As of Wednesday, the shooter at the Will Rogers World Airport in Oklahoma City has been identified. 45-year-old Dean Lloyd Buie apparently is the culprit in the Murder of NFL player James Winchester's father, Michael Winchester. Winchester, the victim, was an employee of Southwest Airlines; he was shot walking to his car by Buie after work. Michael Winchester is the father of James Winchester, who plays for the Kansas City Chiefs. Michael Winchester himself had played for the Oklahoma Sooners in years past. James Winchester was not the only son of Michael; he had a family of six children.
Buie himself was a former Southwest employee and he attacked Winchester from the parking garage using his rifle. Police were called to the scene around 12:50 PM. Winchester did not die at the scene, yet later died at the hospital he was taken to. The Will Rogers World
Buie himself was a former Southwest employee and he attacked Winchester from the parking garage using his rifle. Police were called to the scene around 12:50 PM. Winchester did not die at the scene, yet later died at the hospital he was taken to. The Will Rogers World Airport was closed and put on lockdown beginning at 1:40 PM with all of its flights cancelled for the majority of the day. Being that the airport handles around 8,00 passengers in a day, one can only assume this displaced thousands.
Airport function and flights were affected
The airport's incoming and outgoing flights resumed normal function after 6PM Central Time. Even those flights that were incoming at the Oklahoma City airport were forced to stay on the tarmac, with the exception of one plane. Four flights were cancelled altogether and 27 were delayed, causing a rough time returning back to normality with so many disrupted plans.
In a turn of events, Buie later shot himself. Buie was found dead in his car, though this case is still under investigation and it hasn't been confirmed whether or not the same weapon was upon to kill both Winchester and Buie himself. It was discovered shortly after the murder that Buie resigned from Southwest in April of 2015, and it has been speculated that this situation arose from the events leading up to Buie's resignation and possible conflict with Winchester.
Southwest itself later issued out a letter expressing sorrow regarding the loss of their employee, also confirming the previous status of employment regarding Dean Lloyd Buie. This is not the first case of gun violence in the US; it is a problem they have struggled with for some time and will likely continue to.
