Families, friends of three women shot by off-duty officer wonder how he could do something so awful

Two of the three women who gathered at the M & M Lounge on Friday night were there to support the third, Charlotte Grahn. All were shot by Grahn's husband.
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GRESHAM -- Friends and family of the three women shot by an off-duty Clackamas County sheriff's sergeant grieved Sunday and questioned why someone sworn to protect the public would go on what they consider a calculated, murderous rampage.


Charlotte Grah
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Witnesses inside downtown Gresham's M & M Lounge say Jeffrey A. Grahn pulled a woman, thought to be his wife, outside the building Friday night and shot her, then returned to a crowded room and opened fire on her two friends.

"The look on his face, I just remember, it was, like, so evil. It was just the most evil thing I've seen," said Mark Weisgram, whose band was performing on stage as the shooting transpired. "It was fierce. It was almost like an animal look, you know? It wasn't of the world that I know."


Kathleen Hoffmeister
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The women had gathered Friday night with Charlotte Grahn, 47, whose husband filed for divorce in August. The women had daughters who previously were cheerleaders at Sam Barlow High School.

Charlotte Grahn worked hard at her marriage for years but recently had decided to make herself happy, her friend Sheila Meyer said. Jeffrey Grahn, 46, changed his mind about the divorce and tried to win his wife back, but it was too late, Meyer said.


Vickie Schulmerich
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He killed my friend, and she didn't do anything. Today I placed a rosary on her and touched her hair. And I'll never see her again because of him," said Patrick Keep, owner of the business.

Hoffmeister grew up in Mount Vernon, Wash., and became an integral part of her husband's boisterous family. She was fun to be around, but also serious and giving, said Mark Hoffmeister, her brother-in-law. He said his sister-in-law didn't know Charlotte Grahn particularly well but went out Friday to offer support. Mark Hoffmeister said Jeffrey Grahn shot his sister-in-law in the face. "He knew who he was shooting. And yet, I don't know why he shot her," Mark Hoffmeister said. "It's just so sad. Here she is trying to help this poor woman."

Connie Schulmerich said she is concerned that Jeffrey Grahn has been portrayed as an otherwise good guy who for 15 years worked at the Clackamas County Sheriff's Office, most recently as a swing-shift patrol supervisor. Connie Schulmerich said Grahn shot her sister-in-law in the back of the head. "He hunted people down," she said. "He assassinated people."

More: http://www.oregonlive.com/news/index.ssf/2010/02/families_friends_of_three_wome.html

have saved lives. I'm so confused...

Ok, it's awful. Now what? Why is it posted here?

Since this is a forum about gun policy, what is your point? Do you have some sort of opinion to share? What prompted you to post this?

Often when even they themselves wouldn't have foreseen it. When guns are added into the mix you can and do end up with tragedies.

Like the OP- and likely this next one- also in Oregon:

February 14, 2010
HILLSBORO -- A love triangle that ended in three grisly deaths will take center stage Tuesday when Ricardo Serrano fights for his life inside a Washington County courtroom.

Serrano, 34, is facing the death penalty if convicted of killing Melody Dang and her two boys to take revenge on Dang's partner, who had impregnated Serrano's wife. Serrano is charged with 10 counts of aggravated murder.

...Dang, 37, and sons Steven, 15, and Jimmy, 12, were killed while they were in their living room eating a dinner of rice and noodles and watching a movie, according to police records. Dang, who was talking on her cell phone to a friend in Florida when the shooting began, was shot in the heart. Steven, who was wearing a Buddha pendant, was shot in the hand, finger and chest. Jimmy was shot in the chest at close range. Police believe he had tried to hide in the bathtub.

More: http://www.oregonlive.com/news/index.ssf/2010/02/trial_set_to_start_in_triple_k.html

(One might also note that in other nations, cops leave their guns in lockers when they're off duty).

Does it make a difference at all?

"Point is that "good guys" like the guy in the story- can unforeseeably turn into bad guys"


You want the State appointed "Good Guys(tm)" to be the only ones with access to guns, after proving that even they can't be trusted.

Your "logic" makes my eyes cross and gives me a migraine.

Because they think it proves what a good thing it is for everyone to be armed. This is the other side of the coin.

One of two entities in my State that can legally acquire armor piercing pistol rounds, use silencers, and fully automatic weapons.

I mean seriously, what do you want the cops to use, whiffle bats? Was there a failure of law or policy here?


I am equally critical of most of the DGU threads as well, they are all useless anecdotes, but this one is particularly useless, given the employ of the guy that went apeshit.

police?