Divorced US Air Force computer expert kills his 2 young children, himself at base housing (Iraq vet)

[Barrett808]

Source: Associated Press

TINKER AIR FORCE BASE, Oklahoma: A recently divorced airman who served with distinction in Iraq chased his ex-wife out of military housing with a pistol before killing his two young children and himself.

Tinker Air Force Base officials on Wednesday identified Tech. Sgt. Dustin Thorson, a military computer expert, as the killer in the shootings Monday.

His former wife had filed an order of protection against him last year, saying he had threatened to kill 4-year-old Dylan and 9-year-old Jourdain if she filed for divorce.

Thorson had been under the care of a mental health professional, Brig. Gen. Lori Robinson said. She would not say whether his mental problems were related to stress from his crumbling marriage or his experiences in Iraq.

Armed with a 9 mm Ruger semiautomatic pistol and a stun gun, Thorson, 35, chased his ex-wife, Michelle Thorson, out of the house before shooting his children and committing suicide, Oklahoma County Sheriff John Whetsel said.

Read more: http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2008/02/27/america/NA-GEN-US-Base-Shootings.php

[Rabrrrrrr]

1. Tragic. So tragic.

And I'm sure we're going to see more of it.

[NewJeffCT]

2. wow, how sad

may the children rest if peace.

[superconnected]

3. I HATE it when they take out children.

Glad the fathers gone. May he rest in hell. And no, Iraq is NOT an excuse. It screws people up but I don't think it's a crutch for all the murders that come out of there.

I often wonder how many murderers are going into the military anyway so they can kill people. After listening to some marines interviewed and finding they litterally joined for the reason to kill iraquies then got depressed because they were being shot at and killed too.(the second part is my interpretation)

[Ilsa]

4. Oh god. I guess she didn't think he'd really hurt his own kids if she

ran out of the house. She must be beyond distraught. Those poor kids.

[peace13]

5. This is so sad for everyone involved!

For gods sake can we stop this madness now? I feel so sorry for this man and these young children and the woman left to live with the pain.

[defendandprotect]

6. "His former wife had filed an order of protection against him last year" . . .

And then what happened ---- ???

Same story over and over again ---

And a lot of it happening at our military bases ---



“If the Democrats can’t landslide the Republicans this year, they ought to just wrap up, close down, emerge in a different form.” If moderates don’t feel moved to repudiate the past 7 years of idiocy, and by huge margins, it’s time to declare the patient dead.
But I am a progressive and President Obama will need to know that there remain a lot of issues over here to the left of things that still need to be addressed. And the puppeteer who holds a donkey puppet in one hand and an elephant puppet in the other needs to know that we see him up there."

[PassingFair]

9. I think the people supporting Obama are more likely to hand him scissors.

He hasn't been dancing as long....

We will ALL have to be ready to saw away
at the strings once he is elected to MAKE
change.

[ordinaryaveragegirl]

7. How truly sad.

Why is it that kids are too often the innocent victims of this sort of thing? And where was the help that this man and his family so desperately needed? This is a tragedy that probably could have been prevented, had someone stepped in at the right time...well before this guy snapped. It makes me angry and absolutely sick to see this kind of stuff happen. My thoughts are with the mother of those two children. :cry:

[samsingh]

8. i hate when these tragedies happen

poor poor children.

[The Stranger]

10. Yet the military remains in denial about mental health issues and PTSD.

She would not say whether his mental problems were related to stress from his crumbling marriage or his experiences in Iraq.

So typical of the military. It calls to mind that dipshit's quote about the dolphin killed from Navy sonar. "There is no evidence the dolphin was killed by the sonar going on at the same time."