Citing his inability to obtain unemployment, a former worker of a construction company opened fire on a Baton Rouge office, killing two and wounding another.
From CNN:
A man described as a former employee shot and killed two people and seriously wounded another at a Baton Rouge, Louisiana, construction company before workers wrestled him to the ground, sheriff’s officials said…As he was escorted in for questioning, in response to a reporter’s question about the shooting, the Matthews replied numerous times: “I couldn’t get my unemployment, they wouldn’t give me my unemployment.”
My heart goes out to the family of these victims, particularly since none of these people had anything to do with providing unemployment to former workers. And it’s not because they weren’t in HR. Unemployment is state-run and the state makes the ultimate decision as to who gets UI and who doesn’t. A company can provide facts of the separation and even protest against the employee obtaining UI, but ultimately it’s the state’s decision.
Believe me, I’ve heard some really sad stories about the bureaucracy of CA’s UI process. I have no doubt that Louisiana’s, or any other state’s process can be much better.
May the victims of this awful tragedy rest in peace.