Former boss says Knox school shooting suspect had threatened him

[Ghost in the Machine]

Former boss says Knox school shooting suspect had threatened him
Posted: Feb 10, 2010 7:17 PM EST
By BETH RUCKER
Associated Press Writer

KNOXVILLE (AP) -- The former boss of an elementary school teacher charged with shooting two administrators at his school says the man threatened him over a work dispute in the 1990s.

Police charged Mark Stephen Foster of Clinton with two counts of attempted first-degree murder.

Hospital officials said Inskip Elementary School Principal Elisa Luna was in critical condition and Assistant Principal Amy Brace was in stable condition after the Wednesday shooting.

Terry Mullins, CEO of Oak Ridge Tool Engineering, said Foster made an attempt on his life several years ago after he was laid off.

The suspect's brother, Anthony Foster, said that he hasn't talked to his brother in about four years because of "family problems," although they are neighbors.

http://www.wate.com/Global/story.asp?S=11966694

Ok, how was this man able to be a teacher with, presumably, an attempted murder charge on his record? :shrug:

[sharesunited]

1. It is far too easy to get your hands on guns and ammo in this country.

[REP]

2. Don't question teachers

[muriel_volestrangler]

3. Not necessarily charged

From another article:

A former boss of Foster's said the suspect was taken into custody in the 1990s with weapons near their office after making threatening comments about him to family members.
...
Anthony Foster said his brother once had been a machinist at Oak Ridge Tool Engineering and got into a dispute with CEO Terry Mullins, declining to elaborate.

Mullins said in a telephone interview Wednesday that police captured an armed Mark Foster a mile away from their office in the 1990s after his mother warned police about the threatening statements. Mullins said police told him that Foster intended to harm him.

Oak Ridge police did not immediately return a call seeking more information about the incident.

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/ap/top/all/6861218.html

Mind you, that his brother recently tried to get a court order to keep him away from his family sounds worrying too - though the petition was dismissed.

[MichaelHarris]

4. If you are threatened or scared in this

country you MUST grab a gun, it is the only solution!



:sarcasm: