An Ohio State University janitor was armed with more 50 rounds of ammunition when he walked into a campus maintenance shop and shot two supervisors before killing himself, police said Thursday.
Nathaniel Brown, 50, who had recently received a bad job evaluation and was upset over his pending dismissal, had two handguns and fired nine times Tuesday morning, deputy chief Richard Morman said.
Police still aren't certain of Brown's motive, though they believe the shootings were work related. It's not clear if other employees may have been targeted, and it will likely be several months before authorities complete their investigation, Morman said.
The two handguns — a .45-caliber Glock pistol and a 9mm Luger — have been sent to federal authorities to determine where Brown, who had a prison record, might have purchased them, Morman said. Brown's ammunition included two magazines for the Glock.
Brown, who also was fighting foreclosure on his home, had become increasingly quiet and withdrawn in the past week, according to a search warrant filed by police who interviewed co-workers.
‘Sorry I let you down’
He left behind two brief handwritten notes that police discovered in his home, Morman said. One was directed to a woman named Donna that said "sorry I let you down."
Brown scribbled out another note that appears to be a will. That note said, "ever thing I have Donna J. Dunson-Grrald-J can have."
Records show Brown shared the same address with a woman named Donna Dunson, but their relationship is unclear. Messages left at the home seeking comment were not immediately returned.
Contents of the notes were first reported by The Columbus Dispatch and later released by the Franklin County coroner's office.
Many questions remain unanswered, including how Brown's criminal past went undetected.
Ohio State hired an outside vendor, OPENonline LLC in Columbus, to conduct a background check on Brown, who spent about five years in prison in the 1970s and 1980s for receiving stolen property, according to court and prison records.
But the agency's report turned up no criminal records on Brown, who denied on his September job application that he had been convicted of a crime.
Angela Bosworth, an executive vice president with OPENonline, said Thursday that the company stands by its screening process.
Brown provided Ohio State with a birth date of June 5, 1959. Court and prison records list it as June 4, 1959. His middle name, Alvin, is consistent on all records.
Supervisors complained about his work
Ohio State is reviewing employment policies to see if any changes are needed, spokeswoman Shelly Hoffman said.
Brown first began working at Ohio State as a temporary custodial worker in December 2008. An employment agency that placed him also conducted a background check. It, too, didn't reveal Brown's criminal record, Hoffman said.
Brown was told last week that his probationary employment would end Saturday because of poor performance. Supervisors complained he was tardy, slept on the job and had problems following instructions.
One of Brown's shooting victims, building services manager Larry Wallington, 48, died at the scene. Preliminary autopsy results show he had multiple gunshot wounds to the head and neck.
The other victim, shift leader Henry Butler, 60, has been released from a hospital. He has not commented publicly on the shooting.
Brown, whom police found in a garage bay at the maintenance shop, died of a single gunshot wound to the head, the coroner's office said.