a veteran pilot said, "We predicted the worst air-show disaster in history when we found out that he was gonna fly." The pilot's dangerous maneuvers had always wowed the crowd at Fairchild's air shows. He also impressed his military leadership. But the men who had to fly with him said he didn't limit his reckless flying to one day a year. They shared tales of the pilot routinely pushing the airliner-sized bomber and her crew to their breaking point. One brave officer risked his career by pushing to have the rogue pilot grounded and when his superiors failed to act, he made the ultimate sacrifice to save his men.\nThis compelling narrative is the work of former military policeman and criminal investigator, Andy Brown. Drawing from extensive research, and personal interviews with the people who witnessed the tragedies unfold, Brown tells their story with cinematic clarity. As the man who ended the killing spree, Brown shares how he had prepared for the deadly gunfight, describes his encounter with the gunman and offers a candid insight into the hidden cost of becoming a "hero."\nMore than a true-crime story, criminal biography or military memoir. Warnings Unheeded is a gripping story of courage, heroics and resilience, a story of survival and a lesson from history.\nHow many times have you heard that a killer "just snapped" or that a tragic "accident" was unpredictable?\nSee the precursors of criminal violence and tragedy in this page-turning true story of mental illness, mass murder and aviation disaster.\n"A highly readable book ... from a unique source. Recommended for a wide audience." -Ron Franscell, Best Selling True-Crime Author of Delivered From Evil and The Darkest Night\n"In vivid and thoroughly researched detail, Andy Brown masterfully weaves two tragic stories ... this is an important and well-written read." -Gregory K. Moffatt, Ph.D., Author of Blind-Sided: Homicide Where it is Least Expected and A Violent Heart\n"Profoundly valuable for anyone who wants to understand violence and mental illness in our society today." -Lt Col Dave Grossman, author of On Combat and On Killing\n"There are specific lessons in this book that can help us to prevent lethal tragedy." -From the Foreword by Massad Ayoob\n*** Contains more than 70 non-graphic photographs and images***